GAA For All a huge success at Valley Rovers

After a successful six-week debut, Valley Rovers’ GAA For All will return again at the end of August.

With such programmes having proven successful at various clubs around the county – inspired by the success of Midleton’s Magpies All-Stars – the Innishannon outfit is the latest to provide such a service.

Grace Whooley, co-chairperson of Valley Rovers LGFC, is delighted with how the maiden voyage went.

“Last year, I remember there being an enquiry as to whether there was any facilities for children with additional needs at Cúl Camp,” she says.

“There wasn’t at the time but Kevin Canty took over as juvenile chair this year and we were chatting and he was very keen to get it going. The feeling was that we should be able to provide for everybody in the club.”

“I’m co-chair of the ladies’ club and I’m with the U13s but, in my head, I was saying that this was the most obvious one that I should run, so I said to Kevin that I’d do it.

“You weren't going to start the season in the middle of February in the freezing cold – it was always going to be short. Then, Bandon are doing it and a lot of Valleys kids go there and we thought we’d do it in conjunction with them – they might run it for a while and then we might run it for a while.

“I had a chat with Liz Gleeson, who runs it in Bandon, and Cork Sports Partnership were in touch to say they could provide us with gear but Valleys’ academy has plenty of equipment anyway. Then, it was just a case of seeing who would be involved.”

Thankfully, there was no shortage of willing and suitable volunteers on that front.

“We have SNAs, national school teachers, secondary school teachers, a secondary school pupil and some college students,” Whooley says, “very qualified people, which is what you need.

“It’s inclusive and it’s fun. From my perspective, we wanted for parents to be able to drop their children and know that those children were going to be cared for, by people responsible enough to mind them and create a fun environment.

“I love seeing the parents being able to go for a walk on the walkway around the pitches here, or a parent might be able to take their other kids to the playground.

“Obviously, if any parents wanted to get involved, they’d be more than welcome to be, but there’s no expectation.

“There’s a spectrum of children so obviously you have to meet kids where they’re at. They’re a lovely group.

“The kids are happy playing duck-duck-goose or kicking a few goals or playing with the parachute. It’s a pure and utter joy and everybody is buzzing coming off that astro pitch.”

The upcoming Valleys Cúl Camp will providing facility for children with additional needs, two hours for three days, and then it’s onwards and upwards for the return of GAA For All in the autumn.

“Manpower might be a little bit of a challenge but I think what’ll happen is that, the more it becomes embedded in the club, the easier it becomes,” Whooley says.

“Sometimes, you do things, they might go up on Facebook or ClubZap or whatever but you think that people don’t even know these things are happening but the feedback has been great, with plenty of comments and more people getting involved.

“We were blessed with weather – it was down on the astro every week and I didn’t have to go looking for a key for the hall or anything – and hopefully it’ll be the same in September!”