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

Getting Started – Project LaunchSligo Sport and Recreation Partnership launched the Sports Inclusion DisabilityProject at the Council Chambers of Sligo County Council in April 2008. Theproject was officially launched by the special guest speaker Dr. Jimmy Devins,the then Minister for Disability and Mental Health, who spoke of the positiveoutcomes which could be achieved for disability sport and recreation in Sligothrough the work of the Sports Inclusion Disability Officer. He gave his fullsupport to the strategic development and implementation of disability sport inSligo, and further supported the setting up of a North West Disability AdvisoryCommittee to promote the disability agenda in both Sligo and Donegal. He notedthat this would ensure facilitate the sharing of resources and provide a vehicle fordiscussing best practice in disability sport. A number or other key speakersaddressed the launch including Hubert Keirns (County Manager, Sligo CountyCouncil), Sean Purcell (CEO Sligo VEC), Pat Dolan (Local Health Manager,HSE) and Counciller Joe Leonard (Chairman SSRP).Information GatheringAnother important task for the SIDO at the outset of the project was in the area ofresearch and information gathering. In order to effectively target and liaise withpeople with a disability to provide quality sporting and recreational opportunities,the SIDO developed a number of participant disability databases. This enablesthe SIDO to provide information, advice and support on disability sport to a widenumber of people from the disability sector in Sligo. The information was initiallygathered through the dissemination of questionnaires to disabilityorganistions/services, sports clubs, and schools and to individuals with adisability directly. To date there are over 130 names on the disabilityparticipant database which the SIDO hopes to increase in year two.7