Wellbeing Month - Be Active

This week as part of wellbeing month we will have range of activities for 'Be Active' week and demonstrations from our sports tutors Danny and Steve.  Please take part and enjoy the week 😃

For more info on getting active go to:

https://www.getirelandactive.ie/

https://www.gov.ie/en/campaigns/together/

Men's Health Week 2020 - Sligo CTC Sports and Recreation Course

Sligo CTC is a health promoting centre and is constantly promoting physical activity in the centre.  We have a dedicated Sports and Recreation course instructed by Danny and Steve and it is open to males and females aged 16 – 21 years. We offer a wide range of fitness modules including Health & Fitness and Soccer and also provide the opportunity for learners to participate in a variety of activities such as soccer, golf, basketball, yoga, pilates, hiking, walking, swimming, cycling etc.  We are very lucky to have our own centre gym and we have a lads active programme on offer for other male trainees in the centre.  The centre also takes part in Gaisce, one of the challenges is physical recreation and this involves becoming physically stronger and improving fitness.

In normal times when we are in the centre, as part of the sports and recreation course, Danny  facilitates a variety of fitness classes in the gym every morning,  This is a snap shot of a class back in February 2020.

Hiking with Gaisce

Sports trainees in the centre gym

Soccer at the Astro pitch

Gaisce

Sligo CTC is proud to be involved with Gaisce over the last number of years.  Gaisce – The President’s Award is a self-development programme that encourages you to find your passion, get active and make a difference in your community! By taking part in Gaisce, you will take on exciting personal, physical and community challenges and develop new skills and new friendships.   

In our health promoting centre, Gaisce is headed up by our President Award Leaders Aideen and Steve. Trainees have created many fond memories and achieved bronze awards over the years. Today we are going to take a trip back and look at some of the treasured photographs as reminders of all the beautiful scenic places we visited and skills we learned over the years.  

The Gaisce group had the privilege of going on a hike to the Carrowkeel Passage Tombs, a very historical site that was very interesting to visit and had a great view from which we could see Lough Arrow.  We cycled all the way to the Gyreum Ecolodge, the facilities were fantastic and provided a unique experience that all the trainees enjoyed.

We climbed Truskmore, cycled, stayed in Benwisken Youth Hostel and lit a campfire.  We climbed Dartry Mountains and took in spectacular views of Sligo town and its surrounding areas including the Atlantic coastline, Glencar Lake and Glenif Horseshoe.  The trainees had to plan, train for and complete these outdoor Adventure Journeys as part of a team.  This was a unique, enjoyable and memorable experience, as well as an opportunity to experience self-sufficiency.

Of course not forgetting how some of the Gaisce trainees under the Community Involvement Activity, helped with building and developing our own Garden Project.  They made raised beds and helped convert the ex smoking shed into a fabulous green house under the guidance of Danny.  We've eaten so much of the organic produce over the years!!

As with many of the other CTC trainees, they have planted and weeded the front flower bed to give us a beautiful display when coming into train and work! Trainees also helped with the health promotion initiatives in the centre and last year the sports group did the 'Litter Pick' while out on their morning jog.  Well done to everyone involved.  You can continue to complete ‘Gaisce at home’ click here for more info:  https://www.gaisce.ie/

Compiled by Aideen and Steve

Exercise at Home

Here are some exercises you can try at home while social distancing:

Zumba

Foróige C.R.I.B. Youth Project and Health Café have organised Zumba classes on Monday from 6 - 6.45pm from the comfort of your own home.  Barbara is going to hold an online class through an app called zoom. It is free to download and easy to follow. Here is the link to access the class but you will have to download the app Zoom.

If you need any more information ring Amie 086-8322473 or Karina 086-8358288.

HIIT Workout

Steve our Sports Instructor recommends trying The Body Coach workouts on https://www.youtube.com/user/thebodycoach1/videos. P.E. with Joe post daily fun workouts to help you burn fat and get fitter, stronger and healthier. You don't need a gym to get fit and most of his workouts can be done anywhere with no equipment.

Yoga

Yoga is a great way to stretch the body and look after your mind. 

Click on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsT93z3naCOJXnZuMM7sgIA  to try out daily yoga sessions with Maura.  

Step into Spring

We started our "Step into Spring" health promoting initiative yesterday.  Staff and trainees got the opportunity to walk, job or run around the track in Cleveragh.  This will take place on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday's.  Well done to everyone that took part and keep it up!

Step into Spring

Girls Active Programme

Girls Active takes place on a Wednesday afternoon in the centre. Girls Active is a joint programme between the Health Services Executive North West, Sligo Sport and Recreation Partnership, Youth Sport West and is aimed at teenage girls who are not currently participating in sport. The programme was initiated in 2003 and aims to increase the number of teenage girls involved in long-term regular physical activity through developing more supportive environments for teenage girls’ physical activity.

The programme involves extra curricular physical activities for teenage girls which are:

• Recreational and Non Competitive
• Girls only
• Activities selected by the Girls
• Activities organised by the Girls
• At least 3 different activities throughout the year

For more info:  Girls Active

Pictured above are some of the hairdressing girls that took part in a very enjoyable dance class with Debbie yesterday.

Spotlight on the Sports & Recreation Course

Today we are taking a look at the sports and recreation course available in the centre. This is a very popular course and is designed for trainees who are interested in working in the Health, Fitness & Leisure industries. Trainees participate in practical sport classes on a daily basis, including gym work, football and swimming. Trainees will work towards completing modules at level 3 in Soccer Skills and Health and Fitness, while some will also work on level 4 modules in Health Related Fitness and Customer Service.


Course Content:

• Soccer Skills
• Health and Fitness 
• Health Related Fitness
• Customer Service

Within these modules trainees will gain knowledge and experience of the above industries giving them a platform to progress on to further training or employment.

Various progressions are available for further training through the ETB courses in similar industries and the many PLC courses also available at level 5.

Another option available to trainees on successful completion of this course is 6 months full-time placement (Link-work) which can be offered to trainees who show commitment to progressing a career both in these industries and others.

Trainees performing a core exercise 

Mental Health Awareness Week - Kayaking

Well done to Joey, Gvido, Adam and Geoffrey who took part in the Call of The Wild schools kayaking camp 2019.  Thanks to Tommy Craddock from the Sligo Grammar School for the kayaking lessons and to the Sligo Sports Partnership.

Kayak Race

We would like to acknowledge Joey's success in the kayak race yesterday on the Garavogue River. 
Well done Joey!  This race was in memory of Alex McGourty 

Kayaking

The trainees took part in a kayaking session today and yesterday under the instruction of both Eddie Loftus and Tommy Craddock.  The trainees had an great fun new experience.  We would like to thank the Grammar School for providing the facilities and Tommy and Eddie for their excellent guidance to the trainees. 

There is competition on Monday 5th involving Summerhill College and Grammar School and Ursuline College.

Stretching and Relaxation

Thanks to Steve for facilitating the relaxation and stretching session in the gym this morning to help us switch off and relax for World Mental Health Day

Mental Health Day - Fitness and Fun

We had a fantastic fun and fitness session with Kate Frahill this morning to promote positive mental health.  Well done to all for participating!

An Gaisce - Adventure Journey 2018

As part of the An Gaisce Bronze award the trainees went on an adventure trip which involved an overnight stay in the Gyreum Ecolodge, the facilities were fantastic and provided a unique experience that all the trainees enjoyed. Visit their website here http://www.gyreum.com/ .

The trip had both a hike and cycle aspect and even involved a cycle and short hike the next morning.

The hike brought us to the Carrowkeel Passage Tombs a very historical site that was very interesting to visit and had a great view from which we could see Lough Arrow. After that visit we then cycled all the way to the Gyreum Ecolodge.

We would like to thank William and Barry from North West Adventure Tours visit their website here http://northwestadventuretours.ie/  and both of our Gaisce pals Aideen and Steven for organising the trip, it was an overall great experience that all trainees would highly recommend.

Photography Walk

Computer trainees went for a walk today and captured some of the local scenery, it was a pleasant day and the perfect weather for some photos. We are very lucky to have such a wonderful area around our centre.