LSP Network SPEAK Reports

2009 SPEAK Report

At a meeting of the Sports Partnerships in Tullamore, Co Offaly, Minister Hanafin launched the 2009 SPEAK Report. This report is based on the information provided for 2009 by 33 Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs) using the SPEAK self-evaluation system.

Among the many highlights were that 112,000 people participated in 744 directly delivered participation programmes and 3,500 clubs were supported in the delivery of their sports activities.

Addressing representatives of Sports Partnerships from around the country at the meeting in Tullamore, Minister Hanafin said “the work of the people in Local Sports Partnership network, who operate in conjunction with the many clubs and volunteers, is to promote and develop participation in sport in every community in Ireland. They specifically focus on increasing participation in sport amongst sectors of society that have traditionally been underrepresented including groups such as older people, women, people with disabilities and unemployed people. It is a simple concept and one that has worked very well over the past 10 years. Their efforts are making a substantial contribution to the health and welfare of individuals and communities.”

Minister Hanafin said that the SPEAK report for 2009 indicates that hundreds of schools, thousands of clubs and tens of thousands of people are directly benefitting from the work of the LSP in their communities. The Sports Inclusion Development Officers sanctioned by the ISC to continue working in 2010 will assist in making “a practical difference to the lives of very many people who have found barriers to their engagement in sport.”

To download the 2009 SPEAK Report click here

2008 SPEAK Report

SPEAK (Strategic Planning, Evaluation and Knowledge) offers organisations the capacity to self-evaluate leading to a comprehensive understanding of the work of the organisation and the impacts of that work, and uses that new understanding to improve strategic and work planning for the organisation.

Information provided through SPEAK from 29 LSPs is collated into a national programme database creating a database of enormous potential to understand the full programme and its impact, and most importantly to influence the direction of the programme and related areas of policy and practice.

The report in full can be downloaded here.