Lidl Ireland has just announced the winners of its club fundraising initiative that took place earlier this year, with nearly €90,000 being awarded to Dublin Ladies Gaelic Football clubs.
Skerries Harps LGFA Club was awarded a top prize of €20,000 from the retailer as part of the initiative which called on communities to support their local clubs by scanning their Lidl Plus app at the checkout in their local Lidl. The club is one of four, one from each province, that picked up the top prize. In total, Lidl has rewarded more than 360 LGFA clubs throughout Ireland, benefitting from new jerseys to up to €20,000 in funding.
Trevor Dawson (Store Manager Ballbriggan) and Caoimhe Emmett, Juvenile Ladies Footballer.
The innovative initiative was launched as part of Lidl’s new campaign, Level the Playing Field, that called on communities to get behind their local club by scanning their Lidl Plus app to receive a digital stamp on their stamp card. Once six stamps were collected, users could submit their completed stamp card via the app and their stamps were then added to their chosen club’s total. Each club that achieved a minimum of 50 completed digital stamp cards was guaranteed a reward.
The Skerries community collected more than 700 stamps in support of their local club. Commenting on the initiative, Paul Donnelly, Chairperson of Skerries Harps LGFA club said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to have come out on top in Leinster and win the €20,000 top prize. Thanks to all members of the club and the local community who collected stamps for Skerries Harps and to all the staff in Lidl Balbriggan who have been so helpful throughout the whole pandemic. The funding will have a huge impact on developing our grass roots players and helping to encourage local girls to join our great club.”
Lyndsey Davey, multiple All-Ireland and All-Star winning Dublin and Skerries Harps Player said: “It has been heart-warming to see the whole community get behind Skerries Harps over the last couple of months and this is a great reward for all the effort that went in. The club has come a long way since I started out playing as a child and the future looks even brighter thanks to this wonderful investment from Lidl.”
Trevor Dawson, Store Manager of local store, Lidl Balbriggan said: “We are delighted to award Skerries Harps with €20,000 in funding. It’s been incredible to see the community really get behind the club to raise some much-needed funds at grassroots level, and in doing so raising awareness for women in sport as well as helping to encourage young girls to get involved in sport from a very early age.”
The announcement comes as the Lidl National Football Leagues are set to get underway on 23rd May.
Since 2016, Lidl has invested more than €5 million into the partnership with the Ladies Gaelic Football Association and during this time, ladies football players across the country have noticed significant changes in how the game is perceived thanks to the support of the retailer. According to research carried out on behalf of Lidl Ireland in 20201, 85% of LGFA female members recognise the uplift in support over the last four years, specifically in the media and among the general public. The research also found that 51% of females claim that they are currently participating in sport, an increase from 2017.