COMMUNITY AWARD
The 2019 Muintir na Tire Pride In Our Community Awards took place in the Oriel House Hotel last week. Ballincollig was the proud winner of the Eco Friendly Category.
The Award was given for Ballincollig’s Pollinator Corridor which included the Poulavone Roundabout, the new Transition Stone bed and all the Pollinator Friendly planting that Schools, Residents, Residents Associations and Businesses undertook.
SO MANY REASONS TO BE PROUD OF OUR YOUTH
In September Ballincollig Tidy Towns was approached by Scoil Barra 6th Class Students offering to do something to assist them. They said they would carry out Litter Picks on the paths in the Regional Park and in the Car Park as they are close to the school. Since then, every week the 6th Class Students have been carrying out Litter Picks. It is wonderful to see that these young children care so much about their community. We appreciate the work they do and commend them for their efforts.
Ballincollig Tidy Towns has a wonderful relationship with the youth of the community. From several Transition Year students who join the Volunteers for the weekly Litter Pick, to the youngsters who have been accompanying their parents on a Sunday for many years, the younger members of Ballincollig show a huge pride for the place in which they live.
Green-Schools is the Irish branch of an International Environmental Education Programme and Award Scheme known as Eco-Schools. It is designed to raise students’ awareness of environmental and sustainable development issues through classroom study. Green-Schools is run by An Taisce, in conjunction with local authorities. The scheme offers a way to take environmental issues from the curriculum and apply them to the day-to-day running of the school, for example reduce litter, waste and fuel bills. This process helps students to recognise the importance of environmental issues and take them more seriously in their personal and home lives.
The Green-Schools award is given to schools that successfully complete the programme. A Green-Schools award is in the form of a Green Flag that can be flown outside the school or displayed in a foyer. Award winners also receive a certificate, a logo to display on headed notepaper and other publicity material. htttps://greenschoolsireland.org/
Scoil Eoin was awarded their 8th Green Flag in October.
Flags awarded so far to the Ballincollig Schools – Gaelscoil Uí Ríordáin (1) Gaelscoil An Chaisleain (1) Scoil Eoin(8) Scoil Barra(6) Scoil Mhuire(4)
Both Primary and Secondary Schools in Ballincollig are involved in promoting Biodiversity and Sustainability.
Ballincollig’s six National Schools take part in Rolla na hEin. This project is our own initiative encouraging National School pupils to feed, identify, record and report the species and numbers of birds visiting their particular school. This initiative was a collaboration between Cork County Council, Ballincollig Tidy Towns, local schools and local business Maxi Zoo.
Gaelscoil Ui Riordain will be working on a TV programme for TG4 in the coming months and Ballincollig Tidy Towns looks forward to being involved alongside them.
CE/TUS WORK GROUP
During the past week, the Work Group was busy removing the flowers from the planters and the poles as they were past their best. They were also preparing the winter planting to be put out in the coming weeks, When the planters came down they were washed, disinfected, re-taped and stored ready for next year.
Along with the usual jobs of clearing, cutting and tidying several areas around Ballincollig the group made sure collected leaves were put in the compost bays in the Allotment.
GOLD MEDAL 2019 WINNER SIGN
The sign showing our 2019 Gold Medal Win has been sorted compliments of Ballincollig Local Area Engineers Office Cork City Council.
SUNDAY LITTER PICK
On Sunday last there were twenty five Volunteers and ten Transition Year students out for the weekly Litter Pick. All the usual areas were covered. Twenty six bags of general waste were collected also one bag of cans and one bags of glass. Thirteen bags of leaves were also collected.
During the week, a number of Volunteers carried out Litter Picks along the Main Street in Ballincollig and collected some bags of waste together with recyclable items.
ESTATES RESULTS
If any Estates wish to have their individual results from our Estates Competition email info@ballincolligtidytowns.ie
WEBSITE
The Ballincollig Tidy Towns website https://www.ballincolligtidytowns.ie has recently received some great photos for the Ballincollig Past page. If anyone would like to add to these we would love to receive them. You can bring them to the coffee/tea meeting after the weekly Litter Pick and Tom Butler will copy them and return them without delay.
Check out the latest blog MORE ON OUR BIODIVERSITY INFORMATION SERIES. All-Ireland Pollinator Plan co-founder and Project Coordinator, Dr Úna FitzPatrick explains how she welcomes the wild bees that visit her garden. Read her article Bumblebees are good for you.
Keep up to date on all that is happening in Ballincollig Tidy Towns by visiting our website https://www.ballincolligtidytowns.ie
COME JOIN OUR WEEKLY LITTER PICK ANY SUNDAY AT 11 AM IN QUISH’S SUPERVALU CAR PARK.
WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR NEW VOLUNTEERS
