BoxUp arrives in Dodder Valley and Beechfield Parks

SOUTH Dublin County Sports Partnership has partnered up with Active Cities Dublin project to introduce BoxUp to Dodder Valley Park and Beechfield Park.

These storage lockers contain a mix of sports and leisure equipment for example, rounders, basketball, spikeball, tennis, and fitness equipment, and can be accessed for free using the BoxUp app.

Darragh Conway, the local Active Cities Officer explains “you just need to download the free BoxUp app on your smartphone, and create your account using photo ID. There are no credit card or bank details required. Just select on the app the equipment you want to use, and the locker will open. When you are finished your activity, simply place the equipment back in the locker and upload a picture to the app confirming you’ve returned it”.

This collaborative initiative is being developed across Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Galway as part of the Active Cities project and aims to expand the opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to lead healthier lifestyles through increased access to free sport and leisure equipment. Dodder Valley Park and Beechfield Park were chosen for the initial pilot of these lockers, as they complement the new and upgraded facilities in both Parks.

Sport Ireland Director of Participation, Louise Burke said,

“Sport Ireland is delighted to see the launch of BoxUp in South Dublin today.

“The Active Cities project is funded through the Dormant Accounts Fund, which aims to engage communities across the country by supporting those who are educationally, socially, or economically disadvantaged or those who have a disability to become more active. It’s great to see this new innovative solution for the public that is free which aims to reduce the barriers to participation in physical activity, increase access and enhance the choice and opportunities available for all to take part”.

Councillor Yvonne Collins, Deputy Mayor, South Dublin County Council commented “We are delighted to welcome BoxUp to South Dublin. BoxUp provides lockers in parks across Dublin containing free sports equipment, like tennis racquets, basketballs and footballs to encourage everyone to be more active in our parks. These lockers complement the installations already in place and offer park users an opportunity to try new activities as well”.

Mary Corry, National Active Cities Officer said “it’s exciting to see the initial uptake, with over 150 users and over 400 uses of equipment across both Parks in recent weeks.

“This is a fantastic start in South Dublin, and I’d encourage all local residents or visitors to the area, to download the free BoxUp app and using photo ID, create their account, so that they can enjoy using this free equipment in their local parks”.

For more information on the Active Cities project, please visit HERE.

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