Go For Life grant scheme open

Sparks

Given that the demographics in most of our clubs mean that we have a largish contingent over the age of 50, this grant scheme ought to be chased after, methinks...

From the Go For Life website:

Go for Life are pleased to announce (September 2008) that EUR 350,000 has been allocated under the 8th National Grant Scheme. Applications are now invited from any local group seeking to provide increased opportunities for older people to participate in sport and physical activity may apply for a grant. Grants range from EUR 500 - EUR 3,000 and are typically used by groups to purchase equipment or so that members may explore a new sporting activity.

In 2007, 627 groups nationwide shared just under EUR 350,000 as part of the seventh phase of the scheme. Successful applicants included active retirement associations, senior citizens clubs, ICA guilds, sports clubs, day centres and community centres in 26 counties.

If you want to apply for a grant under this eighth scheme, download an application form, complete it and post it to Go for Life c/o Age & Opportunity Marino Institute of Education, Griffith Avenue, Dublin 9. Closing date for receipt of applications is 5pm on Wednesday, 22nd October, 2008. Check out the press release announcing the Eighth National Grant Scheme.

The eighth grant scheme is launched at a time when a recent report by IPSOS MORI that was commissioned by Go for Life and the Irish Sports Council has found that 58% of older adults lead sedentary lifestyles. The Go for Life programme aims to raise awareness of the benefits of physical activity as we age and to create opportunities for older people to engage in a wide range of physical activity and recreational sport in local, safe and sociable environments. You can read the full report, Physical Activity and Sport: Participation and Attitudes of Older People in Ireland, on this web site.

Basicly, this is a grant for local clubs, for amounts between €500 and €3,000, for things that benefit the over-50s, either to support existing members or recruit new ones. New applicants, anyone looking for support for people in disadvantaged areas, or with minority or special needs people, all have an advantage here. The specific areas they list fro this are:

• Physical Activity programmes
• Purchase of equipment/resource materials
• Participation events (as opposed to competitive ones which aren't supported)
• Training/Seminars/Workshops/etc

Not supported by the grant are:

• Non-physical/sporting activities
• Ongoing bills (membership fees, rental fees for facilities, ongoing employment of instructors, etc)
• Club insurance/taxes/rates
• Foreign travel/visits
• Feasability studies
• One-off events except as a participation event or part of a wider program (medal night, for example)
• Competitions (they want participation events, not competitions)
• Capital costs (they mean bricks and mortar here, not long-lasting equipment)

Okay, some of the things on that not-supported list are a bit of a downer to see, but there's still up to three grand there for your club just for filling out a form. So figure out what your club could use, download the form and give it a try. Worst they can do is say no, and then you'll have lost a few hours and a stamp. You risk more on a lotto ticket...