Mayo Local Sports Plan
placescape was commissioned by Mayo County Council to develop a new five-year Local Sports Plan for the County, providing a shared strategic framework for increasing participation and maximising the positive physical, mental and social benefits of sport and physical activity for people across Mayo.
Working closely with Mayo Sports Partnership, we combined strategic research and analysis with extensive public and stakeholder engagement, ensuring the priorities and actions were firmly grounded in the experiences, needs and ambitions of people and communities across Mayo.
-
Mayo County Council
-
August 2025 - June 2026
Aligning with Ireland’s National Sports Policy and wider national priorities for increasing participation in sport and physical activity, this project explored not only how more people could become active, but the wider conditions required to make this possible e.g. from accessible spaces and facilities to stronger partnerships, leadership, communication and community capacity.
Delivered through our ‘Shaping’ strand, the final Local Sports Plan established a clear shared ambition for sport and physical activity across Mayo, supported by three strategic themes, defined outcomes and a practical programme of collaborative actions for Mayo County Council, Mayo Sports Partnership and their partners.
-
Strategic review of sports development, participation, provision and policy
County-wide community and stakeholder engagement
Four public workshops and five targeted focus groups
Three public, youth and sports-sector surveys generating approximately 1,500 responses
Findings, prioritisation and strategic development workshops
Development of five-year Mayo Local Sports Plan
Implementation and impact measurement framework
-
Clear county-wide vision and strategy for sport and physical activity
Stronger understanding of participation needs, barriers and inequalities across Mayo
Clearer connections between people, communities, facilities and opportunities
Stronger framework for collaboration across Mayo County Council, Mayo Sports Partnership and wider partners
Practical actions and measures to guide implementation and track future progress