CAIRN ANNOUNCES TITLE SPONSORSHIP AND €3 MILLION INVESTMENT IN ICONIC COMMUNITY GAMES

Cairn Homes plc (“Cairn”), Ireland’s largest home and community builder, is today proud to announce a four-year official partnership and €3 million investment in Community Games, reinforcing the company’s commitment to creating and supporting vibrant, sustainable communities and to playing its part in supporting a thriving Ireland.
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Community Games is at the heart of communities in Ireland. It provides up to 160,000* young people who take part in the annual games, aged between 6 and 16 years, with the opportunity to develop active and healthy lives in a safe environment through sporting and cultural activities. This ensures there is something for everyone no matter their interest, ability, or talent.

Over the course of the four-year partnership, Cairn commits to increasing overall participation in Community Games by 10%. Working with Community Games, Cairn commits to delivering a support programme that enhances the competition and drives participation and awareness.
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Showcasing the importance and prevalence of Community Games in Ireland, a recent survey* found that 1 in 4 people have taken part in Community Games and 1 in 8 people surveyed claimed to have volunteered. Community Games also has a very proud history of participants with some of the most famous and recognised sportspeople, actors and musicians taking part in Community Games including Saoirse Ronan, Niall Horan, Colin Farrell and Sonia O’Sullivan to name but a few.

The recent research* also found that 90% of respondents were positively disposed towards Community Games which included a strong association with bringing communities together. Increasing awareness of Cairn Community Games nationally, and amongst diverse audience groups, will also be a key focus of the partnership, in line with Cairn’s commitment for creating vibrant communities where people thrive. The support programme will include investment in national and local awareness; volunteering Cairn employees’ time across the four-year partnership and various youth development programmes.

The partnership will also see Cairn work with Community Games to revive and promote the Culture Corner category to showcase and attract diverse cultures and talents, as well as reviewing and implementing new categories to recognise diverse and emerging talents of children in Ireland.
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Volunteers are central to the work of Community Games and Cairn will celebrate their role through annual awards, as well as providing support and training to volunteers throughout the year. 

Speaking about the new partnership between Cairn and Community Games, Michael Stanley, Chief Executive Officer of Cairn said: “We are proud that over 20,000 people now live in the 7,500 Cairn homes we have built to date. Our momentum will deliver another 2,200 homes this year. It is therefore entirely in line with our commitment to build thriving communities, that we are investing in and supporting Cairn Community Games.”
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“We’re an ideal match. My colleagues and I look forward to working closely with Community Games’ team, the 10,000 volunteers who make the Games happen and, most importantly, the thousands of young people who participate. We will work hard to further increase and broaden participation across all activities over the coming years, so that Cairn Community Games continues to be reflective of the youth of Ireland. We look forward to working with Community Games to build on the lasting legacy and positive impact it has on the people of Ireland since 1967.”

Gerry McGuinness, National President of Cairn Community Games said: “We are delighted to announce this significant investment and sponsorship from Cairn which will undoubtedly take Cairn Community Games from strength to strength. In so many respects this is a unique organisation rooted in the commitment and energy of volunteers in so many communities and the enthusiastic participation of young people in a wide range of sporting and cultural activities.”
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“Given Cairn’s established track record of building communities, our new partnership couldn’t be more apt. We look forward to working with Cairn to attract and engage even more participants from all backgrounds, to enjoy what the Games delivers, year after year”     

David Hoysted, Chief Executive of Cairn Community Games added: "I am thrilled to extend a warm welcome to our title sponsor , Cairn Homes. Their commitment to the development of sustainable communities where people thrive aligns perfectly with our mission, where community spirit and co-operation is fostered and encouraged.

Together, we’ll drive positive change and empower communities to thrive and enable us to innovate and expand our reach.  Here’s to a fruitful partnership built on trust, collaboration, and a shared commitment to making a difference. Welcome aboard!"

Grainne O'Shea, Sponsorship and Marketing Manager, Cairn Commmunity Games said: "​From our first discussions with Cairn, the alignment of values and focus for both parties was very evident which is a fundamental part of any partnership and was of the upmost importance to us as an organisation embedded in Irish culture and way of life. 
 
The Cairn sponsorship is going to provide Community Games with  exceptional exposure, resources and activations so I am very excited for what the future has to hold for all of our children, communities and volunteers and I look forward to working closely with Cairn and their teams in the future."

¹ About Research
Research was conducted by Opinions in October 2023 with a short survey among 1,000 Irish people in the monthly omnibus to gauge awareness, participation, associations and perceptions of the Irish organisation Community Games.