Cork Views: Active play has a key role for Irish children

Walk through any schoolyard at lunchtime and you’ll see something profound in action: children negotiating rules for a game of tag, daring one another to try a new climb, or teaming up in a spontaneous match.

These moments may look simple, but they are the building blocks of healthier, more resilient communities. Play is not a luxury or a distraction from ‘real’ learning - it is central to how children grow, connect, and thrive.

Rethink Ireland, the Sunflower Charitable Foundation, and the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht have now launched a three-year €1.5 million Children’s Active Play Fund. This national initiative will support between 5-8 innovative projects that help children and young people aged 15 and under get active, build social connections and support their overall wellbeing.

Many children and teenagers, especially in disadvantaged communities, don’t get enough physical activity, which affects both their physical and mental wellbeing. This fund will support exciting community projects that encourage movement, activity and social connections, making it easier and more enjoyable for young people to lead active lives.

Rethink Ireland operates a venture philanthropy model, similar to venture capital but focused on social impact. This means that in addition to funding, the selected projects will receive hands-on support to help them scale, strengthen their operations, and create lasting change.

By combining financial investment with expert mentoring and strategic guidance, the fund ensures that supported projects can maximise their impact and sustain their work long after the funding period ends.

The power of fun

At Rethink Ireland, we work with community innovators who see the power of active play every day. They know a climbing frame or a football pitch is far more than a place to burn off steam - it is an arena where confidence is built, friendships are formed, and futures are shaped.

The time has come for Ireland to invest in active play in a more pronounced fashion.

Active play is fundamental for youth development. Structured physical activities, such as organised sports and coached sessions, provide frameworks for skill development and goal achievement, improving motor skills, academic performance, and social interaction. It’s been noted that unstructured play fosters creativity, problem-solving, and self-determined activity preferences, factors that promote lifelong engagement in active lifestyles.

Group activities also foster the development of essential social skills, including communication, cooperation, and conflict resolution, which are crucial for building resilience and fostering community ties.

The health crisis we’re ignoring

Young people in Ireland today face unprecedented challenges in maintaining active and healthy lifestyles. Recent evidence indicates a significant decline in physical activity levels among children and teenagers, with only 13% of post-primary students meeting the national guideline of 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day.

For children in low-income households, the barriers are even higher; research has found they have up to 40% less access to sports facilities and 60% lower participation rates in organised physical activities compared to their peers in more affluent areas. The result is a vicious cycle: those who could benefit most from the protective effects of physical activity are the ones least able to access it.

We know inactivity in childhood doesn’t just fade with age. It predicts sedentary adulthood, with knock-on effects for physical health, employability, and social participation. The age range of 0 to 15 represents a critical window for developing positive attitudes toward physical activity and establishing lifelong healthy lifestyle patterns.

Communities know what works

Across Cork and beyond, inspiring community groups are already leading the way. They are building inclusive playgrounds, offering low-cost sports sessions, and reclaiming unused spaces for children’s activity.

Previous awardees we have funded, which have young people at their core, include Crann Centre and Rainbow Club for Autism, both amazing projects. However, without consistent investment, too many of these projects struggle to survive, even as demand grows.

Call to action

Cork has always prided itself on being a county of communities, where neighbours look out for one another and children can play safely on the street. But in today’s world, safe and active play is no longer guaranteed, and it requires intentional investment.

We cannot afford to view play as something extra, to be considered after ‘serious’ issues are dealt with. Active play is serious: it shapes the kind of adults our children will become, and the kind of society we will all share.

The choice before us is clear. We can continue to underfund play and watch inequality, poor health, and disconnection grow. Or we can take play seriously, invest in it as a national priority, and give every child the chance to grow stronger - in body, mind, and spirit.

At Rethink Ireland, we are so privileged and honoured to work with donors locally and nationally who care deeply about place and making a difference. Since 2016, we have secured investments of €129 million across all our social innovation streams and backed over 520 projects nationwide, including 49 in Cork. We urge new funders to come and talk to us, and see how we can work together, putting young people at the heart of our investment.

Charities in Cork and across Ireland are encouraged to apply to the Children’s Active Play Fund. Successful projects will be awarded up to €210,000 over three years and receive a spot on Rethink Ireland’s Accelerator Programme to support their growth and scaling.

Applications are open at rethinkireland.ie/open-funds/ and close on Friday, October 10.