Sport Ireland reaches 5,000

Sport Ireland said on April 7 that its Physical Activity for Health pilot has helped almost 5,000 people with chronic conditions get active in their communities. (sportireland.ie) The evaluation covered 4,615 participants across Mayo, Longford, Wicklow, Wexford, Limerick and Waterford. Sport Ireland said the pilot was developed with the Department of Health and funded through Sláintecare and Health Service Executive Health and Wellbeing. (sportireland.ie) The programme uses Local Sports Partnerships as the link between health services and community exercise. Sport Ireland said Physical Activity for Health officers work with Health Improvement Teams, Primary Care Teams and Chronic Disease Hubs to steer people into subsidised local programmes. (sportireland.ie; mayo.ie) In Mayo, the local scheme says those officers were set up to help people who need more support returning to activity after or alongside long-term illness. The county programme says participants can be referred from services including chronic disease management and social prescribing into free 8- to 12-week activity blocks with follow-up after three months. (mayo.ie) Sport Ireland said the evaluation found a “meaningful shift” in how health services and community providers work together, with better signposting and access for patients. The agency said it now expects the initiative could be expanded nationally over time. (sportireland.ie) A second strand of this work is aimed at older adults already living in the community. In Mayo, Age & Opportunity said on April 13 that it awarded €11,790 to 41 groups under its 2026 Active National Grant Scheme. (con-telegraph.ie; ageandopportunity.ie) Age & Opportunity said the 2026 scheme will distribute €300,000 nationwide to more than 1,000 clubs, groups and organisations, and the programme is funded by Sport Ireland. The Mayo recipients include carers’ groups, sheds, retirement groups and disability organisations, according to local reports. (con-telegraph.ie; ageandopportunity.ie; midwestradio.ie) Ireland’s older-people activity system already runs through Age & Opportunity’s Go for Life programme, which Citizens Information says is aimed at people over 50 and delivered with the Health Service Executive and Local Sports Partnerships. The same public guidance says the national grant scheme is designed to help clubs expand existing activities and start new ones for older people. (citizensinformation.ie) Taken together, the two announcements show Sport Ireland backing two routes into exercise at once: referral-based programmes for people with chronic conditions, and small grants for local groups working with older adults. Both depend on community organisations to turn health policy into weekly classes, walking groups and other regular activity close to home. (sportireland.ie; ageandopportunity.ie; citizensinformation.ie)