Feeding Ourselves local food symposium in Trinity College Dublin.

Network puts focus on nutritious seasonal food for people and planet – The Irish Times

Pictured above: Sophie Matabaro, Dr Anne-Marie Glynn, Martina Mullin, Prof Jane Stout, Prof Catherine Darker, Doireann McConnell, Kieran Lewis and Jo Harney.

Developed through an extensive democratic consultation with Irish and international partners, the Framework calls for health and wellbeing to be woven through every aspect of university life: governance, campus design, teaching and learning, research, community partnerships and institutional culture. Its priorities align with global movements such as the Okanagan Charter and national efforts to strengthen the Higher Education Authority (HEA) Healthy Campus Charter and Framework across Irish higher education.

Trinity played a central role in shaping the Framework through the contribution of Professor Catherine Darker, who served on the international Charter Renewal Committee. A long-standing leader in the Healthy Campus movement, Professor Darker was the inaugural Academic Chair of Healthy Trinity and is the Principal Investigator for the HEA’s Healthy Campus Self-Evaluation Tool, which provides institutions nationwide with a structured model for assessing and improving health-promoting practice. Her expertise in implementation science and population health helped ensure the Framework is both visionary and practical, offering institutions a clear pathway from aspiration to sustainable action.

This contribution is significant because it continues Trinity’s leadership in the Healthy Campus movement. Trinity was an early adopter of Healthy Campus principles and is a national leader in conceptualising how higher education institutions can systematically enhance health, equity and wellbeing. The Limerick Framework builds on momentum created by the HEA Healthy Campus movement and gives the sector a coherent structure that strengthens alignment supports shared standards globally, and encourages institutions to take coordinated, measurable action.

Reflecting on the launch, Professor Darker said:

 “The development of the Framework has been over a year in the making. It has been a truly democratic process, with formal engagement from the national and global Healthy Campus community. The Framework aims to improve mental-health supports, strengthen environments that promote active living, build inclusion and belonging, and ensure that institutional decision-making reflects dignity and respect. Over time, this will help create campuses that are healthier, more equitable and more resilient.”

Martina Mullin, Healthy Campus Manager, noted the significance for Trinity:

“What’s exciting about this Framework is its clear focus on action. Trinity students and staff want urgent and effective action on the concurrent nature, climate and health crises. The development of this Framework has built a global momentum that motivates Healthy Trinity partners already delivering programmatic and settings-based health promotion in Trinity, to come together as a network and move upstream to play our part in delivering the systems change required for Healthy Planet and Healthy People”

The launch marks an important milestone for Trinity and the wider sector as Higher Education Institutions strengthens its coordinated national approach to wellbeing—one grounded in evidence, equity and collective action.

Further Reading:

Limerick Framework for Action 

Okanagan Charter

Higher Education Authority (HEA) Healthy Campus Charter and Framework

Healthy Campus Self-Evaluation Tool