Well known endurance athlete Jason Black with members of the Donegal Sports Management Worksing Group – L2R: Brian O’Donnell, Donegal Road Safety Working Group, Sean McCrudden, Gartan Ourtdoor Education & Training Centre,
Claire McDonnough, Consultant, Myles Sweeney, Donegal Sports Partnership and Paul McGee, An Garda Síochána.
You are the key to your own safety was the message delivered at the launch of the ‘How Safe is your Sports Event’ resource guide and training programme yesterday.
The event was launched by well-known endurance athlete and Letterkenny businessman Jason Black.
In his address at the launch in the Letterkenny Public Services Centre, Jason highlighted the need for all organisations organising events across the county to be more responsive to safety when planning and running sports events.
He highlighted the positive impact that sport has in the lives of people in the county with sports events attracting great numbers of people from walking, couch to 5 k events to half and full marathons to cycle events … something for everyone.
However safety practice may not be all that it should be with much more needed in order to ensure that events are delivered in a low risk basis.
Myles Sweeney from Donegal Sports Partnership who coordinated the Donegal Sports Event Management Working Group gave a background to the initiative which was supported by An Garda Síochána, Donegal Road Safety Working Group, Gartan Outdoor Education and Training Centre, Donegal Volunteer Centre and Athletics Ireland.
He highlighted a previous safety seminar held in Letterkenny on the topic and the will among the participants to deliver something practical and tangible. He hoped that the development of the guide resource could be used by groups to discuss safety when organising any sporting event and encouraged communities and charities to participate in the planned training programme.
Brian O Donnell, who coordinates the Donegal Road Safety Working Group on behalf of Donegal County Council, thanked all the contributors who gave their time to developing the initiative and specially thanked Claire Mc Donough, Consultant, who facilitated the process.
Launch of the Sports Event Management resource book;”How Safe is your Sport” commenity & charity events in the Donegal County Council’s Letterkenny Public Services Centre.
He acknowledged the need for such a resource and training in order for organisations and groups to debate safety, he highlighted the numbers sharing our public roads and spaces at present and the need for everyone to be more aware of others when organising and participating in sports events.
The resource and training will be coordinated by Donegal Sports Partnership with a number of groups piloting the workshop training in the near future.
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Further information from Donegal Sports Partnership at info@activedonegal.com
074 9116078 or 9116079.
