Submissions are now open for the Sports and Wellness Fund to support social innovations that use sports and physical activity programmes to have a demonstrable impact on improving mental health outcomes and social inclusion for people and communities in Ireland.
Ireland has generally good health outcomes, but there are significant behavioural health risks and high rates of mental illness. Ireland, like many other nations, is grappling with the health implications brought about by rising rates of sedentary lifestyles, obesity, and associated health issues. Physical inactivity has been identified as a significant risk factor for mental health and wellbeing in Ireland. As individuals come together in a supportive and inclusive sporting community, the positive impact can go beyond the playing field, promoting social cohesion in communities. This holistic approach recognises the multifaceted nature of wellbeing and highlights the importance of addressing various dimensions to achieve lasting positive outcomes in Irish society.
This two-year Fund will offer a package of cash grants and non-financial supports to up to 5 awardees to help them scale and maximise their impact in promoting healthier lives, increased levels of mental health and wellbeing and improved social cohesion.
Key Objectives of the Fund
Positive Mental Wellbeing: The primary goal of the fund is to support sports programmes that have a demonstrable impact on improving mental health outcomes. This includes reducing stress, anxiety, and depression while promoting overall psychological resilience.
Enhancing Social Inclusion: The fund would facilitate the development and implementation of sports programmes that actively promote social inclusion. This involves reaching marginalised populations, promoting diversity, and ensuring accessibility for individuals with varying abilities.
What does the fund offer?
There will be up to 5 awards available in total, and each awardee will receive a cash grant, a business supports package, a place on the capacity building programme and access to Rethink Ireland’s networks.
Who can apply?
This fund is open to organisations that have a not-for-profit legal form, e.g. a company limited by guarantee, a co-operative, trust, charity, and other voluntary organisations that meet the following criteria:
Eligibility Criteria
Projects must meet both Rethink Ireland’s criteria and the specific criteria for Sports and Wellness Fund, as set out below:
Rethink Ireland Criteria
The project must address a critical social or environmental issue
The project must be innovative in an Irish context
The project must be based in the Republic of Ireland
The project must have the potential and desire to scale or replicate in Ireland
The project must provide evidence that it is up and running, or has been tested at least in a minimal way
Applicants must come from an entity that has a ‘not for profit’ legal form, e.g. a company limited by guarantee, a co-operative, trust, charity.
Sports and Wellness Core Criteria
Have been operating for at least 1 year and provide evidence that it is up and running, or has been tested at least in a minimal way they would encourage organisations from an early Lifecycle stage to apply.
Be able to secure philanthropic funding commitments totalling at least €100,000 (€50,000 per annum)
Fund-specific criteria:
Projects must be a sports, physical activity or outdoor recreation based programme that is working towards enhancing positive outcomes in mental health and social inclusion for their beneficiaries, including one or more of the following:
Fostering engagement in sporting/physical activities or outdoor recreation.
Using early interventions that prevent mental ill-health occurring in the first place.
Promoting social inclusion for people from marginalised communities.
Enhancing the positive mental health of communities using evidence-based approaches and/or community development approaches.
Promoting collective mental health and physical health improvement at the community level.
Encouraging physical activity, promoting healthy lifestyles and habits among participants. Demonstrating efforts to reduce health inequities, with a focus on marginalised communities, ensuring that the benefits of sports programs are accessible to all.
Advantageous criteria
Organisations engaging meaningfully with minority/disadvantaged groups, including but not limited to those led by women, ex-prisoners, recovering addicts, Travellers, and migrants.
Organisations that are beneficiary-led or involve members of the beneficiary community in decision-making roles
Organisations that have a positive effect on Ireland’s Green Transition through their activities/interventions. This criteria applies if the organisation tackles issues related to the environment and green transition, such as carbon reduction, biodiversity, sustainable agriculture, pollution and/or the just transition.
Organisations that operate in a partnership with other stakeholders to maximise the impact of their initiatives.
Ineligible
Applicants that are not eligible to apply are:
Applicants under 18 years of age
Commercial companies, sole traders and individuals
Any staff member from Rethink Ireland and their family members. Family members include siblings, parents, spouses or civil partners or children.
Individuals
Statutory or public bodies, companies limited by shares and organisations that are funded 100% by state bodies or agencies (and continue to be in receipt of that funding), that are not registered charities
Any consultant currently working with Rethink Ireland
