LGFA
The under 13s and Minors of the Ballincollig LGFA have been carrying out weekly litter picks over the past number of weeks. Their hard work has meant that the litter in the areas they were concentrating on has decreased so much that they are looking to extend the area to litter pick.
They show great community spirit and Ballincollig Tidy Towns appreciates their efforts.

 

EWWWWWWW
You can be sure that the manufacturers of these disposable nappies meant for them to be disposed of in a proper manner and not dumped in bags in the middle of a busy Barry’s Road.
What a shame when the community is doing its utmost to keep the town looking its best. A thoughtless dirty act. Have we not enough to contend with trying to stop the spread of Covid. These people fail to show concern for spreading infection through their soiled nappies.

 

LITTER PICKS
Although we had less people out on Sunday morning for the weekly litter pick than we have had over the past number of weeks, we were very impressed with the Transition Year student turn out of 8. Despite the lower number of 15 Volunteers, we did manage to cover a large area as everyone worked really hard.
The usual litter picks were carried out during the week by several Volunteers and the litter collected when combined with Sunday’s litter gave 4 bags of plastic, a crate of glass and 3 bags of cans.

 

A WELCOME RETURN
Tuesday afternoon saw the very welcome return of the first group of VMWare Volunteers to the streets.
Five Volunteers spent two hours working on our biodiversity area and also on the DCs for Bees Orchard.
We look forward to several groups assisting us with various projects over the coming months and thank them for their community spirit.

 

 

MC DONALDS ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP
To reward those who bin their litter –
McDonald’s Ireland has launched a new partnership with LitterLotto, a prize draw app that encourages individuals to bin litter by rewarding them.
This collaboration is part of the brand’s long-term commitment to reducing litter across the country.
How it works:
Once the LitterLotto app is downloaded, it’s a very easy and straightforward process.
Those taking part only need to capture a photo of themselves binning their litter and upload their image onto the app.
Each time litter is binned, an entry is sent into the LitterLotto app, allowing users to be in with a chance to win spot prizes. Those taking part will also be able to boost their chances of winning by inviting their contacts to join the app too.
This month to celebrate the launch of LitterLotto, there will be a special jackpot prize of €10,000 – which people can enter for free.
Louise Page, McDonald’s Head of Partnerships said: “We are very excited to be partnering with LitterLotto here in Ireland and work together to help further incentivise people to take pride in their local community and bin rubbish responsibly.
“It is also very exciting to give people the opportunity to also win some amazing monetary and spot prizes all while making positive change in their community”.
This partnership comes in an effort to tidy up communities across Ireland, especially those which have been affected by increased littering.
Research conducted by The Irish Business Against Litter organisation found that litter in the country’s main cities has now reached a level not seen in ten years, with many urban areas ranking worse than they did in last year’s rankings.
Chief Marketing Officer at LitterLotto Simon Jacobs said: “We’re absolutely delira and excira to be launching LitterLotto in the Republic of Ireland with our exclusive partners, McDonald’s!
“We’ll be working together to incentivise people to bin their litter responsibly and experience the joy of winning prizes through the LitterLotto app.
“By working together, we’re certain we’ll be able to achieve our ultimate goal of reducing litter, protecting wildlife and clearing our rivers and oceans of waste material – and making more waste available for recycling. So, download LitterLotto now, you’ve got to Bin It To Win It!”
McDonalds will also be organizing litter picks on leeside this week.
(article courtesy of Shane Donovan of Cork Beo)

 

 

FREE ONLINE SUSTAINABLE GARDENING COURSE
Cork City Council’s Community, Culture & Placemaking Directorate is delighted to offer a FREE online Sustainable Gardening Course. This is being offered to people living in the Cork City area. The course, which is suitable for both beginners and more advanced gardeners, will be delivered by horticulturist Aoife Munn.  
This course will be of particular interest to Tidy Towns groups, Allotment Holders, Green Schools Coordinators and those wishing to reduce their impact on the planet.
The topics covered will include – reducing waste, creating wildflower areas, growing vegetables, pollinator planting and much more. The course is interactive and people will also get the chance to make their own biodegradable pots and take cuttings.
This online course will be held on Tuesday mornings from 10 to 11 each week. Please sign up only if you are available on all these dates as it is not recorded.
  • Tuesday 26th of April
  • Tuesday 3rd of May
  • Tuesday 10th of May
  • Tuesday 17th of May and
  • Tuesday 24th of May
Only individuals and groups based in the Cork City area are eligible for this course. All information supplied when booking will be shared with Aoife Munn and Cork City Council for the purposes of administering and running the course.
Numbers are limited and will be allocated on a first come first served basis.  Register online at:
https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/sustainable-gardening-course-sponsored-by-cork-city-council-registration-289634092367

 

OUR RURAL FUTURE
Minister Humphreys has launched a €15 million Fund to support Outdoor Adventure Activities
  • Outdoor Recreation and Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) to provide major boost to rural tourism
  • €15 million fund to develop Ireland’s mountains, lakes, beaches, bogs, forest walks, blueways, greenways and bridleways
  • Focus on supporting adventure activities such as hiking, mountaineering, kayaking, swimming and cycling
  • Funded in partnership with Fáilte Ireland Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, has launched a major €15 million fund that will support dozens of outdoor adventure projects across the country.
The 2022 Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) will see the development of natural amenities such as our mountains, lakes, beaches, bogs, walkways, greenways and blueways.
The Scheme, which saw its funding increased by Minister Humphreys as part of the Budget, will place a particular focus on developing adventure tourism in Rural Ireland. It will support activities such as hiking, mountaineering, kayaking, swimming and cycling, which were especially popular among families throughout the Pandemic. The projects that will be supported under ORIS are designed to benefit the health and Wellbeing of the communities in which they are located.
Launching the 2022 scheme Minister Humphreys said she was delighted to announce the launch of the 2022 Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme. The Scheme, to date, has provided funding of over €87 million for more than 1,200 projects nationwide. The facilities and amenities funded under this Scheme represent a tremendous long-term asset for rural communities and visitors alike and are clear examples of the impact that “Our Rural Future” is having across Ireland. That is the reason she has allocated €15 million to the Scheme. It is part of the biggest ever financial support package for Rural Ireland which she secured in Budget 2022.
The 2022 scheme will provide investment ranging from €30,000 for small scale projects up to €500,000 for large scale projects. This is an increase on last year’s scheme, which provided funding ranging from €20,000.
The Scheme is funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development in partnership with Fáilte Ireland and project applications will be accepted under the following Measures:
  • Measure 1 for small scale projects requiring funding of up to €30,000,
  • Measure 2 for medium scale projects with funding of up to €200,000,
  • Measure 3 for large scale projects seeking funding of up to €500,000, and
  • Project Development Measure funding of up to €50,000 for development costs for strategic large-scale projects.
Those interested in applying for any of the above measures, can do so by contacting their Local Authority or Local Development Company who will be happy to assist them further. Information can be obtained by contacting oris@drcd.gov.ie
ALONE – FREE DIGITAL SKILLS TRAINING
Vodafone is working in partnership with the charity ALONE to provide digital skills training workshops for organisations that work with older people. The workshops’ focus will be to help older people get online.
Active Retirement Ireland and ALONE have partnered with Vodafone Ireland Foundation to deliver a new nationwide 5-year digital skills training programme for older people. This programme is called Hi Digital.
It has been developed to help bridge the digital divide by offering free digital skills training to older people and also upskilling the organisations that support them. The Plan aims to train 230,000 older people.
The programme consists of three different strands:
Online learning
A new FREE online learning platform has been created at hidigital.ie Older people can go online and begin learning basic digital skills.
Modules covered include:
  • Introduction (what the internet is and what you can do)
  • Using my smartphone
  • Connecting with others (email, social media, WhatsApp)
  • Entertainment and Shopping Online
  • Hobbies and Travel
In-person group classes –
In-person digital skills classes for older people across the country will be run by Active Retirement Ireland.
To sign up or for more information, please visit www.activeirl.ie/hidigital or call 1800 20 30 30.
Digital Champion workshops –
ALONE will train individuals from organisations that support older people to become Digital Champions through online and in-person workshops. More information is available by visiting; www.alone.ie

 

 

SUSTAINABLE ENERGY COMMUNITIES AND TIDY TOWNS
The SEAI Sustainable Energy Communities (SEC) programme aims to support communities in developing both energy management skills and knowledge in order to save energy across all sectors.
A key part of this programme is the SEC Network, established by SEAI in 2015, to support a national movement of SECs. The Network is now operating in every part of the country with more than 600 SECs established nationwide, spread throughout every county in the country.
An SEC may also choose to apply for dedicated funding (€10,000, €15,000 or exceptionally €20,000, depending on size) to develop their Community Energy Master Plan (a baseline of all energy usage in the community) and set energy objectives through a ranked list of energy reduction projects.
An energy project requires an informed approach, commitment and time. Working together as a community means a shared workload, better value for money, and a bigger impact.
Groups of people come together to improve how energy is used for the benefit of their community. They look at how energy can be used in a sustainable, holistic way. Energy communities often look at projects in homes, transport and local businesses. They also look at community buildings like schools, community centres, and sports facilities.
In the transition to being more carbon neutral many Tidy Towns groups have chosen to join the SEC Network as a practical way to reduce energy. This is also relevant to the category ‘Sustainability – doing more with less’ in the Tidy Towns Competition.
SECs have common goals:
Use less energy – Energy efficiency is the cheapest and most straightforward way for a community to become more sustainable. Most communities have buildings with old or outdated insulation, lighting or heating systems.
Use clean energy – Where possible switching from fossil fuels to renewable is the next step. This can be done by way of renewable heating systems, changing energy suppliers, or generating energy.
Use smart energy – Technology gives us more control over how we heat homes, drive cars, or light buildings. Where suitable, communities can use these technologies to complement other actions.
Consider the feasibility of community owned renewable energy production resources.
Register with SEAI –
Join the Sustainable Energy Community network, at present numbering 620 throughout Ireland. This allows access to the supports available through SEAI. Learn more about joining the Sustainable Energy Network by clicking on the link:
https://www.seai.ie/community-energy/sustainable-energy-communities/join-thesustainable-ener/
 
REMINDER