Galway's stadiums are becoming healthier places, thanks to a pilot European initiative, writes Michelle McDonagh
A NEW PILOT European programme aims to make sporting stadiums in Galway healthier places for fans, visitors, players and staff alike through the introduction of a variety of very simple and practical health promoting initiatives.
Plans include the provision of a healthy food and drinks option at rugby, soccer and GAA games; the installation of bicycle racks outside stadiums to encourage people to cycle; making sunscreen available to fans and staff, and including health promotion messages in programmes, dressing rooms and public toilets.
Eight countries are involved in the first phase of the Healthy Stadia programme including England, Finland, Latvia, Spain, Italy, Poland, Greece and Ireland. The four countries that have been selected to test and implement the programme are Ireland (represented by Galway city), Spain, Finland and Latvia.
Seven key clubs and stadiums in Galway city are taking part in the programme as part of the Galway Healthy Cities project. These are Pearse Stadium, Salthill Devon FC (Drom Soccer Park), Galway United FC (Terryland Park), Mervue United FC (Fahy's Field), Connacht Rugby (Galway Sportsground), Galway Greyhound Stadium and Galway Bay Sailing Club.
Fiona Donovan, who is the coordinator of the Healthy Cities project says: "We have to change the way we deliver services going to where people are and making structural changes. You can promote physical activity and healthy eating; however, if there are no bike racks or healthy food option available, then this can't be done."
She says the project is very simple, yet innovative and there has been extremely positive feedback from the organisations involved to date.
Benefits for the stadiums involved include promoting the health and wellbeing of their supporters, employees and players; developing a positive image of the club and stadium and the potential of tapping into national and European sources of funding, and also attracting sponsorship.
Each stadium has developed an action plan which focuses on social, environmental and lifestyle issues. Example of initiatives undertaken so far in Galway include promoting the national youth website SpunOut.ie at the recent Westlife concert in Pearse stadium; including sunscreen as a safety check in the Optimist sailing event organised by Galway Bay Sailing Club and the inclusion of a healthy fast food option at the Greyhound stadium.
The stadiums involved were each recently presented with a plaque to recognise their commitment to the programme. As part of this commitment, each stadium involved has to record and evaluate their initiatives in an effort to develop models of good practice for stadiums across Ireland and Europe. These results will be presented at the International Healthy Stadia Conference in Liverpool, June 2009.
Interest in the outcome of the programme has also been expressed by San Siro (Milan, Italy), London Olympics 2012, Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2014, Cardiff Millennium Stadium and many other stadiums across Europe.
Fiona Keys of Connacht Rugby says the organisation was delighted to be invited to take part in the Healthy Stadia programme.
"We are a sporting organisation looking to nurture rugby from the grassroots right up to professional level. Obviously sport is a way for people to keep fit and stay healthy and to encourage kids to get out and about. If you get involved in sport at an early age, you tend to continue with that interest."
She highlights the importance for spectators to be able to get a bottle of water and a healthy food option when they attend a game at the Connacht Rugby sportsground, instead of the typical fizzy drinks and junk food.
Pete Kelly of Salthill Devon FC says that with hundreds of kids going through the club every week, they are in an ideal position to promote healthy lifestyle messages.
"We have people playing at our pitches in Drum seven days a week, and kids at night and weekends as well as our own club games, so there are all kinds of opportunities for health promotion. Going forward, we will all be living longer and playing sport longer, there are lots of guys in their 50s still playing on a regular basis," he comments.
Kelly has set up a committee within Salthill Devon made up of players of various levels and ages who are charged with driving the Healthy Stadia initiative forward. The idea is that young players might listen to members of their own peer group faster than to "old codgers dictating to everybody" about the benefits of eating fruit and vegetables.
"This is the first initiative set up in Galway in a long time where all of the major sporting organisations have come together as a common group, GAA, rugby, soccer. We are normally all competing for space but we can all contribute to this project in a positive way," says Kelly.