New PALs trained as Dublin becomes EU Capital of Sport

After eight action packed training workshops, 17 new Go for Life Physical Activity Leaders received their Certificates just as Dublin starts its year as EU Capital of Sport.

Go for Life’s Patricia Dawson told the new PALs that they were now ‘part of a national network of about 1,000 PALs working to involve groups of older people to become more active.’

 The ‘PALs’, from Tallaght, Ballyfermot, Rialto, Inchicore  and the Liberties, were representing community, older and disability  groups, are going back to their own groups to put into practice what they have learned. Designed to make more older people more active, more often the Go for Life programme has given them the key skills necessary for the successful leadership of activity sessions for older people who are independently mobile.

 Over the eight weeks the 11 women and 6 men were taken through the workshops by Go for Life tutors Patricia Dawson, Valerie McCoy and Paul McCabe. The programme covers a wide range of physical and sporting activities specially adapted for older people – with topics like Sit Fit, Better Balance, Going Strong, Rolling and Bowling, Pitching and Tossing and Stepping and Strolling.

 Michael Challoner, Principal of  Inchicore  College of Further Education, and Patricia Dawson from Go for Life presented the Certificates at the Inchicore Sports Centre where the eight week course had taken place. 

Pictured above testing their skills at Lawn Toss are (from left) Michael O'Rourke and James Hayden. Also present were Catherine Flood, Sports Officer, Dublin City Council and Richard Farrell and Michelle O’Sullivan, from Go for Life.