Wexford GAA are delighted to announce that Freshtoday are our new sponsors of Hurling 365. Hurling 365 commenced as an initiative in 2013 when the hurling advisory committee led by Liam Griffin and Willie Cleary devised the concept of increasing the opportunity for children to play our national game. The programme takes place outside school hours but within the school setting – either before or after school – where teachers, club coaches and Games Promotion Officers assist in coaching children from Infants up to 6th class. The project has grown from its inception and an evaluation study conducted in January 2020 found that there has been a phenomenal growth in participation with over 80% of pupils in Co Wexford participating.
Cathaoirleach of Wexford GAA, Micheál Martin, welcomed Freshtoday on board as main sponsors of Hurling 365 stating, “Freshtoday have been a longstanding corporate sponsor of Wexford GAA and we are delighted that they have taken the opportunity to partner with us to bring the Hurling 365 initiative to a new level.”
“Since the initiative started ten years ago, Hurling 365 has provided thousands of children the opportunity to start the school day with a hurl in their hand. It is driven by a combination of dedicated teachers and club volunteers who are supported by our Games Promotion Officers. The children are enabled to learn the skills of hurling and help grow a natural love and appreciation for the game. All standards are catered for, whether a new beginner or a child who has been an active club player for years.”
“This partnership with Freshtoday will add a new dynamic to the programme starting with the H365 Skill Challenges at half time in our big game against Antrim this weekend.”
Commenting on the launch of the campaign, Brian McGee, Managing Director of Freshtoday said: “We are thrilled to partner with Wexford GAA as the official sponsor of Hurling 365. When this sponsorship opportunity arose, it was something we couldn’t turn down as nutrition and sport are synonymous. Hurling is an amazing sport, with a rich history and a passionate following and we believe that it has the potential to inspire and excite young people across the region. We are looking forward to working with schools to introduce students to the sport and help them develop their skills. We hope that this campaign will continue the love of Hurling in Wexford for generations to come.”
Information about Fresh Today
Freshtoday has been a leading school lunch provider since 2010. The company was started by two local Wexford businessmen, Brian McGee & Raymond Nangle. The company was founded on the ethos of supporting local business and local suppliers, thereby supporting the local economy and employment. This could not be done without the support of local schools, parents and business community. In fact, their very first school was St Senan’s NS in Enniscorthy, where the former principal Henry Goff represented Wexford at Senior Hurling Level and holds a National League Medal from 1973.
Information about Hurling 365
- A child in Infants will receive one hurling coaching session every week for 30 weeks every school year. By the time this child has left primary school, they will receive an extra 210 coaching sessions or a minimum of 6300 minutes of activity on top of their curricular provision.
- Lessons for younger children are non-sport specific and instead focus on fundamental movement skills.
- Children are taught the discipline of coming to school early and completing exercise as a means of starting the day – 60% of the programmes are before school, commencing at 8.30am and finishing at 9.10am.
- A series of Hurling 365 Skills challenges are available at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtKG2rXx5u8pm6FrWJW_IeA and all schools will be given an opportunity to nominate pupils for Half-Time skill challenges in our upcoming Leinster Senior Championship Home games.
