FERMANAGH HEALTH AND WELLBEING
The GAA is and always will be primarily an amateur sports organisation which keeps it members and communities at the heart of all that it does. The association’s mission statement clearly lays out these ideals when it states “We are dedicated to ensuring that our family of games, and the values we live, enrich the lives of our members’ families and the communities we serve”.
To help achieve this Fermanagh Health and Wellbeing Committee is stri…ving to work within the county to assist clubs to identify and respond to the health and wellbeing needs of its members, both directly through GAA health related programmes such as Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP), the GAA social initiative, the RESPECT initiative and the ‘play in my boots’ mental health resources.
This also involves signposting to and partnering with relevant national organisations and local agencies who can provide services that may be of use to members such as the Samaritans and Red Cross. Recently partnering with Cancer Focus NI, to provide free health checks during July at Cul Camp venues throughout the county and ongoing health champion sessions.
The Committee is chaired by Damien McHugh (Belcoo) and has a membership that includes Ann Curran (Donagh), Martin McBrien (Derrylin), Fergal McMahon (Enniskillen) and Jean Monaghan (Belnaleck) as well as the county Games Development Officer. We are assisted and guided by the National Health and Wellbeing Committee chaired by Ciaran McLaughlin, (Tir Eoghain) and supported by the health team in Croke Park led by Colin Regan and the equivalent section in the Ulster council led by Aileen Cummins.
Fermanagh Health and Wellbeing Committee over the next year plan to forge ahead with our strategy in raising awareness on the importance of mental health including the delivery of the Safe Talk initiative as well as highlighting the importance of preventing Alcohol and substance abuse and highlighting the amazing amount of work already being done by clubs in the county around health and wellbeing, as well as supporting your clubs health and wellbeing officers to promote health and wellbeing at club level.
Thank you for taking time to read this article. If you have any questions, or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact any member of the committee. You can contact the committee via email at chair.hwc.fermanagh@gaa.ie
