Davitts GAA Club–Smoke Free Club
Davitts GAA Club are following in the footsteps of other GAA Clubs in becoming a Smoke Free Club from 1st January 2019, thanks to funding received through the GAA’s Healthy Club Project in partnership with Irish Life.
Davitts GAA club is one of 150 clubs nationwide selected to participate in the GAA’s Healthy Club Project across the 32 counties. The Healthy Club Project is supported by Healthy Ireland, the HSE, the National Office for Suicide Prevention and Irish Life. The award-winning project aims to transform clubs into hubs for health in their communities. The GAA already makes a significant contribution to the health of the population through the promotion and provision of Gaelic Games. Participating Healthy Clubs seek to expand their positive influence beyond the playing field by implementing policies, partnerships, and programmes designed to support the physical, emotional, and social wellbeing of their communities.
To date, Davitts GAA Club have held walking events and hosted club talks on the importance of Healthy Eating, Physical Activity, Mental Health, Yoga and Mindfulness, as well as Cardiac Screening for both club members and the wider community. Over the next 12 months they hope to further their plans to achieve Healthy Club status from the GAA by training a number of their committee members, trainers and coaches in CPR and AED use.
Speaking about becoming a Smoke Free Club, Dr. Catherine Sweeney, General Practitioner and Healthy Club Officer with Davitts GAA club explains “The GAA wish to facilitate improving the physical, mental and social wellbeing of the communities they serve through the Healthy Club Project. As part of this project, the GAA recognises the importance of their clubs and grounds becoming Smoke Free in protecting both players, management and supporters from the hazardous effects of tobacco smoke and also role modelling healthy behaviour to the underage members of our organisation. The risks of smoking are well known and well publicised and our committee recognises that we must play our part in reducing this risk to our members and visitors to our grounds.”
