Highlights in 2018 included: -

• the re-employment of a Sports Inclusion Development Officer. Jean Brady joined the staff of Offaly Sports Partnership in May 2018, and is currently working with various underrepresented groups such as people with disabilities, older adults, women and girls in an effort to increase their participation in sport and physical activity
• the employment of a Community Sports Development Officer. Denise Coghill joined the staff of Offaly Sports Partnership in October 2018, and is currently working in west Offaly in an effort to increase the participation of people from west Offaly communities in sport and physical activity
• continuing investment possibilities through various agencies including Dormant Accounts, Department of Justice and Equality, Department of Community & Rural Development, Department of Children & Youth Affairs, Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport, Healthy Ireland, the Health Services Executive and Sport Ireland resulted in Offaly Sports Partnership securing just over €375k in financial contributions and €212k of benefit in kind contributions which the delivery of a range of additional physical activity and sport programmes for the county
• the attendance of Minister of State, David Staunton, TD at the Diversity Games in January and December in Athlone International Indoor Arena. 

January saw Offaly Sports Partnership and the AIT International Arena play host to the inaugural Diversity Games (deferred from December 2017), one of 131 community integration projects funded by the Department of Justice & Equality in late 2017. 300 primary and post primary pupils / students were in attendance, with over half of those participating children and young people of an ethnic minority background. 

Following a second round of community integration project funding from the Department in 2018, Offaly Sports Partnership and the AIT International Arena hosted the second annual Diversity Games across two days in December. Almost 500 primary and post primary pupils / students were in attendance, again over half of those participating were children and young people of an ethnic minority background. We look forward to continuing to work with the Department on projects designed to increase the participation of under represents groups such as people of an ethnic minority background in sport and physical activity

• the hosting of a sports volunteer celebration night in December at which Packie Bonner was the keynote speaker. 12 sporting volunteers across athletics, badminton, camogie, canoeing, community games, cycling, GAA, hockey, pitch & putt, rugby, rowing and soccer were recognised for their extensive volunteer work in their respective sports over the years.

The Sports Partnership also delivered: -

• a comprehensive schools’ fitness programme with 41schools and over 3,500 pupils participating
• education and training programmes for over 140 volunteers / coaches in clubs and organisations
• sports leader training for over 200 transition year students in post primary schools across the county
• inter-generational sport and physical activity programmes such as Operation Transformation, Bike Week, Play Day and Recreation Week 
• sport and physical activity programmes for low income communities, older adults, and women and girls 
• sport and physical activity programmes as part of Healthy Offaly supported by Healthy Ireland

The report is available online

Officers of the Sports Partnership committee for the coming year shall be: -

Chair – Miriam O Callaghan
Vice Chair – Pippa Hackett
Financial Monitor – Darren Butler

These officers will be joined by Martin Daly of Offaly County Council; Cllr Declan Harvey of the Offaly Local Community and Development Committee; and Eamonn Brady, FAI representative; on the executive of the Sports Partnership

For more information of Offaly Sports Partnership, check out the website, follow us on our social media platforms/OffalySportsPartnership, email us or call us on 057 93 57462

ENDS

Offaly Sports Partnership is a sub committee of Offaly County Council. It is core funded by Sport Ireland and hosted by the Community and Culture section of Offaly County Council