Lidl Ireland rewards clubs from Limerick, Galway, and Sligo as part of the Lidl One Good Club™ Mental Health Programme

21st June 2023: Lidl Ireland have recognised clubs from Limerick, Galway and Sligo with prestigious awards as part of the retailer’s youth mental health awareness programme – Lidl One Good Club™. This five-step awareness programme for local clubs, developed in partnership with the Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA) and Jigsaw – The National Centre for Youth Mental Health, aims to raise awareness and improve understanding of mental health while empowering LGFA clubs to positively affect their members and communities. The five steps are based on Jigsaw’s 5-a-day for your mental health framework that provides a simple set of evidence-based actions for people to improve their wellbeing. The five steps are: Be Active, Take Notice, Give, Keep Learning, and Connect.

The programme offers clubs from every county the opportunity to support their members and local communities by engaging in activities that promote positive mental health. Limerick’s Dromcollogher Broadford LGFA Club have claimed top honours in the ‘Best Overall Programme Engagement’ award.. Dromcollogher Broadford ran numerous events including building of a fairy village in their town park with help from the local preschool, as well as art competitions, community trail walks, local clean ups and more. They will now receive €5,000 as overall programme award winners.

Galway’s Mountbellew Moylough LGFA Club have received the ‘Most Innovative Initiative’ award. The east Galway club created many innovative events and activities as part of their involvement in the programme, most notably their Bee Kind to your Mind fundraiser. The fundraiser, in aid of Jigsaw, involved their One Good Club mascot the Queen Bee, crocheted and reimagined as a bee bracelet that was sold in local stores. They are now set to receive €2,500 in funding as a result.

Lidl have also recognised Sligo’s Geevagh LGFA Club with the ‘Strongest Community Involvement’ award. The club from south-east Sligo engaged with several local businesses, schools, community groups and clubs as part of their programme activity. This included their Paw Patrol Walk where all local dog owners were invited to an event at the Geevagh club grounds along with their four-legged friends. Their mental health and wellbeing night saw over 300 people from the locality attend a talk from trained mental health professionals while raising funds for Jigsaw. Thanks to their efforts, Geevagh LGFA are now set to receive €2,500 in funding.

The evaluation of this year’s programme has seen overwhelmingly positive results and impact for the participating clubs, including:

• 100% agree that "Taking part in One Good Club™ has helped my club get better at promoting and supporting youth mental health"
• 79% strongly agree that "Since taking part in One Good Club™, I am more confident that my club could hold events to promote mental health." (100% agreement overall)
• 83% strongly agree that "One Good Club™ has improved my understanding of the 5 a day for mental health framework" (100% agreement overall)
• 100% of clubs collaborated with other organisations in the community, 46% of which they had never worked with before. These included local businesses, schools and Youth reach centres, senior citizens associations and nursing homes, sports clubs, music and dance groups, and charities.

Speaking on behalf of the Ladies Gaelic Football Association, President Mícheál Naughton said: “We’ve witnessed some remarkable efforts once again from clubs who participated in the Lidl One Good Club programme. To see what they’ve done and how they’ve conducted themselves has been heart-warming and I wish to pay tribute to every participant. The effects of the Lidl One Good Club programme will not just be short-term in these clubs; they can also be long-lasting and life-changing in so many ways. I also wish to acknowledge the efforts of Lidl Ireland and Jigsaw, the National Centre for Youth Mental Health, in the increased awareness of mental health issues across the entire LGFA community, and beyond. Three clubs have been recognised with specific awards but all clubs who participated are very much winners in their own right and the work they have done will leave long-lasting legacies in their local communities.”

Mike Mansfield, Director of Communications and Fundraising for Jigsaw added: “Congratulations to all clubs who took part in Lidl One Good Club 2023. What is clear is that the programme continues to bring clubs together in creating new conversations around mental health, and this is hugely important. One Good Club is now a truly nationwide movement for positive mental health and wellbeing with communities and clubs themselves playing a primary role. To the clubs that took home the prizes, huge congratulations from all of us here in Jigsaw. But to each person involved across the country – thank you. To the dancers, the walkers, the knitters, the talkers, the motivators, the fundraisers, the volunteers, the sandwich makers and all those who got out and started new conversations and new initiatives around our collective mental health, you are change makers.”

Elaine O’Connor, Head of CSR at Lidl Ireland & Lidl Northern Ireland said: “At Lidl, we have been delighted to partner with Jigsaw since 2018 and are proud to play our part in the One Good Club community driven initiatives. It has been truly fantastic to see the continued level of engagement and creativity that each and every club has demonstrated as part of the Lidl One Good Club programme this year. Congratulations to all of the clubs across the country and club leaders who have shown their passion and dedication throughout the duration of the programme. Once again, the extent of the activities and initiatives organised was a true testament to the level of work and effort made by all in the community, and those who completed the programme. “

The Lidl One Good Club™ programme forms part of over €7 million invested by Lidl since the partnership with the LGFA began in 2016 and brings together Lidl’s two community partners, the Ladies Gaelic Football Association and Jigsaw – The National Centre for Youth Mental Health.

ENDS