Sport Urban Thematic Seminar

Sport Urban Thematic Seminar Bobigny, France 24th and 25th February 2005 South-East Regional Authority Waterford City Council & Waterford Sports Partnership Ireland EU funded project EU funded project Profile of the South-East Region • • • • • • • • • Functional Area (5 Counties): Carlow, Kilkenny, South Tipperary, Waterford, Wexford Area: 9,406 Sq. Kms. – 13.5% of State Balanced Urban Structure, good rural settlement pattern Population: 423,616 – 10.8% of State Increase of 32,099 since 1996 – 8.2% Proportion Urban Population - 41.4% Proportion Rural Population - 58.6% Largest Urban Centres – Waterford City (50,000), Kilkenny City (21,000), Wexford (18,000), Carlow (18,000), Clonmel (16,000) Dependency Ratio – 57% EU funded project Sport and Recreation – National Context • Department of Arts, Sports & Tourism Primarily a policy making and funding department in the three sectors of Arts, Sport & Tourism • Irish Sports Council Ireland’s Statutory body dedicated exclusively to the development of sport in all its many forms EU funded project Irish Sports Council 3 key strategies for the Irish Sports Council: 1. Participation – To break down barriers & increase participation in sport Performance – to create an environment so that individuals can develop their sporting abilities Excellence – to help Ireland’s leading sportsmen & women achieve world class performance by fair and ethical means 2. 3. EU funded project Structure for Local Sport ISC LSPs Sports Co-ordinator , Local Authority, VEC, Health Boards FÁS, Commercial & sports interests Local Sports Development Officers/Programme managers/Community Groups/City & County Development Boards Participation at a local level/ Target Groups EU funded project Local Sports Partnerships • The Irish Sports Council’s Act (1999) recognised the need for a coordinated approach to the promotion and development of sport and recreation in Ireland • Set up the ‘Local Sports Partnership’ concept with the key aim: “to increase participation in sport and to ensure that local resources are used to best effect” EU funded project Waterford Sports Partnership • Established in 2002 • Unique in that it is the only joint City and County initiative • A partnership of local agencies working together to promote and develop sport and active recreation • Working to: – Provide information (databases etc.) – Offer education opportunities (programmes etc.) – Working to a Strategic plan for sport and recreation in Waterford City and County EU funded project Changing Definition of ‘Sport’ in Ireland • Sport in Ireland was embodied in our traditional national games of Hurling and Gaelic Football. • Sports Clubs got individual leases from Local Authorities • Recently ‘sport’ is being interpreted in a much broader sense encompassing sport and recreation, more akin to the Council of Europe’s European Sports Charter definition of ‘sport’: „all forms of physical activity which through casual or organised participation, aims at expressing or improving physical fitness and mental well-being, forming social relationships or obtaining results in competition at all levels‟. EU funded project Waterford Sports Partnership & Waterford City Council Examples of impact of ‘new’definition of ‘Sport’ include; • Urban Space development (including Skate Park, Play Areas, Youth Shelters etc) • ‘Development of templates for ‘open space development’ in new housing schemes • Development of ‘Play Policies’ • A pilot ‘Shared facility provision model’ established in Larchville/Lisduggan one of the RAPID (disadvantaged) areas of the City EU funded project Shared Facilities Model (Larchville/Lisduggan) Survey Key Findings • 75% of residents expressed dissatisfaction with facility provision for young people • 59% of residents did not feel safe walking home at night • A majority expressed dissatisfaction with maintenance of streets and open spaces • 88% of children are cared for at home by a parent • Dissatisified with quality of service re: Crime prevention, combating drug abuse and leisure facilities EU funded project Larchville/Lisdugan Shared Facilities Model Layout EU funded project Contacts in South-East Ireland for SportUrban Mr. Thomas Byrne, Director Mr. Michael Moroney, European Officer South-East Regional Authority 1 Gladstone Street Clonmel Co. Tipperary Ireland Tel: + 353 – 52 – 26200 Email: dir@sera.ie EU funded project Thank You Sheevaun Thompson Research & Policy Officer South-East Regional Authority 1 Gladstone Street Clonmel Co. Tipperary Ireland 00-353-52-26200 www.sera.ie Jaqui Freyne Sports Development Officer Waterford Sports Partnership City Hall The Mall Waterford Ireland 00-353-51 849855 www.waterfordsportspartnership.ie EU funded project