Ladies Gaelic Football

INTERVIEW 52 | SUMMER 2022 | www.ladiesgaelic.ie Talk Project LGFA The LGFA TALK Project, in partnership with the Northern Ireland Youth Forum, is a six-week club-based initiative aimed at increasing the awareness of positive mental health in young members aged 13-18 years, and removing the stigma associated with the subject area. The project was started in April 2022, with clubs transforming into hubs for positive youth mental health in the community. We caught up with programme leaders from Saul in Down to see what impact the LGFA TALK Project is having on their club. The project team consists of Paula Sands, Irene Fitzsimmons, Erin Sands, Rosie Connor, Anita Kerr, Muireann Bohill, Mary Kernan, Ashling Kinsella and Gary Doherty. WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR CLUB'S EXPERIENCE REGARDING THE LGFA TALK PROJECT? It has been an overall positive experience in promoting mental health awareness within the club, and the committee are fully committed in giving any support necessary. Our aim is to continue to promote the scheme throughout the teams and age groups within the club. Going forward our male teams eager to engage in similar projects. WHAT TYPE OF ACTIVITIES HAVE YOU COMPLETED WITH THE GIRLS? So far we have managed to do alot using the LIFEMAP letters. We have completed a scavenger hunt and assault course blind folded, there were some laughs and building trust with this one! We also had the sharks game and hopes and fears jars, which is a very powerful exercise. We completed a beach trip to collect sea glass and we are going make a collage from the sea glass. We can't wait for the next three weeks. DO YOU THINK THERE IS A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH SINCE STARTING THE PROGRAMME? Very much so. The girls have developed an understanding that positive mental health is about their ability to learn, feel, express, and manage a range of emotions, both positive and negative, and the ability to form good relationships with others. In the six sessions we have done, each session has had an element of building trust amongst the girls so that they feel comfortable being honest about their emotions and feelings without fear of judgment. In the activity where each girl wrote down a hope and fear they had, the girls were very reassured when they learned that their peers were experiencing the same feelings and the group was able to talk about it. The girls have also been doing activities with team mates they ordinarily would not spend time with and are developing friendships, having good fun and laughing together. WHAT HAVE BEEN THE CLUB HIGHLIGHTS FROM TAKING PART IN THE LGFA TALK PROJECT SO FAR? Watching the girls become more comfortable and confident about talking about how they are feeling has been fantastic. We can see the girls growing in confidence, which is being carried on to the pitch. Also, the girls have had so much fun doing the activities and have had so many laughs with each other and at themselves. They have developed friendships and it is very much an inclusive and supportive group. We did a blindfolded obstacle course with the girls, which was hilarious and they loved it and worked so well together to get around the course. Other club teams and mentors have been observing some of the activities we have done at the club pitch and have heard very positive feedback and they have approached the TALK project team to ask if it can be rolled out to their teams. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE OTHER CLUBS THINKING ABOUT APPLYING FOR THE LGFA TALK PROJECT IN 2023? We would positively encourage other clubs to avail of this excellent project as we can already see a marked improvement in the girls' overall confidence and positivity. It has been an fun and beneficial experience for both the girls and adults. We want to thank all the clubs for taking part in a very successful LGFA TALK project and the clubs will be awarded with the status of a 'Positive TALK Club' and we will present clubs with these at the TG4 All Ireland Finals this year. Follow their journeys at #LGFATALK. Well done to everyone involved and keep talking! THE LADIES GAELIC FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION IS PLEASED TO HAVE YEAR TWO OF THE LGFA TALK PROJECT UNDERWAY. We had huge interest from clubs all over Antrim, Armagh, Derry, Down, Fermanagh and Tyrone when applications opened. Congratulations to the clubs involved and currently in the middle of their journey - Crossmaglen Rangers (Armagh), St Brigid's GAC (Antrim), Kinawley Brian Borus (Fermanagh), Faughanvale (Derry), Dromore St Dympna's (Tyrone) and Saul (Down).

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