Tanya looking forward to role
HISTORY was made at the 47th Annual General Meeting of Aldi Community Games when Tanya Kelly from Riverstown became the first woman appointed Activities Director in the 50 years of the organisation.
The Community Games has been a huge part of Tanya’s family life for many years. She has been involved in Riverstown, county and National and her mum Ann is the County Secretary in Sligo.
Tanya’s role as Activities Director will involve organising all the National Final events for the entire country over the two weekends in the year. The National finals are now taking place in the University of Limerick for the next three years, which was also the location for the Community Games AGM.
Ironically, the first Activities Director, or as it was known then Games Director was none other than Sligo’s John McGetrick, who was elected as Hon Life Patron of the Community Games at the recent AGM too.
Tanya, who works as Head of Development with Two-Ten Health in Dublin travels around the world with her job but still manages to give her free time to Community Games.
She said she is really looking forward to the role. Tanya told the Sligo Champion: “It is a big honour. John McGetrick was the first director so there is a good connection with Sligo.
“You couldn’t ask for a better role model than John over the years he is still involved and was made patron at the AGM.
“Being Activities Director will be a huge job but there is a brilliant team there to work with and with the new venue the potential is huge to make it a success,” she added.
“There is a really good team in UL and the facilities are brilliant so the whole range of Community Games activities can be catered for.
“In terms of the National finals, all the structures are there and my remit is for two weekends in May and August. So planning is well underway but there is still plenty to do,” Tanya laughed.
“All the facilities are in place, other aspects include making sure the pitches are marked, officials ready etc.”
In terms of the Community Games, Tanya said she became involved at a very young age. “I suppose there was no getting away from it, my parents were involved in setting up the Riverstown area with others and I grew up in a house where volunteering was part of the culture.
“I competed and tried everything and that has continued over the years I still play soccer with a group of friends here in Dublin and we play every week.” She said the Riverstown is a very strong area for promoting new events and volunteering became part of her culture from a young age.
“With Community Games I have made lifelong friends and the committee in Sligo are fantastic and do brilliant work.
“It is a huge honour to be given this job as Activities Director,” she added. Surely her mum Ann was one of the proudest when Tanya took over the role at the AGM.
“If mum wasn’t as involved as she is in Community Games then I wouldn’t be as much as the extent I am,” Tanya added.
Sligo Community Games said they were absolutely thrilled to see Tanya become Activities Director and wished her all the best in her new role.