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26 | SUMMER 2021 | www.ladiesgaelic.ie TALK PROJECT T The LGFA would like to congratulate the pilot clubs involved in the six-week pilot of the LGFA TALK project; Tír na nÓg (Armagh), Creggan Kickhams (Antrim), Lisnaskea (Fermanagh) and Ballinascreen (Derry). The project aimed to increase the awareness of positive mental health in members aged 13-18 years and remove the stigma associated with the subject area. The clubs had to adapt to some online learning and events but were able to roll out some face-to-face activities in April 2021. Clubs were transformed into hubs for positive youth mental health in each community. We caught up with Creggan Kickhams programme leaders to see what impact the TALK Project had in their club. Club: Creggan Kickhams, Antrim Project team: Sinead Sargent, Donna McGuckian, Fionnuala Colgan, Julie Nelson. How was your club's overall experience of the TALK project? When we initially came together in a Belfast Hotel for the first of the mentor training days, we knew that we were onto something very special. On that car journey home, we were buzzing and full of ideas on how we could get our girls to equally embrace the project. The overall experience has enriched us as parents, mentors and coaches. 44 young girls participated in the project and discovered how the LIFEMAPS model equips you with lifelong tools to improve your mental health. What type of activities did you do with the girls? Learning through the LIFEMAPS model lends itself to lots of practical activities as well as conversations which were key in both making the programme fun for the girls and ensuring its longevity, as many of the activities can be integrated into their weekly training sessions. We delivered the programme to our U12, U14 and U16 groups. Each girl attended three sessions, two at our club grounds and one in the picturesque surroundings on the Loughshore at Randalstown Forest. Each 90-minute session started with a 'check in' and finished with a 'check out' where each of our young players self-scored how they were feeling between 1 and 10. We were so proud of the girls in both their honesty and support for one another. Learning and sharing happened through activity-based conversations such as 'Hopes and Fears in a Jar', were each girl placed an anonymous hope, then fear, into the respective jars. The mentor then read out the hopes and fears, where the team members discovered that there were the same hopes and fears among the group. So there was comfort to be sought in voicing these with our peers. Other tasks were simply about social connections through meaningful conversations with each other. If you asked the girls what their favourite activity was, then it would be the flow games such as 'Shark' which taught the girls that being immersed in flow gives your mind a break and provides positive emotions. The girls identified different activities which would take them into flow. Do you think there was a better understanding of positive mental health after the programme? Without doubt. Within all of the age groups, as each week of the programme passed, there was an increased maturity and openness within their conversations. At the start of the session, we checked in on learning from the previous week, which demonstrated clear learning. But the programme was about much more than being able to 'talk the talk', it also needed to be about actions. One coach fed back to the project team where we had a sudden death of a much- loved member of our community. This person was well-known to our U16 girls, who the next day played their scheduled fixture and faced a tough, physical game that wasn't initially going their way. During and after that game, there was an immense sense of togetherness and teamwork, simply truly being there for one another. What have being the club highlights taking part in the TALK project? That's a difficult one. Highlights included the forest sessions with each group for a number of reasons but primarily as the girls' obvious enjoyment during these sessions was contagious! The building of new social connections, the togetherness, the sense of purpose and accomplishment in collecting the kindling from the forest floor (with DAERA's prior permission!) and bringing this home to a grandparent or elderly neighbour. Other highlights included seeing the energy, enthusiasm and engagement that the girls brought to each session. On a personal note, a highlight was a tight-knit group of 'mammies' having the dedication and determination to not just deliver the programme, but to make it such a success that players and mentors in other age groups were asking when we will be delivering the project to them – now that's endorsement! What advice would you give other clubs thinking about applying for the TALK project? Grab the opportunity with both hands and embrace it. Our pilot has helped to produce the LIFEMAPS booklet, a ready to use resource which is full of ideas for your activity and conversation-based sessions……so what are you waiting for!