Naas LGFA complete mental wellbeing programme 'Lidl One One Good Club' Kildare
The journey to promote positive mental wellbeing among all their members has been a very worthwhile initiative in their effort to arouse an awareness of the importance of nurturing mental wellbeing in our busy lives. It has been an exciting journey as the project committee encouraged the players to partake in a myriad of events which have been documented in previous articles.
The #Lidl One Good Club Programme has been embraced by all the players, mentors, parents and guardians as the Five Steps ; namely ‘ Be Active’, ‘Take Notice’, ‘ Connect’ ,’ Give’ and ‘ Continue Learning’. The final two steps were the focus of the club’s activities recently. It is important to encourage our players to ‘ Give’ to others and the general community. ‘ Naas Point’ was chosen as our local charity who would benefit from this initiative. It is a parish sponsored organisation that works with the homeless and those who require assistance within our community. This organisation has nurtured a close relationship with Tesco, Dunnes Stores , Lidl and Aldi who are involved with the FoodCloud Scheme.
Food is generously supplied by these retail stores and it is distributed by the hard working volunteers to families who require assistance in the local Naas community. The mission statement of ‘Naas Point’, ‘ Responding to human needs by offering welcome, hospitality, respect, encouragement to promote the dignity and fundamental rights for each person in need’, reflects the true meaning of the step ‘ Give’ and the importance of this mental wellbeing programme . The players and mentors donated some toiletry items and hampers were presented to ‘ Naas Point’ as part of this initiative to encourage an ethos of giving within the community.
Giving material things is one aspect of this ‘ Give’ initiative, an integral part of this mental wellbeing programme, but giving of your time to help others is equally important and the u13 players gave of their time as they assisted with the underage training sessions and this was greatly appreciated by all the younger players and their mentors.
The final lap of this wellbeing programme was the ‘ Continue Learning’ step which encourages everyone to open their minds to new experiences and be aware of the importance of learning and improving their skill set in all areas of life. In keeping with the theme of ‘ Continue Learning’ the project committee organised a Teenage Table Quiz in Naas Gaa clubhouse on Sunday 14th May and it was very well attended with ages spanning from 12 years olds to 16 years. There was a variety of rounds including general knowledge, sports, identifying the mentors in their younger days, know your county jerseys and a music round, to name but a few. The Naas LGFA players were joined by friends and fellow club mates from the other sections in the club; hurling, camogie and football. All those who attended enjoyed the challenge and there was a positive competitive atmosphere generated by everyone. Some very creative and novel team names were presented. Spot prizes were on offer and they were eagerly awaited throughout the evening. It was a learning exercise of sorts with lots of fun and ‘Craic’ in abundance.
The mentors also played their part in their engagement in the programme as they attended a First Aid – First Responder course to enhance their skills and in turn improve the level of care required at training sessions and during matches. This activity features the ‘ Continue Learning’ step.
The Teenage Table Quiz was the grand finale of an exciting adventure which was launched in March as Naas LGFA were selected to be the Kildare club representative to engage in # Lidl One Good Club mental wellbeing programme. The five steps of this programme were thoroughly explored as Zumba activities involved the ‘ Be Active’ step as the players engaged in a new activity and on another occasion invited their fellow footballers from our neighbouring clubs , Eadestown, Sallins and Kill to engage in this activity to include the step’ Connect’; reaching out to others within your community. The ‘ Take Notice’ step encouraged all the members to become aware of their local surroundings in Naas focussing on many aspects including social , cultural, historical and the natural beauty of the Canal etc. They all were encouraged to ‘ Take Notice’ of their friends, team mates and be aware of their talents and needs. The final two steps, ‘ Give’ and ‘Continue Learning ‘ have been outlined in this article.
A very worthwhile few months of activity as Naas LGFA players , mentors , parents and guardians all engaged in the Five Step approach , inherent in the #Lidl One Good Club Programme . It has put mental wellbeing to the fore and has created a deep awareness of the need to nurture our mental wellbeing on and off the pitch. Sport is a very valuable tool to help everyone nurture and care for their mental wellbeing as the camaraderie and friendships forged in our club are very beneficial in this area. Naas LGFA and its members have greatly benefited from this programme and the focus on the mental wellbeing of all our members will continue to grow and a general awareness will continue to be nurtured in the future.