Club health talk puts attention on addiction issues
THE Castletown Liam Mellows GAA club held an informative and educational talk in the Ashdown Park Hotel based around the issue of addiction - in all its forms.
The ‘Behind the Jersey’ initiative was organised by the club’s Healthy Club and attracted over 100 people to the hotel.
There they got to hear an inspired talk from former Offaly inter-county footballer Niall McNamee who spoke in detail about his own personal journey from gambling addiction to the road to recovery.
He highlighted that in most cases the problem begins with small amounts and quickly spirals out of control.
One of the key messages that emanated from the talk was the fact that addiction, and in particular gambling addiction, is not age-specific and can affect people young and old.
Dr. Sandra Clare performed the role of MC on the night and she highlighted the work of the Healthy Club committee.
She presented some stark statistics relating to gambling among young players.
Another guest speaker at the event was Colin Smith who spoke about the subconscious mind and how people need to believe in themselves.
Mr Smith highlighted the importance of good nutrition and also focussed attention on some important nutrients that people need to perform at their best in both mind and body.
The organisers were delighted with the response on the night and with the turnout.
In thanking the speakers and those who went along to the event a spokesperson for the club commented: ‘As a committee we love to get feedback on our events and welcome any new ideas to help make our club a healthier, happier and safer place for all.’