Special Olympics Ireland

Transforming Lives Through Sport 

The mission of Special Olympics Ireland is "to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with an intellectual disability, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendships with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.” 

Donations will contribute to supporting our Clubs Support and Development Programmes, which costs approximately $1,623,258 per year to operate. This programme encompasses club governance, support & development, Athlete Leadership and Young Athlete™ programmes, as well as the virtual sports offering which came about as a result of Covid-19, known as the Can’t Stop Now programme. Clubs are the heart of what we do and we are committed to developing, implementing and communicating processes, policies and procedures to instil a strong culture of good governance.By driving a strong governance culture we willensure that participation and opportunities are a quality experience for both athletes and volunteers. This programmealso includes safeguarding in Special Olympics clubs and club recognition. 

The impact of Covid-19 on the sports programme has seen our clubs temporarily closed or taking place in new ways under Covid-19 restrictions. We are actively working to get them back up and running through the “Can’t Stop Now” programme, a digital suite to assist Clubs and Coaches to keep connected and training with their athletes. This programme focuses on 6 key areas, Virtual Competition, Together As Clubs, Health Promotion, Coach and Officials Development, Young Athletes and Strong Minds. Through these 6 key areas our clubs gain access to resources such as Virtual Club Packs, training programmes, webinars and more to ensure they have all the tools needed to engage with their athletes, minimise the risk of isolation and increase fitness. 

Under the “Can’t Stop Now” programme we launched our first wave of virtual competitions which welcomed 429 athletes, representing 69 clubs from across the 5 Regions. Athletes entered and competed in 4 sports; Athletics, Artistic Gymnastics, Football and Motor Activities. The competition took place over a 4-week period with athletes submitting divisioning and final scores in Football and Athletics. Athletes in Artistic Gymnastics and Motor Activities submitted videos of their events, which were then reviewed by a panel of judges. To celebrate the amazing achievements of the athletes who competed in Wave 1 of the Virtual Competitions we are hosting a ‘Virtual Awards’ via Zoom in April.

In line with the aims of the “Can’t Stop Now” programme Special Olympics Ireland also rolled out a 12 week “Lets Run” virtual training programme. This fun-filled 12-week running programme provides athletes with one-to-one support helping them to achieve their running goals. The programme runs across 2 tiers. Tier 1: “Run for Fun” is aimed at those new to or starting out in running and participants will build their fitness up by combine walking and jogging over a duration of 30 minutes. By week 12 athletes should be jogging for all/ the majority of the 30 minutes. Tier 2: “Run for 5” is aimed at existing runners who wish to build their running distance up to 5K.

As always, a special thank you for your supported. Your commitment to Special Olympics Ireland is so very much appreciated. Without your support we simply could not deliver on our promises.

Through the GlobalGiving Platform we are hoping to achieve a target of $10,000 for donations which will go towards the development of the Clubs Programme. We are delighted with all donations whether they are $10, $50 or $100. Donations of all sizes are welcome and will be thoroughly appreciated.   

Warm regards, Special Olympics Ireland 

https://www.globalgiving.org/donate/28138/special-olympics-ireland/ 

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