Get BACk Challenge

The Get BACk Challenge is now in its sixth year of operation having starting in 2006.  An annual charity cycle and walk are the main fundraising drivers in addition to attracting corporate support from businesses throughout the region. The Get BACk Challenge was initially developed to bring businesses and their associates together to raise funds in tackling cancer using a ‘top down’ (care) and ‘bottom up’ (prevention) approach.

The top down ‘care’ approach is designed to contribute to palliative home care programmes run by local hospices across the Mid West for those unfortunate to be affected by Cancer.  The bottom up ‘preventative’ approach is funded on adopting a proactive approach to living a healthy and active lifestyle particularly among young people and counteract the growing issue of obesity and its associated problems.  The idea is that encouraging activity among kids and a healthy lifestyle will reduce their risk of contracting life threatening illnesses later in life and that they will carry through a healthy focus with them in life.  The principal target groups are those living in the social disadvantaged areas of the region who are most affected by the problems of obesity through a combination of a lack of sport participation opportunities.

The bottom up approach works through our alliance with the Local Sports Partnerships under the auspices of the Irish Sports Council. They operate predominately in areas of social and sporting disadvantage.  The bottom up is based on three areas 1) Sports participation  2) Grants programme and 3) Coach education.   A recent audit of children’s participation in sports and activity as a direct result of funded programmes and grants highlighted that almost 7,000 children living in areas of social and sporting disadvantaged benefited.