Ulster GAA lead unique biodiversity project thanks to National Lottery funding

The National Lottery Community Fund has today announced funding of £404,543 to Ulster GAA, for a first of the kind project in the province, to help raise awareness, change behaviours and produce action on biodiversity and protecting water sources through the GAA club network.

Ulster GAA is working with the Royal Society Protection of Birds (RSPB) and NI Water on ‘Sporting Nature,’ a programme to change practices and make it easier for volunteers to support climate and sustainability, changing the culture across clubs and the wider community.

Diarmaid Marsden, Ulster GAA Head of Club and Community Development Department, explained: “Thanks to this National Lottery funding, 30 clubs and members will take action by promoting awareness and focus on biodiversity. Learning will be shared across GAA and other sports clubs, building on what they’ve done before and complementing existing local authority action in NI.”

“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.”

The funding comes from The National Lottery Community Fund’s UK wide Climate Action Fund, which was set up to help communities reduce their carbon footprint and show what is possible when people take the lead in tackling climate change.

Joanne Sherwood, RSPB Northern Ireland’s Director, commented: “RSPB NI are delighted to be building on our work with Ulster GAA, and NI Water, through the Sporting Nature project. We are looking forward to raising awareness of the importance of standing up for nature, by encouraging GAA clubs and our local communities to take action to protect and restore local wildlife, flora and fauna.”

NI Water Catchment Officer Rebecca Allen said: “NI Water are very happy and fully committed to working with Ulster GAA and RSPBNI to deliver the Sporting Nature project supported by The National Lottery Climate Action Fund.  We have a strong focus on protecting the environment, and we are committed to tackling pollution issues that impact our watercourses. We are delighted therefore to support the Sporting Nature Project, working with the Ulster GAA community who are passionate about their clubs and surrounding environment.

“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.”

This year marks 30 years since the first National Lottery draw in 1994, and over this time, thanks to people who play the games, billions of pounds have made life changing projects possible.

Kate Beggs, NI Director of The National Lottery Community Fund said: “We’re pleased to award Ulster GAA with this substantial grant. Supporting the environment is a consideration in all our funding as we move forward with our new strategy.

“Through our Climate Action Fund, we’re looking for projects that encourage more community-led climate action, and Sporting Nature is a great example of that. We look forward to seeing is achieved over the coming months and years.”

The Climate Action Fund is currently open for applications with grants of over £500,000 available to organisations working in partnership to help communities tackle climate change and be environmentally sustainable.

For more information visit www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/programmes/climate-action-fund-our-shared-future