Mulligan is part of LGFA’s ‘Learn to Lead’ initiative

SURGE: Jaqui Mulligan is going to be part of the Ladies Gaelic Football Association’s ‘Learn to Lead’, a female leadership programme, for 2021-2022.

JACQUI Mulligan, the former Sligo Ladies Football team captain, is one of 24 participants in the Ladies Gaelic Football Association’s ‘Learn to Lead’ Female Leadership Programme for 2021-2022.

West Sligo native Mulligan, who captained her county in three separate spells (2004,

2010 and 2019), is one of six participants in the officiating strand of the programme.

There are six in the administration module, six in the PR/media section and six undertaking the coaching category.

The LGFA’s Learn to Lead, a unique programme that was launched in 2019, will be supported this year by Women in Sport funding through Sport Ireland.

The programme was devised to develop the next generation of female leaders within Ladies Gaelic Football and the 20 graduates from the inaugural programme were honoured in February 2020.

The 2021-2022 course will be delivered once again by experts in the fields of coaching, officiating, administration and PR/media.

There was an incredible response to the LGFA’s drive and the longlist of applicants has been whittled down to 24 – six in each of the four strands. Over the course of four days and six evenings, diverse leadership skills will be examined, with the focus firmly on developing the skillsets and techniques required to master each of the four strands.

The final list of 24 participants includes leading coaches, officials,

administrators and players representing the four provinces.

A key area in the LGFA’s Strategic Roadmap 2017-2022 is to “define a model to promote Female Leadership across the Association”.

Following the establishment of a Female Leadership Workgroup, the Learn to Lead programme came into being, as part of the overall Female Leadership strategy.

Ladies Gaelic Football Association president Marie Hickey commented: “We are incredibly proud to announce details of another ‘Learn to Lead’ Female Leadership programme.

“Our inaugural programme proved hugely successful and we were delighted to see 20 talented graduates come through.”

Hickey continued: “A fresh 12-month programme once again fulfils a key aspect of our strategic plan – and the content of the programme is of an extremely high quality, as our previous graduates will vouch for.”

“I am looking forward to following the journeys of our 24 participants – as they learn from leaders in the fields of coaching, officiating, administration and PR/media. “It is also heartening to notice the startling and rapid progress of our 2019-2020 graduates, many of whom have been making significant and noticeable impacts in their chosen fields, both at local and national levels.”

The Learn to Lead programme will commence in the coming weeks and runs until May 2022.