Mayo input into Physical Activity for Health pilot initiative

On World Health Day, Sport Ireland published the findings of an evaluation of its Physical Activity for Health programme, showing that it has successfully helped almost 5,000 people living with chronic conditions access and engage in physical activity in their local communities.

Physical Activity for Health is a pilot initiative developed by Sport Ireland and funded by the Department of Health through Sláintecare and HSE Health and Wellbeing.

The programme primarily focuses on building partnerships between health services and community physical activity providers through signposting pathways and provision of tailored physical activity programmes.

The programme was piloted to 4,615 people in Mayo, Longford, Wicklow, Wexford, Limerick and Waterford through the Local Sports Partnerships. Following the positive findings of this evaluation, as revealed on World Health Day (April 7), it is anticipated that the initiative could be scaled nationally over time.

In Mayo Sports Partnership, the Physical Activity for Health is delivered through Edel O'Malley, who is in the pilot role since 2023.

Reacting to the findings, Mayo Sports Partnership head Charlie Lambert said: “We are particularly delighted to be involved in this pilot initiative which is making a difference in quality of life for people living with long-term health conditions in rural places like Achill, Ballycroy, Ballycroy, Kilcommon, etc. I would also like to acknowledge the collaboration between key partners locally such as HSE Health and Wellbeing Self-management Support co-ordinator Alish Houlihan, the Primary Care physiotherapy service, Slaintecare, and the HSE Chronic Disease Hub.”

Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O'Donovan, commented: “Physical Activity for Health shows what is possible when Local Sports Partnerships and local health services work together. By connecting people living with chronic conditions to community-based physical activity, this programme is improving the physical and mental health of participants. We are pleased to support its expansion.”

Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill added: “The progress made under this pilot programme is an excellent example of cross-sectoral collaboration delivering real and tangible benefits for patients and I look forward to seeing its further development. Physical activity is vital for the overall health and wellbeing of our population, and this will be strongly emphasised in our next Healthy Ireland Framework.”

The evaluation found that the programme has created a meaningful shift in how health services and community providers work together, resulting in improved signposting and access to physical activity opportunities for people with chronic conditions.

Feedback from LSP coordinators, the HSE, and healthcare providers all pointed to improved collaboration and better patient outcomes as a direct result of the pilot.

Programme participants increased their physical activity levels and reported positive impacts on their physical health, mental wellbeing, and sense of connection to their communities.

Sport Ireland CEO Dr. Úna May stated: “At Sport Ireland, a big part of what we do is about helping more people get active. By working with health services to remove the barriers that prevent people with chronic conditions from engaging in physical activity, we are reaching people who might never have found their way to one of our Local Sports Partnerships or a community physical activity programme. The results speak for themselves, and we are committed to building on them.”

She concluded: “The next steps will involve creating clearer signposting processes to help people find and access physical activity opportunities. We will also set up a feedback system so healthcare professionals can monitor who has taken part in these activities and evaluate how well the programme is working.”