The Aura Holohan Group and Irish Wheelchair Association announced their strategic partnership this morning where both companies agreed to a 3-year plan to improve accessibility to employment and facilities in Irish Sport & Leisure Centres. The partnership will be working on several exciting projects which will change the health and fitness landscape for people with disabilities.

Gar Holohan, Company Chairman of the Aura Holohan Group which operates over 15 gyms and leisure centres around the country said that ‘while we have come a long way with improving accessibility in our gyms and leisure centres since winning the o2 ability award and implementing the Cara initiatives, we still have more to do to be truly inclusive . We are looking forward to implementing our partnership strategy with the IWA and we want to lead by example and help other businesses in the industry understand the value of all people with disabilities as both customers and employees. It makes business sense!

Sarah Joyce, Head of Fundraising with Irish Wheelchair Association said today that “Irish Wheelchair Association are very excited to partner with Aura Holohan Group for the next three years to build awareness and raise funds around physical disability.  We believe that individuals with physical disabilities deserve the same opportunities to be included as equal and active participants in the  communities in which they live, and we believe working with Aura Holohan Group is a very positive step in achieving this belief. 

This year, Irish Wheelchair Association celebrates its 60th anniversary. For 60 years, the IWA have been providing support and opportunities for people with physical disabilities and offering vital services through their 57 community centres nationwide. Some of the work that IWA support includes encouraging participation in sport through their 26 sports clubs, providing 1.3 million hours of Assisted Living Services to 2,246 adults and children, and connecting people with their communities through their fleet of 119 accessible buses.

A key message that is often misunderstood is that the IWA does not just support people with disabilities in wheelchairs, but all physical disabilities. The organisation needs to raise over €2.5 million every year in order to deliver services to its 20,000 members.

The Group, which operates 10 Aura Leisure Centres, 4 Anytime Fitness Clubs, DKIT Sport and Holohan Consultants (Leisure Consultancy & Events in Dublin) has committed all its annual fundraising efforts to support the organisations work. The group will fundraise, increase awareness and engage with employees and communities across the country in a bid to raise vital funds for the IWA.

One of the first exciting projects the Aura Holohan Group and Irish Wheelchair Association will be working on together to raise awareness is a health and fitness industry specific wheelchair basketball event. Both organisations are asking companies and leaders from the health and fitness industry to compete against each other in Wheelchair Basketball fundraiser which is a unique opportunity to take part in a paralympic sport experience.  Competition will be fierce so watch this space for more details and don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity.

Check out their social media accounts to keep an eye out for this and other events!

@auraleisure

@anytimefitnessirl

@dkitsport

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Aura Holohan Group – Who We Are:

For over 20 years, the Aura Holohan Group has raised industry standards in sport & leisure facility management, architecture, consultancy and event management in Ireland. The group has won prestigious national awards in the areas of Health and Safety, Human Resources, Energy Management, Disability Services, Quality and Event Management.

The group operates an extensive range of private gyms and public leisure centres. The Aura Leisure centres are accessible to the entire community on a pay as you go and/or membership basis. Aura  also operates the hugely successful Aura Swim Academy which is a market leader in providing swimming lessons for children and adults with an average of 11,000 children attending lessons each week.

The brands within our Group include, Aura Leisure (10 Centres nationwide), Anytime Fitness (3 Clubs in Dublin and 1 in Cork), DKIT Sport (Dundalk) and Holohan Consultants (Leisure Consultancy & Events in Dublin).

Aura’s MISSION is to ‘To Improve the Health and Wellbeing of Our Communities Through Exercise, Sport and Active Lifestyles’ and our VISION is to create ‘A Healthier and Happier Ireland’. We want to educate, motivate and support our members and the communities in which we operate.

Irish Wheelchair Association – Who We Are:

Irish Wheelchair Association (IWA) is Ireland’s leading representative organisation and service provider for people with physical disabilities.

IWA advocate for the needs of people with physical disabilities and provide services and support to over 20,000 members in their homes and communities throughout Ireland every year.

Everything IWA’s does is driven by its vision of an Ireland where people with disabilities can enjoy equal rights, choices and opportunities and live their lives independently.

For more press information or opportunities please contact:

Niamh Holohan – Group Communication and Event Manager

Tel: 01 4978988

Email: niamh@holohan.ie

IWA

Megan Fitzsimons – Communications Department

Tel: 0858035278

Email: Megan.Fitzsimons@iwa.ie