ULSTER GAA is encouraging clubs to register their young volunteers for the prestigious Sports Inspire Awards Programme.

Sports Inspire Award Programme is administered jointly by Ulster GAA, the Irish Football Association and Ulster Rugby to recognise young volunteers in sport. It has been developed to provide sports clubs with a tool to recruit, retain, support and recognise young volunteers aged between 14 and 24 years.

The programme allows young volunteers to receive a certificate, signed off by the three governing bodies, and the Minister for Communities, recognising their sustained contribution to volunteering after completing 50, 100 and 200 hours of volunteering.

There is also ‘Junior’ certificates available for 11-13 year olds as they cannot participate in the full programme until their 14th birthday. The Junior certificates is a recognition of age-appropriate volunteering. These volunteers should not record hours.

The programme is completely free of charge. Volunteering hours can also be backdated up to three months to a maximum of 50 hours.

How the Sports Inspire Award Programme works:

– Clubs nominate a co-ordinator to support the young people.

– Club co-ordinator/Volunteer contacts Ulster GAA to register for the programme.

– Ulster GAA will then email Sports Inspire Award Volunteer with a ‘welcome to Sports Inspire award’ email.

– When a young person reaches 50, 100 and 200 hour milestones, they should notify their club co-ordinator so that the co-ordinator can approve their hours.

– The co-ordinator should submit approved hours for award to sharon.haughey.ulster@gaa.ie.

– Ulster GAA will post out certificates to the club co-ordinator or directly to the volunteer (whichever you choose). This administration will be on the first week of each month.

Safeguarding:

Please note, all clubs are expected to fully abide by Ulster GAA’s Safeguarding Regulations in terms to all volunteers under 18. In line with this, coaching roles are only to be conducted by volunteers (16+) who are vetted and have attained certified GAA coaching and safeguarding qualifications and if aged between 16-18yrs they must also be supervised by a qualified adult coach.

Please ensure all youth volunteering is age appropriate and all safeguarding regulations are upheld at all times when young people are volunteering in your sports club.

Volunteer Now Youth Impact Award:

Volunteer Now have replaced the Millennium Volunteers Award with a Youth Impact Award.

All Sports Inspire volunteers will be eligible to receive this award also which will be an additional certificate. We will automatically request this certificate from Volunteer Now and will send it out with the Sports Inspire Award certificates.

l For further information on this Programme contact Sharon Haughey-Grimley at Sharon.haughey.ulster@gaa.ie.