| Case study overview | |
|---|---|
| Club: | Castlehaven GAA |
| County: | Cork |
| Location: | Near the town of Skibbereen |
| Rural/Urban: | Rural – peripheral location |
| Codes: | Football and Ladies Football |
| Membership (2016): | 414 |
Plan
Supporting Documents:
Castlehaven GAA wanted to set up a permanent community based physical activity initiative for all club members and members of the wider community. As players are generally taken care of and out training several times a week the club wanted to focus more so on engaging the non- playing cohort. After some research the Club Health & Wellbeing officer approached the Club Executive with the potential of setting up a parkrun group. They followed the steps below to start up Castlehaven Parkrun:
Online application form via parkrun Ireland http://www.parkrun.com/about/start-your-own-event/
- Identify a suitable and safe venue or location like a park, beach, sports grounds, woodlands or promenade. Keep in mind that it must be possible to map a 5k track which is relatively easy to reach and accessible for most in the community (Consider parking, toilets, shelter, good start and finishing areas). Link in with the local council/authorities and Parkrun Ireland for assistance.
- Recruit a team of local volunteers to coordinate the weekly Saturday morning run (the amount depends on the size of the club and the route). It is recommended that the club have at least 4 volunteers on a weekly basis to set up the race and make sure that everything runs smoothly. Once the event is up and running more people know about it, the number of volunteers usually grows. A one man/woman band will not be feasible and will lead to problems down the line.
- Visit a neighbouring Parkrun to see how it is ran and try speak to the Event Coordinator about the logistics
- Consider funding – Organising a parkrun costs €7,500. Parkrun cover half the cost and the club need to raise/provide the other 50%. This is a once off fee and covers all the equipment needed to start and sustain the event. Contact your Local Sports Partnership (LSP) to enquire about Parkrun funding. This will be at the discretion of the LSP and will require an application form submission. Another option would be to contact the local council to seek funding.
- Identify any potential health & safety issues (risk assessment is required as part of the application process).
- Avail of the parkrun kit once the funding has been confirmed and the risk assessment is complete. The Parkrun crew will assist with the setup and provide the resources required.
- Planning the launch date and ongoing promotion (Set up Facebook & Twitter page)
Partners
Partners within the club:
Weekly events are organised by a group of wonderful dedicated volunteers within the club including members of the Healthy Club project team.To organise the weekly runs it takes approximately 4 hours. Castlehaven Parkrun has attracted new club members who have not been previously linked to the club and even has a lady from Wales who volunteers regularly. The Club Executive is also very supportive.
Partners outside the club:
- Parkrun Ireland
- Cork Sports Partnership
- HSE
- Coillte
- Local council/authorities
- Cork GAA Health & Wellbeing Committee (chair.hwc.cork@gaa.ie)
Activity
Castlehaven Parkrun is a weekly 5km run in the beautiful and scenic Rineen Forest Recreation Area. It happens every Saturday morning regardless of weather and has approximately 46 people running on a weekly basis. All ages and abilities are welcome to take part. They simply register online and get a barcode which they print out and bring to the event. The club has a scanner for this system and equipment to time the runs so participants can track and monitor progress.
There is a focus on the social element as well as the physical fitness and every week participants go for tea/coffee afterwards. Castlehaven parkrun regularly attracts new faces and visitors from other counties and countries. Once participants register with Parkrun Ireland they can attend any parkrun in any venue.
Therefore, consistency of the event every week is an important element of what makes parkrun work so ensuring that there’s a reliable team in place is always important. Based on demand the club now have an additional weekly running/walking session at Moneyvollahane pitch every Wednesday evening.
The Club
The Castlehaven GAA parkrun club is one of the biggest clubs in Ireland with 83 members who have completed 855 runs (as per March 2017). Twenty percent of these runs have been completed by registered Castlehaven GAA members. Average parkrun attendance every Saturday is 46 people. Men, women and children are all welcome and families doing it together on a Saturday morning is a common occurrence.
453 people have registered the Castlehaven parkrun as their home run and 513 different runners. The biggest benefit reported by the Club Health & Wellbeing Officer is the increase in club membership and broadening volunteer base. The enhanced health and wellness of the community and social benefits are also huge. The Castlehaven Parkrun Facebook page is home to some lovely photos and posts.
