Acting on a directive from Croke Park, in 2010 Chairman Sean O’Sullivan requested a committee be formed to co-ordinate a 5-Year club plan. The brief for the planning process was clear - it was imperative for the club to have a plan, developed by the member, for the members, that would allow the club to grow and develop over the next five years.

Accordingly, a group met in September 2010 chaired by Fintan Lawlor and Jim Gleeson, and the plan was formally launched in March 2011 at Darby O’Gills by Uachtarán Cumass Luthchleas Gael, Christy Cooney. The focus of the plan was to be volunteer-led to maximise participation across all sectors of the club and be constructed around the values and traditions of the club.

The 5 main focus points would be:

Coaching Games & Development

The key projects were: Coaching & Games Officer; Underage Games Programme; Coaching Games Sub-Committee; Coaching Education; GAA Code of Best Practice and Code of Behavious; Annual Cúl Camp

Finance & Fundraising

The key projects were: Finance Sub-Committee; Annual Budget; Audited Accounts

Facilities & Development

The key projects were: Ball Stop Screens; Juvenile Pitch Upgrading; Improvement of Indoor Facilities

Communications, PR & Social/Cultural

The key projects were: Scór; Irish Language Promotion; Newsletter

Club Structure & Administration

The key projects were: Club Constitution; Volunteerism; Club Sub-Committee Structure; Alcohol & Substance Abuse Prevention Programme

In addition to the ideas generated by the committee, both the wider club membership and the community participated in a Club Workshop in January 2011, which was ably assisted by facilitators from the County Board. The ideas generated from the workshop greatly added to the work of the committee and helped capture the aspirations of the membership. It also gave the plan added impetus to have it ultimely published within the required timeframe.

The plan was established to provide a road map for the future of the club and it certainly has been a success regarding the re-energised awareness of volunteerism, as is evident for example in the success of the weekly lotto which was launched in May 2012, in the recruitment of new club officers, the continuing development of Ladies Football which was launched in the club in 2011, and the ongoing maintenance and upgrading of facilities.

Volunteerism is the core principle of any club and as Spa continues to meet new challenges each year, it is vital that members be willing and able to participate in the progress of the club.

Photos: Anne Holland & Padraig Healy