WATCH: Limerick's People's Park to host kickabout on Fathers Day
LIMERICK's People's Park will be hosting a soccer kickabout tomorrow morning to mark Fathers Day.
The volunteer-run movement Jumpers for Goalposts (J4G) has teamed up with the Limerick Mental Health Association and Mental Health Ireland for the day of events, which are also taking place in Ballybrack, Letterkenny and Galway.
It all kicks off at 11 o'clock tomorrow morning.
Established in 2019, J4G encourages men of different ages, ethnicities, backgrounds and abilities to come together for an old-fashioned game of football using ‘jumpers for goalposts’.
Keith set up a casual Sunday morning game of football in his native Ballybrack, in a bid to recreate experiences from his youth when large groups would throw down their jumpers to make goal posts and spend the day playing football together.
The movement grew fast. Men of all ages responded to the call to come together, have a laugh and enjoy a bit of fresh air and community spirit, without taking themselves too seriously. The main thing was keeping it light-hearted, inclusive, non-competitive, and enjoyable for all.
As part of efforts to get back out and about after lockdown restrictions, J4G linked up with Mental Health Ireland in the hope the initiative reaches men who might not get the support they need.
The chief executive of Mental Health Ireland Martin Rogan said: "In the area of mental health, it’s a conversation people are having much more comfortably now. Except one of the audiences, we haven’t been able to reach easily is men. The essence of good mental health is enjoying yourself, being out with a few mates, having good fun - not too complicated, not too heavy. And J4G is ideal for that”.