One of the main elements of the Go for Life Programme is the National Grant Scheme for Sport and Physical Activity for Older People. Running since November 2001, each year we allocate money to local groups all over the country, who are seeking to provide increased opportunities for older people to participate in sport and physical activity.
Click here for more details and application form.
Go for Life PALs Workshop
Go for Life is the national programme for sport and physical activity for older people in Ireland. It is run by over 1,200 volunteers who we call PALs. A PAL is a Physical Activity Leader who is already part of a group or club and is willing to lead activities. PALs lead their local group in things like short exercise routines, fun games, simple dances and sports like pitch and toss. Groups may be an Active Retirement group, a sports club, an ICA group or some social group that meets regularly.
The benefits of having PALs in your group
Groups get great benefits from having a few PALs to lead activities. The group members will:
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be healthier and happier
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have more energy
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attract more members because they offer a greater variety of activities
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have more chances to meet with other groups
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take part in more activities with other groups
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have access to more infomation about the Go For Life programme
Training a PAL from your group
Do you have people in your group who would be interested in leading some physical activities? They don’t have to be very sporty or have a sporting background: they just need to be enthusiastic. We will show a number of people in your group how to become PALs, so that you always have a few people who can lead a session.
Each PAL will come to nine workshops that cover all of the different Go for Life activities. There are routines and activities to suit every member of your group. Each workshop runs for five hours. They are a good mix of theory and practical work. They are also friendly and fun.
Go for Life PALs’ workshops are run in partnership with Local Sports Partnerships and the Health Service Executive. To find out where and when the next workshop will be, contact your local coordinator.
PALs keep in touch
There are over 1,200 PALs nationwide who lead their groups in activities. They are part of our PALs network. They frequently come together to support each other, to share ideas and know-how.
Go for Life Games
The aim of the Go for Life Games is to involve older people in recreational sport. The games are run with the support of Local Sports Partnerships and the HSE.
The Games involve the National Games (held on one day annually), Leagues and Friendly games. These games involve three sports - see below.
Sports played in the Go for Life Games
The Go for Life Games adapted by Go for Life involve three sports that can be played in Singles, Pairs and Teams.
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Lobbers- adaption of Petanque and Boules
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Flisk- adaption of Frisbee and Horseshoe Pitching
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Scidil-adaption of Ten-Pin Bowling and Skittles
It is important to remember:
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The emphasis of the Games is on participation and fun
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Played in a non-competitive way as much as possible
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Participants encouraged to umpire their own game
National Games 2014
The 2014 Go for Life Games took place on Saturday, June 7th in DCU. Again this year, the event was a huge success with 300 older people from 17 different counties, coming together to participate in a day of sport and inter-county friendly rivarly! Each county sent a team of 15 players along with their family, friends and supporters. The games played on the day were Flisk, Scidils and Lobbers. See 'Useful Guidelines' below to find out how these games are played and how to get your group to start playing the games themselves.
Take a look at some images from the Games 2014 on our Facebook page
It is our intention to have every county represented in the National Games by 2015 and eventually to have the National Games grow into one of Ireland’s most significant amateur multi-sports events.
If you/your group wish to take part in the Games in 2015 please contact your local LSP or the Go For Life office at 01 805 7733.
Go for Life Leagues, Friendly Games
A recent innovation has been the development of Go for Life Leagues, organised by LSPs. The Leagues involve teams from various areas coming together to play each other on a round -robin basis. Leagues can comprise of a minimum of three teams and a maximum of eight teams.
If you /your group wish to take part in Leagues/Friendly Games please contact your local LSP.
Useful Guidelines
You may download the following documents:
Go for Life Games Rules
Organising a League
Team Score Sheets:
Hosting a Challenge
Hosting a Friendly
