The key aims and objectives of the Local Sports Partnerships are to increase participation in sport and to ensure that local resources are used to best effect.
The outcomes Sport Ireland seek from the Local Sports Partnerships are:
Enhanced planning of sport at local level
Increased levels of local participation, especially amongst specific target groups such as older people, girls and women, people with disabilities, unemployed people and those who live in identified disadvantaged communities
Enhanced local coach deployment
Club development
Volunteer training
Local directories of sports bodies and facilities
Better use of existing facilities
Clear priorities for local facility provision and improvement, with related quality management initiatives
School/club/community and possibly school-NGB links
Local sports events
The 3 main functions of the Local Sports Partnerships nationally are:
Information: establish a consultative forum, initiate research, compile a sports directory & database, identify needs and resources to form the basis of local planning
Education: overall objective to provide quality opportunities for education and training at local level, provide training courses targeting volunteers, provide access to sports specific courses through the National Governing Bodies of Sport
Implementation: develop a strategic plan for local sport, appoint a professional administrator and secure related support services, select participation programmes for LSPs modified to suit local needs, increase impact of national programmes delivered locally, market and promote sport.
The key tasks of Galway Sports Partnership include:
Building on work already being carried out by partner agencies
Establishing a sustainable structure to assist all those involved in local sports development (e.g. quality training)
Rolling out Sport Ireland participation programmes
Increasing the usage of existing local resources and
Creating & implementing a strategic plan for long-term local sports development
