A total of 61 groups in Tipperary are celebrating the awarding of grants to fund physical activity for older people. The Go for Life Grant Scheme from Age & Opportunity and Sport Ireland is awarding over €16,090 to groups around Tipperary, and nationwide grants totalling almost €300,000.

The aim of the grants is to improve the health and wellbeing of older people across the country by providing them with opportunities to engage in physical activity and sport. Groups benefitting this year include Men’s Sheds, ICA guilds, Active Retirement Groups, Local Sports Partnerships, Sports Clubs, Family Resources Centres and many others who provide older people with opportunities to get active.

Announcing the successful grantees, Minister of State for Tourism and Sport Brendan Griffin TD, said: ‘Over the last seventeen years the National Grant Scheme funding has supported and empowered thousands of groups of older people to get more active more often and the record number of applications this year shows the continued importance of the scheme for groups throughout the country. Programmes like Go for Life, funded by Sport Ireland, will help us reach the targets set out in the National Physical Activity Plan and approximately 30,000 people nationwide will take part in the activities funded by the grants. The success of this scheme shows what can be achieved with a small investment and the importance of funding sport and physical activity, at any age.’

The successful Tipperary groups are: Aherlow ICA, Alzheimer Society of Ireland Watermans Lodge Respite & Daycare Centre, Annacarty Donohill ARA, Aras Mhuire Day Care Centre, Ballingarry ICA, Ballingeary ICA, Ballyporeen ICA, Borrisokane Day Care Centre, Cahir ARA, Cahir Day Care Centre, Callan ICA, Cappawhite Day Care Centre, Carrick Riverstown Kileen ARA, Carrick-on-Suir ICA, Cashel Day Care Centre, Clogheen Community Council, Clogheen ICA, Clonakenny ICA, Cloneen ICA, Clonmel ICA, Cloughjordan ICA, Co Tipperary Lawn Tennis Club, Day Care Centre, Duhill Community Council, Faugheen ICA, Fethard and District Day Centre, Fethard ICA, Galbally ARA, Golden Years Day Care Centre, Golden/Kilfeacle ICA, Irish Wheelchair Association, Roscrea, Killenaule ARA, Killenaule Senior Citizens Club, Kilsheelan and Kilcash ARA, Knock ICA, Knockgraffan ICA, Monaleen/Milford ARA, Mount Bruis Women's Group, Moycarkey ICA, Nenagh ARA, Nenagh Guild ICA, North Tipperary Farm Family, Powerstown/Lisronagh ICA, Rathkeevan ICA, Respond ( Clonmel), Roscrea ARA, Sean Kelly Swimming and Sports Centre, Spafield Family Resource Centre, Spafield Family Resource Centre - Men's Shed, St. Vincent’s Day Care Centre, Templederry ICA, Templemore ARA, Templemore ICA, Thurles ARA, Thurles ICA, Tipperary ARA, Tipperary C.O.P.D Support, Tipperary Sports Partnership, Tipperary Town ICA, Toomevara ICA, Vee Valley Care Centre

Speaking at the launch, John Treacy, Chief Executive of Sport Ireland said: "Sport Ireland is delighted to partner with Age & Opportunity’s Go for Life Programme to support participation among older people in recreational sport activities. One of the key strategic objectives of Sport Ireland is increasing participation and initiatives such as this are a great way of encouraging people to get out and get active regardless of age or fitness level. I want to congratulate and acknowledge the groups themselves, and our own national network of Local Sports Partnerships, who continue to provide opportunities for older people to participate in sport and physical activity”.

Karen Smyth, CEO of Age & Opportunity commented: “The benefits of sport and physical activity are numerous, from the obvious health benefits to the increasingly important social benefits of inclusion and relationship-building. The Go for Life Programme and the Grant Scheme are helping to get more older people more active, more often and we are delighted to support local groups to engage in such a wide variety of activities, demonstrating the richness of the ageing experience nationwide.”

The Grant Scheme is part of Age & Opportunity’s Go for Life programme, funded by Sport Ireland and delivered nationally with the support of Local Sports Partnerships and the HSE. The goal of the grants scheme is to encourage older people to get involved in sport and physical activity in their communities and the funds allocated are used by groups to buy equipment, run sports events or to try new activities.

Over €5.5million has been awarded in almost 12,000 grants during its lifetime.This year saw a record number of applications and of grants awarded and the number of groups applying continues to grow since the launch of the National Grant Scheme in 2001.