SIDO Year 1 Annual Report (March 2008 - February 2009)

MessagesMessage from SSRP Co-ordinator – Deirdre LavinI am pleased to welcome the first Annual Report for the Sports Inclusion DisabilityProject. It is most encouraging to see the progress made in increasing participationthroughout County Sligo by people with a disability in sport and active recreation in year1 of the project. Many new and inclusive sporting programmes have been establishedencouraging participation by people with a disability. A variety of education and traininginitiatives have been facilitated thereby empowering personnel form clubs andorganisations to be more inclusive. Central to the success of the project has been thepartnership approach adopted in the development and delivery of initiatives which hasinvolved networking with disability organisations, local statutory bodies, governing bodiesof sport, sports clubs, schools and community organisations.I would like to acknowledge the dedication and professionalism of Sports InclusionDisability Officer, Shane Hayes, for his commitment to the co-ordination and successfuldelivery of the project.Funding at national level from Pobal and the Dormant Accounts has been the catalyst forthe establishment of a network of 21 Sports Inclusion Disability Officers. In addition,support from the Irish Sports Council and the CARA centre in IT Tralee has supportedthe overall co-ordination and structure for the initiative. Sligo Sport and RecreationPartnership has received programme support and funding from local agencies includingHealth Service Executive West, Sligo County Council, Sligo Borough Council andCounty Sligo VEC which has enhanced the quality and extent of programming available.It will be important to work collectively to ensure future funding for the long termsustainability of this worthwhile project. The Sports Inclusion Disability Project has beenestablished as an important element of the SSRP Active Communities strategy and willcontribute to realising more fully our vision of “Sport and Recreation: A Way of Life inSligo”.Message from Sports Inclusion Disability Officer (SIDO)- Shane HayesThis, the first annual report of the SIDO project in Sligo, shows the impact of the SportsInclusion Disability initiative to date with regard to the various programmes, events andtraining which have been delivered over the past twelve months. The report reflects thework being carried out by the SIDO in Sligo, acknowledging the assistance and cooperationof the key local, regional and national agencies which have helped contributeto its success. Through the SIDO programme Sligo Sport and Recreation Partnershiphave made significant progress in the provision of sporting and active recreationalopportunities for people with disabilities throughout the county. I have been fortunateenough to have met and worked with a significant number of people with disabilitiesthrough their involvement in the various events and programmes and I hope to build onthese relationships in the coming year. I have also had the pleasure of working with arange of local agencies and clubs from the disability and sporting sector and I would liketo thank them for their continued interest and support for the project. I would particularlylike to thank the many new volunteers who have become involved in the variousprogrammes and events, as without them the success of the project would not bepossible.Finally, it is with great enthusiasm and a positive outlook that I look forward toyear two of the project.3