Club Grant for #IrelandLightsUp Walking Initiative

There will be a grant available to support the costs associated with delivering the GAA’s annual Ireland Lights Up walking initiative (run in conjunction each year with RTE’s Operation Transformation).

This funding has been made available through Sport Ireland & the Healthy Ireland Keep Well Campaign and includes a potential maximum grant of €1,000 per club (on a scaled basis depending on criteria laid out by Sport Ireland).

All clubs that register to participate in Ireland Lights Up will be considered for a grant. Clubs that don’t have a floodlit walking track but wish to organise a walking group in their local town/village/community may also be eligible for a grant to encourage this type of activity at a time when safe physical activity is so important. All walking activities must be compliant with public health guidelines at the time of delivery.

In 2020 almost 400 GAA clubs participated in Ireland Lights Up across the 32 counties. 40 of these did not have walking tracks or facilities on their premises. This year we hope to reach 500 clubs participating.

During these times of social distancing, to ease the volume of people gathering at their local GAA clubs to walk, and to ensure that Every Step Counts, the GAA Community & Health department has once again partnered with Irish Life to run a ‘Steps Challenge’ through their MyLife App to coincide with Ireland Lights Up. A prize fund of €20,000 is available, with clubs in each province able in with a chance to win O'Neill’s vouchers worth €2,500, €1,500 & €1,000 (T&Cs apply).

Details of how clubs has register for Ireland Lights Up and the ‘Steps Challenge’ can be found here: https://www.gaa.ie/my-gaa/community-and-health/social-games-physical-activity/ireland-lights-up