“It is all about people. It’s about people’s mental health, people’s physical health….” (Hugh Cunningham)
Meet Hugh Cunningham from Sligo, who is a volunteer and coach for our Walking Football initiative.
Hugh has had a long career – initially as a professional footballer, then in teaching and community work in England before moving to Sligo and where he coached at Kilglass Enniscrone United FC for 18 years.
Now aged 78, Hugh continues his work with the club with a focus on bringing Walking Football to his community. He discovered the sport after searching online for ideas to help him recover from a serious health issue – from that moment on he has been heavily involved in developing the sport in his locality, including coaching a variety of groups for both women and men in his area.
Through Age & Opportunity’s Active National Grant Scheme, he secured funding to buy appropriate equipment and organise a Walking Football Blitz. On a sunny day last July, teams from Sligo, Leitrim and Mayo enjoyed an afternoon of friendly competition and craic, all cheered on by the locals. Players of all genders aged from 55 to 75 took part, and local volunteers helped to make sandwiches and serve refreshments for participants on the day.
Hugh says: “The objective was to get as many older people involved as possible and we achieved that… What is often overlooked, I think, is that when older people play sport/Walking Football they are often watched by older people- and even if just one is motivated to join in next time then it has been a worthwhile experience. I think getting people together just to enjoy things…..to have a bit of fun and have a cup of tea and a biscuit – it solves a lot of problems.”
More recently, Hugh worked as a volunteer at our Walking Football as Medicine pilot in Dublin. This initiative is designed specifically for adults living with chronic conditions or impairments and was developed by Age & Opportunity with the support of Parkinson’s Ireland, Arthritis Ireland and Irish Heart Foundation.
To find out more about Walking Football and other Age & Opportunity’s initiatives and how you can get involved, visit www.ageandopportunity.ie
