How is GFL organised?

Staff

The Go for Life team is part of Age & Opportunity. There is a Manager, Administrator and Senior Training and Education Officer (all part-time).

Partners

The overall approach of Go for Life is to work in partnership with other organisations and stakeholders. Age & Opportunity’s main partners are the Health Promotion Departments in each of the HSE Administrative Areas and the Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs). Through these partners, Go for Life accesses people in older person’s groups, and community groups.

Funding

Go for Life is an Age & Opportunity initiative funded by the Irish Sports Council.

History

The Go for Life programme was established by Age & Opportunity in 1994 with a budget allocation from the Irish Sports Council (ISC). Go for Life has grown significantly to what it is today through the allocation of ISC grant aid. Go for Life has developed four elements to its programme:

• Leadership Programme
• Targeted Initiatives
• National Grants Scheme
• Physical Activity Awareness Programme.

The Leadership Programme aims to promote greater participation by independent older people in all aspects of health-enhancing physical activity and recreational sports. The Targeted Initiatives promote greater participation by dependent or disadvantaged older people. The Grant Scheme assists local clubs and organisations for older people to increase physical activity opportunities. The Physical Activity Awareness Programme aims to increase older people’s awareness of the benefits of an active lifestyle and of the wide range of opportunities for involvement in active living and recreational sport.

Committee

Go for Life has a dedicated Steering Committee whose primary role is to provide a decision making forum for the planning and management of Go for Life activities. The Committee is authorised by the Board of Age & Opportunity to manage and oversee the work programme agreed with the Irish Sports Council. Members of the Steering Committee, as of September 2008, are:

• Robert Grier (Chairman)
• Emma Jane Clarke, Programme Executive, Irish Sports Council
• Owen Curran, Executive Committee Member, Irish Senior Citizen’s Parliament
• Kevin Molloy, Vice-President, Active Retirement Ireland
• John Kincaid, Member of the Board of Age & Opportunity
• Dr. Michael Loftus
• Dr. Niamh Murphy, Department of Exercise, Health & Social Science, WIT
• Biddy O’Neill, Functional Manager, Health Promotion Programmes, HSE
• Kitty Harlin, Board Member, Older Women’s Network and Age & Opportunity.