Sligo Sport and Recreation Partnership is delighted to announce our upcoming Sligo Women in Sport Series.

First up, we are inviting you to our free Women in Sport Webinar, on Wednesday 13th October at 7pm as we look to the future of women in sport leadership here in Sligo. Whether you are female or male, a player or coach, a parent or volunteer, a mentor or administrator, everyone is welcome.  We think that you all will gain a great insight into how we can all progress developing women in sport for the benefit of the entire community in Sligo.

Our inspirational guest speakers will talk us through the varied and differing perspectives of women in sport leadership including Nora Stapleton, Sport Ireland’s Women in Sport lead and former international rugby player. Further guest speakers will be announced shortly. It is set to be an informative and engaging evening.

We will also release the findings of our recent Women in Sport survey as we reflect on the current landscape of sport for women in Sligo while we will also looking to the future.

To register for the webinar please click on the button

Women in Sport Leadership Course

Following on from the webinar SSRP are delighted to bring a bespoke Women in Sport Leadership Course to the clubs of Sligo, the first time this highly rated national course is being rolled out at County level.

This 7 week course is designed and delivered by experienced consultants Lisa Clancy and Sarah O’Shea, who have themselves worked at the highest levels in Irish sport and also hold volunteer  Board positions as Vice President of Paralympics Ireland and Honorary General Secretary Olympic Federation Ireland respectively. They bring their extensive experience to the programme.

This leadership programme has proved to be hugely successful with over 140 participants spanning over 30 sporting bodies. SSRP is delighted to be in a position to offer this course to female volunteers involved in various roles at club level.

The aim of the programme is to provide training, guidance, and expertise to support women to thrive in leadership positions in sport. It will give women across Sligo the opportunity to learn additional skills, increase their confidence and build networks across sports.

The interactive practical classes allow each participant to work and focus on their own development, while also learning from others and hearing about their experiences of leadership. Topics will include effective communication, values, networking and collaboration, crisis management and influence and change.

The programme is specifically designed for female leaders over the age of 18 years old working or volunteering within sport (committee members, officials, volunteers, coaches etc.) but it is also suitable for females that are involved in sport and want to pursue a position of leadership.

Sports Co-ordinator Deirdre Lavin stated “For many years we have invested in creating opportunities for women to participate in different sports and we are now delighted to focus on the area of leadership and we encourage all clubs to get involved in supporting more women to step into leadership roles.”

Places will be offered via application process and as the course is heavily subsidised through Sport Ireland Dormant Accounts Volunteer Support Programme we are able to offer it at €40 per participant. Selection criteria will take into consideration diversity of sports representation (major/minority) and geographical spread.

Application deadline is 20^th October at 12pm.

To register your expression of interest click on the button.

Additional Course Information

Course content includes modules on:

• Leadership and values
• Networking and collaboration
• Handling challenging situations and developing resilience
• Crisis management
• Influencing in leadership
• Communications and developing your personal brand
• Governance in sport
• Change management

Further, all participants will receive a one-on-one coaching session with a course tutor and support in producing their own Personal Development Plan. Guest speakers will also provide insight into their own leadership experiences.

The course will take the format of interactive sessions including opportunities for breakout rooms. A relaxed and supportive environment is fostered throughout to enhance the learning experiences for all. A network of women in sport leaders in Sligo will be established to maintain this support long after the course has been concluded.

Course Dates:

Course 1: Thursday 4th November to Thursday 16th December 2021

• Seven part course taking place every Thursday 7-8.30pm, online via zoom.

We invite you to our Pétanque (Boules) Taster Day on Saturday 2nd October from 11am – 2pm.

If you’ve ever walked by the facility at Mitchell Curley Park, Kevinsfort and wondered about it’s use, now is the perfect time to come along and try it out. We will introduce you to this sport, teaching you the basics and giving you the opportunity to give it a go. All equipment will be provided.

This event is suitable for all of the family, from children to grandparents. Bring the entire family for a leisurely morning trying out a new sport!

Pétanque falls under the umbrella of boules sports, the aim is to play your boule towards a smaller, target ball. Points are scored by having your boules closest to the target.

Pétanque is popular across many European countries, in particular France. This sport is suitable for everyone to get involved, from children to older people. It doesn’t require a high standard of fitness. It can be played leisurely and enjoyed socially, or there is a possibility for competition. Come along with the entire family and everyone can get involved and have fun!

Registration is essential to abide by covid-19 regulations.

This ladies only cycling event is now a well-established part of Innisfree Wheelers annual event calendar. The 40km event is specifically designed for women who wish to get back on the bike and is suitable for even beginner cyclists as the tour will be conducted at a leisurely pace with no cyclist being dropped and full back up and support being provided along the way.

This year once again we also have a 60km distance which should suit more experienced women cyclists.

This year’s Ladies Lough Gill Tour take place on Sunday the 18th of July at Cleveragh, Sligo at 11am. The 40k event It starts at Cleveragh Park at 11am. Registration is ONLINE ONLY this year.

Find out More and SIGN UP at http://www.innisfreewheelers.com/2021/06/22/ladies-tour-of-lough-gill-2021/  

Coming up with different ways to stay active and healthy is now on everyone’s minds.

Sligo Sport and Recreation Partnership have developed a 5k training plan for the people of Sligo to walk, jog and run their way to 5k and feel great.

The Feel Good 5K is a FREE 6 week training programme for people of all ages and abilities throughout County Sligo.

There are 3 tailored training programmes which participants can select from. Each training programme contains three weekly sessions and can be complete in under an hour. You can sign up to receive your free training plans and weekly support emails at https://feelgood5ksligo.eventbrite.ie. Registration opens 1st January 2021 and 6 week support programme starts from the 6th January. 

You can select from

‘Feel Good 5k – First 5k – Walk / Jog Training plan with Podcasts to get you to complete a 5k in 6 weeks 

‘Feel Good Breaking 30 – Jog / Run Training  Plan to get you a sub 30min 5k in 6 weeks 

‘Feel Good in Under 25 – Running Training Plan to get you sub 25min 5k in 6 weeks 

Register at https://feelgood5ksligo.eventbrite.ie  from 1st January 2021.

Bike Week usually takes place every year over a week in June but as with many events this year it was cancelled due to Covid-19. However in August, it was announced the week would be rescheduled to take place in September 2020 with strict Covid-19 protocols and all public health guidelines followed.

Bike Week, a national celebration and promotion of all that is great about bikes and cycling, was held over an extended week from the 19^th to 27^th September, with bike-themed events organised by local authorities, community groups and cycling groups throughout Ireland. Locally the week was co-ordinated by Sligo County Council and Sligo Sport and Recreation Partnership with support from many local cycling clubs and community organisations.

The rescheduled time of year in autumn with its shorter evenings and Covid-19 restriction required a rethink of previous year’s events, but an exciting schedule was planned for Sligo, from the Dawn Bike to Breakfast to Sunset Cycles, there was something for all ages and abilities.

During Bike Week there was an opportunity to promote two fantastic new cycling prospects in Sligo. The first being the newly opened Coillte National Coolaney Mountain Bike Park in Coolaney. There was a lot of activity happening there with an introduction to Mountain Biking sessions for women, men, kids and teens and a full day Introduction to Mountain Biking hosted by Northwest Mountain Bike Club. These days were extremely popular and were fully booked out in no time. Coolaney MTB Park is a network of purpose-built single-track trails and forest roads that are designed for use by mountain bikes on waymarked circular routes between 3km and 22km in length. This is the first phase of an extensive trail system being built in the Ox Mountains near Coolaney and is very exciting for Sligo. Find out more information about the trails at https://www.coillte.ie/site/coolaney-mtb/

The second new cycling prospect for the county is the EuroVelo Route 1 –Atlantic Coast Route. Sligo County Council has recently developed a signed on road cycling route throughout the county as part of EuroVelo Route 1 –Atlantic Coast Route, so keep an eye out for the white signs with blue bikes. This was achieved as part of an EU Atlantic Area Project called AtlanticOnBike. The AtlanticOnBike project aims at achieving positive economic outcomes thanks to a transnational cycle tourism strategy based on the natural and cultural assets of the EuroVelo1, one of the sixteen long distance European cycle routes. This project expects to contribute to a low carbon tourism development. Its rationale is to stimulate, to structure, to promote and to take part in the development of a cycle touristic offer along EuroVelo 1. AtlanticOnBike should generate positive impacts on the local economy by increasing visits, boosting local economy and creating new activities and new jobs in the tourism sector. It will provide a new touristic offer accessible for a large range of the population but also an attractive leisure destination for locals. Get out there and enjoy!

One of the highlight events from last year ‘Bike Orienteering’ was back for 2020. This popular family friendly fun event which was held in Cleveragh Park closed the weeklong celebration of cycling this year. The safety of the bike trails at Cleveragh allows all levels of cyclists to take part; with a wide range of bikes on display from balance bikes, trikes, hand cycles and even top class mountain bikes. This event really highlighted how inclusive cycling can be as children and adults of all abilities and ages took part throughout the day. The orienteering course designed included staggered starts to prevent overlap of groups and was set up by Northwest Adventure Tours and proved to be very popular with all the participants. Even the local Garda Cycling unit, who called over to support the event got involved; some participants even got competitive on how fast they could complete the long orienteering course, with a record of 16 minutes on the day.

Another great day was organised by Sligo Cycling Campaign, a Bike NCT at Strandhill Peoples Market celebrating the School Cycling Bus by children and parents of Scoil Asicus Naofa, Strandhill.

Experienced road cyclists had an opportunity to compete for the Mooney Trophy in a Time Trail organised by Eire Óg Cycling Club on Sunday 27^th, with Shane O Connell from Blarney Cycling Club taking it home in a time of 24 mins 58secs.

Bike Week showcased the vast opportunities Sligo has for cycling throughout the county with events held in Mullaghmore, Ballinafad, Enniscrone, Doorly Park, Ballygawley and Streedagh to name a few. Bike Week showed people can get out on their bikes any time of the day with Bike to Breakfast, Lunch time cycles and Sunset cycles, and highlighted the strong cycling community that exists with events hosted by local cycling clubs and community groups throughout the week. So if you haven’t already done so, it’s time to dust off your bike and get out and explore the endless possibilities Sligo has to offer!

All photos from the week can be view on our Facebook Photo Album Here

The Sligo School Indoor Rowing Staying Local Virtual Blitz is open to all secondary schools in County Sligo. The format of the event has changed from a team event to an individual event for this year due to Covid restrictions. There are categories for every year group from 1^st to 6^th years with a special categories for school teachers and staff to engage in the event. The challenge is to see how many meters you can row in a 5minute time cap. Competitive rowers who have experience rowing can enter the 2000meters for time category, a challenging test of fitness.

The timed rows will be overseen on a selected date between the 10^th and 18^th December onsite in the school by an SSRP Rowing Official who will verify all distances complete, where they will be compiled on a database with results posted on 19^th December. Rowers are available for schools to use for this event. Full details of the event can be found on Eventbrite HERE 

People of Sligo challenged to take part in BeActive Day 2020

Sligo is challenged to be active on Sunday, 28^th June as part of the Sport Ireland National BeActive Day.

Sligo Sport and Recreation Partnership (SSRP) is one of 29 Local Sports Partnerships in the country who are coming together to celebrate a day of physical activity and sport and want you to join in and be active.

Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, SSRP has been working hard to ensure the people of Sligo remain physically active.

As part of a national network of 29 Local Sports Partnerships (LSP) SSRP has adapted by using online resources, printed booklets and other innovative means, to ensure that everyone in their community has the opportunity to share in the enjoyment as well as the mental and physical health benefits of sport and physical activity.

International guidelines recommend children are active for at least 60 minutes a day and adults for 30 minutes a day, National BeActive Day is a fun and inclusive way of getting in your daily physical activity.

Launching the event, Chief Executive of Sport Ireland, John Treacy encouraged as many people as possible to take part, “The last few months have been very difficult for people but it has been highly encouraging to see people look after their own health and well-being through taking part in regular sport and physical activity. Research has shown that unprecedented numbers of people are out walking and cycling, which is great to see. As we begin to come out of the restrictions, I think it is more important than ever that we continue to exercise and be physically active every day. I am really looking forward to National BeActive Day and challenge you all to get active, pick a new activity or sport and enjoy it”.

Deirdre Lavin, SSRP Co-ordinator commented, “National BeActive Day is an opportunity to get everyone in the household up and active. You can do it just for fun or add a competitive element by keeping scores or splitting in to teams. No matter what you do, we encourage you to be active and have some fun, and let’s make Sligo the most active county this weekend!.”

The Local Sports Partnerships have developed a printable list of games and activities to give you some inspiration, all of which are fully adaptive for people of all abilities and skill levels. With suggestions to make the games harder or easier, there is a game for everyone. Simply print out the games or display them on your phone and be active.  Or why not get creative and create your own games, activities or challenges?

SSRP are running a competition for the most creative National BeActive Day activity in the county so make sure to share a photo or video on social media and tag in @SportIreland and  @sligosportandrecreation and the hashtag #NationalBeActiveDay to be in with a chance of winning a the €100 one4all voucher!

If you are not on social media, you can email a photo or video of your activity to deborah@sligosportandrecreation.ie to be in with a chance of winning this prize! The winner will be announced on Tuesday 30th June.

For more information contact:

Deborah Sherlock at deborah@sligosportandrecreation.ie or ring 0719161511

Online Resources:

Download an Activity sheet CLICK HERE

Download a Game Ideas CLICK HERE 

Download the BeActive Day Cert HERE 

View the Active Sligo from Home Guide HERE

Register to Download your Free Booklet HERE

Sligo Sport and Recreation Partnership has developed a Let’s Play Sligo 21 Day Physical Activity Home Challenge for children to take part in over the next 3 weeks. This links in with the national initiative ‘Lets Play Ireland’ and is supported locally by Sligo County Council, Healthily Ireland and the HSE.

The aim of  this Challenge is to get children physically active for the recommended 60 minutes everyday in a fun way. All of the games and activities are designed so children can play by themselves or you can get the whole family to join in. There is little or no equipment needed and no need to be near a screen, as all the activities instructions are described in the booklet.

So Let’s Get Active at Home and don’t forget to share a photo of your challenge cards with us through social media.

Instagram @sligosportandrecreation / Facebook @SligoSportandRecreationPartnership / Twitter @SSRPSligo

Below is a short video created to acknowledge the importance of volunteers in sport..

Volunteers are at the heart of enabling SSRP to have ‘More People, More Active, More Often’. THANK YOU to all the volunteers across County Sligo.
Click Below to watch a short video celebrating volunteers

(Compiled during International Volunteering Day, 5th December 2019.)