Inclusion at Creggs Rugby Club Galway

It was a double day of celebrations this week at Creggs RFC in Co Galway with Variety – the Children’s Charity of Ireland teaming up with both Ability West and the IRFU to provide both a special wheelchair bike and sensory room to this all-inclusive rugby club.

Visitors on the day were welcomed to Creggs RFC by organiser Ger Dowd and his amazing team of workers.

Funded by Variety Ireland’s “Recycle Mobility Programme” this special wheelchair bike now allows both children and adults with mobility issues to experience cycling around the club’s fabulous scenic walkway facilities. This promotes inclusion and equal access to cycling for people with mobility needs.

Dedicated members of Ability West, Julie Silke Daly and Renjith Joseph who work tirelessly in addressing the needs of people with disabilities, were on hand to see yet another one of their successful ventures come to life in helping people with mobility issues in the Galway region.

The new sensory room funded by both Variety Ireland and the IRFU now allows people visiting Creggs RFC to available of their new facility. This provides people with additional needs a safe space to relax while other family and friends watch games at the club.

On hand to present our special wheelchair bike to Creggs RFC on behalf of Variety Ireland and Ability West, was Galway native Minister Hildegarde Naughton, Minister of State at The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. Commenting on the bike, Minister Naughton said “Special bikes like this one provide equal access to people with mobility issues. It’s great to see Variety Ireland’s “Recycle Mobility Programme” ensuring that people can be included in cycling activities with their family and friends which gets them out doors and active. As Minister for disabilities, this is something I support and want to be actively involved in with Variety Ireland in continuing to push this programme out to other communities and individuals with mobility issues across the country. Irish World boxing and Olympian legends Lisa & Aoife O’Rouke from Co Roscommon took time out of their busy schedules to test out the new mobility wheelchair bike.

Disability & Inclusion Officer for the IRFU, David McKay was joined by Minister Naughton to officially open Creggs RFC new Sensory Room which is a joint venture between Variety Ireland and the IRFU. The Minister was joined by fellow Galwegian and Minister of State at the Department of Transport Seán Canney along with Independent TD for Galway & Roscommon Michael Fitzmaurice and Senator Gareth Scahill who were involved in the cutting of the ribbon of the sensory room. Talking about their own involvement in supporting the new sensory room at Creggs RFC. David from the IRFU said “ This is a much-needed facility as it offers support for family members with people with disabilities and we are delighted to support this initiative with Variety Ireland for the people of Creggs RFC.

Minister Canney said “The facilities here at Creggs RFC are second to done and it has taken great community teamwork and spirit to put all these wonderful facilities in place. Michael Fitzmaurice TD commented “More facilities like these are needed in clubs and communities across Ireland as it ensures inclusion for everyone”

Variety Ireland’s “The Recycle Mobility Programme” has managed to provide a mixture of over 600 mobility trikes and wheelchair trikes to individuals, schools and clubs with people with mobility issues. This ensures that people have equal access to cycling with their family and friends. In a report study conducted by The Royal College or Surgeons Ireland (RSCI) and Trinity College Dublin, shows that our Recycle Mobility Programme not only improves the mental and physical well-being of both the person with mobility issues and immediate family members by 87.5% but supports inclusion and equal access to cycling so families can enjoy cycling activities together. One of the many benefits of this programme is once a child outgrows their trike, it is then upcycled and passed onto a special school so other children with mobility issues can be included in cycling activities with their friends and teachers. This also offers huge environmental advantages as it stops old trikes reach harmful landfill sites.

Variety Ireland would like to commend and thank Ger O’Dowd and all the team at Creggs RFC for such an amazing day. The work and effort they all contribute towards providing inclusive facilities for people across the spectrum at Creggs RFC is simply incredible. This was evident by the support shown on the day by all guests in attendance.