Active Disability Ireland and Athletics Ireland are delighted to launch the pilot of the new iMoveTo programme. The inclusive physical activity programme will be delivered through disability day services across Ireland engaged with the Active Healthy Me programme, to encourage people of all abilities to engage in exercise that feels comfortable and achievable.
The eight week pilot programme is built around the principle of “participate in a way that works for you,” offering two pathway options to suit the participants’ personal goals. The ‘Get Going‘ pathway will guide participants towards walking, running or rolling up to 2km, while ‘Keep Going‘ is designed for those ready to progress towards 5km. Both programmes focus on participation, enjoyment and personal achievement rather than competition, with the ultimate goal of improving your overall health while celebrating your progress along the way.
Developed as an adapted version of Athletics Ireland’s iRun programme, iMoveTo recognises that becoming physically active can feel daunting. The programme provides participants with an accessible programme booklet, which includes goal-setting tools, structured training plans, and opportunities to track and record progress. The initiative aims to foster positive habits and attitudes towards physical activity that can last a lifetime.
Accessibility has been central to the programme’s design. Participants can choose the pace and level that feels right for them, use mobility aids or adaptive equipment where required, and take part with the support of staff, family members or friends.
The pilot marks an important step in creating more inclusive opportunities for people with disabilities to engage in physical activity. Feedback gathered throughout the pilot will help shape the future development of iMoveTo before a wider national rollout.
Rachel Ormrod, Director of Participation at Athletics Ireland shared:
Athletics Ireland is delighted to partner with Active Disability Ireland on the launch of the iMoveTo programme. Athletics Ireland believe that everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of athletics and physical activity in a way that is accessible, enjoyable, and meaningful to them. By building on the success of our iRun programme, we hope to support more people with disabilities to develop confidence, establish lifelong active habits, and celebrate their achievements along the way. The pilot will provide valuable insights that will help shape the future of iMoveTo, and we are excited to collaborate with Active Disability Ireland, service providers and participants to grow the programme and increase opportunities for inclusive participation.
Natasha Kelly, Active Healthy Me Programme Lead at Active Disability Ireland added:
Active Disability Ireland are delighted to launch the pilot of the iMoveto Programme in collaboration with Athletics Ireland. The programme focused on supporting people with disabilities to become more active, build confidence, and most importantly, find enjoyment in movement. As this is our pilot year, we are really looking forward to working closely with service users and staff, learning from their experiences and feedback, and co-creating the programme together.
We hope this pilot will help us further develop and strengthen iMoveTo for 2027, while celebrating the progress, achievements and enjoyment that participants experience along the way.
Pilot phase and looking ahead to 2027
The pilot phase will be rolled out to 20 participating day services, with provision of structured training plans, resources to track progress and celebrate the completion of the programme with a finale event. We look forward to collaborating with service users and staff to co-create a strong programme which will be available to our Active Healthy Me network in 2027.