What is it they say about all good things coming to an end? Or ‘as one door closes another door opens’. I’m not so sure about these sayings since the Tidy Towns movement is now into its seventh decade of the national competition and Skibbereen has entered since 1961 – if that’s not continuity I don’t know what is.
I joined the local team as a volunteer in June 2018, rolling up my sleeves on a Tuesday evening, weeding, watering, doing whatever I could wherever I was needed. In parallel, I started researching adjudicator’s reports from previous years to identify projects that might earn a few more marks in the competition in future years. That September I was privileged to attend the national competition results event in Dublin, where Skibbereen was awarded another bronze medal. Over the winter months that followed, together with my colleague, Susan, we dissected the adjudicator’s report from 2018 and earlier, identified potential grants and private funders for projects that might earn Skibbereen a silver medal and perhaps even a gold at some point in the future.
The road to gold was an interesting journey, certainly not a linear one, and is documented in these pages of newsletters, blog posts and campaigns. The journey involved extensive collaboration and cooperation on a variety of levels, and in 2023, much to our surprise, all our efforts were rewarded with the announcement of the elusive gold medal.
Reflecting on six years of volunteering with Skibbereen Tidy Towns, whenever I am asked what it is that I do, I respond that it’s not all litter picks, planting flowers and weeding. Yes, these are the images that we are familiar with when thinking about the work of Tidy Towns. However, it is so much more than that, and above all it is a community, a community that contributes positively to its local environment, and beyond, through embodiment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In recent years, the completion of the national competition entry form requests alignment of projects to the goals and is an important mapping exercise, helping us think about our projects in new ways, from SDG3 – Good Health and Well-Being through SDG12 – Responsible Consumption and Production to the better known SDGs 13, 14, and 15, Climate Action, Life below Water, and Life on Land respectively.
For me, of the 17 goals, the one that is most important is SDG17 – Partnerships for the Goals, since without partnerships across private and public sectors, individuals and organisations, there would be no Tidy Towns community. About 900 Tidy Towns groups enter the national competition each year, from Bantry to Buncrana, from Doolin to Delgany, so wherever you live, there is most likely a group with a hardworking committee that would appreciate your help, whatever your area of expertise. It might be an hour at the work evenings, or researching and writing newsletters and blog posts, liaising with local schools on projects of mutual interest, researching and writing grant applications, managing the social media communications, or a role as a committee officer. As the saying goes, ‘there is something for everyone’. Most groups have a website or social platform, so if interested, do reach out to them to see what you and the group might mutually gain from a partnership. For anyone interested in volunteering with Skibbereen Tidy Towns, please send an email advising your areas of interest to Sandra at SkibbereenTidyTowns@iCloud.com or telephone Francis on 087 622 0132.
As for me, well, since I will soon take up a full-time teaching role at the University of Limerick, all my volunteering activities will be curtailed, but perhaps there is time for one last summer adventure…
Until next time, Sandra
Featured image courtesy of Pixabay
Skibbereen Tidy Towns 