Supporting Youth Mental Health – Clubs announced for LGFA and Lidl Ireland #SeriousSupport Club Programme

The Ladies Gaelic Football Association and its official retail partner, Lidl Ireland, are delighted to announce the list of clubs who will participate in the new #SeriousSupport Club Programme – aimed at supporting youth mental health.

Clubs from 18 counties have been selected, with the emphasis on making a significant difference in local communities by providing a safe and positive space for community members to share and engage.

All four provinces are represented in the list of 19 clubs, with this new programme set to make a meaningful nationwide impact.

The initiative will base itself around the ‘five a day’ approach for mental health, utilising the five key themes of ‘connect’, ‘be active’, ‘take notice’, ‘keep learning’ and ‘give.’

The Lidl #SeriousSupport Club Programme aims to raise awareness and improve understanding of mental health while empowering clubs to positively affect their members and communities.

The programme is already underway and will run through to November.

Participating clubs are encouraged to undertake various activities, to capture special moments and share them on their social media accounts using the hashtag #SeriousSupportClub, while also logging them on the dedicated Lidl #SeriousSupport Club portal, where further resources and help are provided.

Clubs completing all five steps in the programme will receive official Lidl #SeriousSupport Club accreditation, as well as new jerseys for their club. Accredited clubs will also enter the running to win one of three funding awards available with a total value of €10,000. They will be awarded to the clubs selected by the judging panel to have demonstrated the following:

• Most Innovative Initiative – €2,500
• Strongest Community Involvement – €2,500
• Best Overall Programme Engagement – €5,000

Speaking about the #SeriousSupport club programme, Eimear O’Sullivan, Corporate Affairs Director for Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland, said: “The Lidl #SeriousSupport Club programme is one of our flagship programmes with the Ladies Gaelic Football Association, which demonstrates our commitment to supporting young girls across the country, both on and off the pitch.

“Through this programme, we aim to raise awareness and improve understanding of mental health, while empowering clubs to positively affect their members and communities. We’ve seen firsthand how transformative the programme has been for participants, equipping young girls with lifelong skills to manage mental health, build resilience and overcome challenges.

“I’m delighted to announce 19 clubs selected to benefit from the programme and I’d like to thank all of our loyal shoppers who took the time to nominate their club.”

Ladies Gaelic Football Association President, Trina Murray, commented: “We are delighted to reveal the list of clubs now looking forward to the #SeriousSupport Club initiative.

“The response to our call for nominations was significant and this is a programme that has the ability to make a huge difference in local communities.

“We have worked tirelessly alongside Lidl Ireland in recent years on mental health initiatives and this is yet another wonderful example of this excellent collaboration.

“Best wishes to the clubs involved and also to the clubs participating in the LGFA TALK programme.”

Lidl #SeriousSupport Club Programme

The Ladies Gaelic Football Association is also pleased to reveal the clubs who will participate in the LGFA TALK Project, which was available to clubs in Antrim, Armagh, Derry, Down, Fermanagh and Tyrone.

The LGFA TALK Project is a six-week club-based initiative aimed at increasing the awareness of positive mental health in young members aged 13-18 years, and removing the stigma associated with the subject area.

LGFA TALK Programme