Gaisce launch ‘Gaisce at Home’ during the COVID-19 pandemic

Gaisce at Home is a great way to stay active, improve a skill and help in your community while maintaining social distancing

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As many young people now find themselves at home during the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic, Gaisce have launched ‘Gaisce At Home’ or ‘Gaisce Sa Bhaile’. Gaisce or ‘great achievement’ is a self-development programme for young people between the ages of 15-25 and has been in existence since 1985.

Doing Gaisce is a great way to stay active, improve a skill and help in your community, with Gaisce at Home you can still do all of this while maintaining social distancing. The change in the programme means you can think up a skill or physical activity you can do at home, and your community action can be at home or ‘from home’ too. 

Ask family members for ideas on what you can do for an hour a week in the various challenges at home. If you’re already registered for Gaisce, you may need to change the activities you’ve been doing to ones that are possible to do in or from home.

How to take up Gaisce At Home?

If you want to start a Gaisce Award you will need a President’s Award Leader (PAL). If you don’t have a PAL please email [email protected] and they will organise one for you.

Already doing Gaisce and need to change activities?

If you have already chosen your activities in Community Involvement, Physical Recreation or Personal skill  and they are not possible to be undertaken during the social distancing period, you may choose an alternative activity that they can do from home.

Seeking Approval from PALs

Where possible you should seek approval from your President’s Award Leader (PAL) for any activity changes to ensure consistent guidance during this time. However, if that is not possible, Gaisce have asked you keep a journal, video or audio recording as evidence of the new activity for your PAL and write it into your Record Sheet. If you’re not sure about an activity and cannot connect with you PAL, email [email protected] to check if the new activity is ok. All your previous work still counts towards your award.

Social Distancing and Parental Consent

For all your Gaisce activities, it is important to be mindful of keeping social distancing and if you are under 18, ensure you have parental consent. Keeping a social distance from your friends for any activities also applies and Gaisce has asked you do not participate in face-to-face group activities, no matter what the size. 

Above all, make sure activities are safe and have supervision where you need it. If you are under 18, Gaisce has asked you to inform your parents of all your activities and that you keep activities in and around your own home. 

Recording Activities

There is no need to change information on the Gaisce participant on-line portal, as documenting in the record sheet will be enough.  Ask your PAL to contact a Development Officer with any ideas, questions or concerns or ask any questions yourself on our social media channels by searching the handle @GaisceAward.

Gold Residential Project

For young people doing their Gold, Gaisce recommends postponing the Residential. They will issue an update on this as soon as possible.

Adventure Journey

Gaisce understands that many Adventure Journeys will be cancelled due to Covid-19. If you are in need of alternative ways to complete your Adventure Journey please see their initial statement on Covid-19. They will update this page on Adventure Journeys as soon as possible.

Spread the Word of Gaisce at Home

Let Gaisce know what you’re doing for your Award at home by using #GaisceAtHome or #GaisceSaBhaile, or by commenting and liking and sharing the ‘Gaisce at Home’ Posts. Gaisce will post some of your best ideas online. Those who like and share the ‘Gaisce at Home’ posts will be entered in a competition to win a brand new Gaisce Hoodie.

Some Ideas for #GaisceAtHome/ #GaisceSaBhaile

As a starting point, Gaisce has put together some suggestions for activities that you can do from home. They invite you to be imaginative about what you can do, so long as you’ve cleared any new activity with your PAL or the Gaisce Team. Why not ask family members or friends for suggestions?

Community Involvement:

  • If there is a project or an organisation you are already involved with offering social distancing alternatives, please reach out to them and see how you can safely maintain your involvement
  • Phoning an elderly neighbour, that you know
  • Shopping for an elderly neighbour as part of your family shop – bearing in mind social distancing (this could be done once a week)
  • Raising Awareness online for a campaign or local charity
  • Online volunteering –Irish Rural Link/ local Volunteer Centres will have ideas

Physical Recreation:

  • YouTube Yoga Class
  • Practise drills of your usual sport
  • Online general fitness videos
  • Skipping
  • Going for a walk/run (why not try mapmyrun/Strava/Fitbit)

Personal Skill:

  • Baking
  • Art/Drawing
  • Crafts
  • Playing an instrument
  • Calligraphy
  • Writing -poetry, short stories, drama, etc.
  • Knitting
  • Online Mindfulness Courses

Portfolio (Gold Only):

For those doing Gold, now may be a good time to work on your Gold Portfolio outlining what you have achieved so far on your Gaisce journey.

Ideas:

  • Introduce yourself
  • Include details and memories of you challenge areas
  • Map your adventure journey
  • Include photographs
  • Other materials from your Gaisce experience

For further information visit Gaise.ie

Our work is supported by

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Community-foundation
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