GAA clubs in the north are to help improve nature habitats and protect waterways within their grounds thanks to a grant of over £400,000.
The money is being provided to Ulster GAA by the National Lottery Community Fund, in a bid to improve biodiversity within the club network.
The ‘Sporting Nature’ scheme is supported by NI Water and the Royal Society Protection of Birds (RSPB), and will involve 30 clubs.
The funding is through the National Lottery Community Fund’s UK-wide Climate Action Fund, created to help communities reduce their carbon footprint and tackle climate change.
Ulster GAA’s head of club and community development, Diarmaid Marsden, said: “We will be training leadership teams and young leaders on diversity, supporting club ‘Green Teams’, providing help and advice for clubs to improve their walkways and create habitats within sports grounds, as well as protecting water sources.
“This project will bring about physical and behavioural change and will also deliver long term sustainable cultural change in the GAA club and community landscape. We are delighted to partner with RSPBNI and NI Water to provide expertise in these areas.”
NI Water’s Rebecca Allen said: “The public engagement and education around nature, water conservation and protection on club grounds carried out during the Green Club programme laid an excellent foundation for us to continue our partnership under Sporting Nature. The programme has the potential to help NI Water with sustainable catchment management in our drinking water catchments around Northern Ireland.”
