Every day in communities across the country, Sport Ireland through its network of Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs) helps people irrespective of age, gender, disability, or social circumstance to get active. The role of the European Social Fund (ESF)+ Social Innovation in Sport officer employed within the LSPs will be to use sport and physical activity to foster social inclusion and provide education, inclusion and personal development programmes for European Social Fund (ESF+) target groups such youth at risk, persons with disability, disadvantaged women, ethnic minorities and migrants throughout the country. All programmes will be developed with an innovation and user-centric focus.
This role is funded by the European Social Fund + (ESF +) Programme 2021 -2027 through Sport Ireland. The ESF+ Programme will support the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights by seeking to:
• Support access to employment for young people and underrepresented groups
• Promote skills and lifelong learning
• Tackle poverty and social exclusion

Sport and Physical Activity will be used as mechanism to support these principles and the Local Sport Partnerships will be the main drivers on this project locally.

Sport Ireland published its first policy on Diversity and Inclusion in Sport in 2022 which expresses its vision for a sport sector that celebrates diversity, promotes inclusion, and is pro-active in providing opportunities for lifelong participation for everyone. The ESF + Social Innovation in Sport officer will work in collaboration with key local and national stakeholders to support the implementation of this policy.