Pride of Place judges to visit two Mayo communities this week
THE final stages of judging for the 2022 IPB Pride of Place competition in Mayo will take place on August 4 and 5.
Pride of Place is an all island competition organised by Co-operation Ireland and the local authorities to acknowledge the work being done every day by communities all over the island of Ireland.
Mayo County Council has nominated two groups for Pride of Place 2022:
Kilmovee - Category 2 - Population (300 - 1,000).
Achill Tourism - Category 9 - Community Tourism Initiatives.
This 'judges call' is the final stage of the application.
Judges will conduct a site visit to both community groups this week. During the two-day visit they will visit and meet with community representatives in each area.
The visit will consist of a formal presentation by representatives of the local community highlighting the aspects of which they are particularly proud and the reason why they deserve a Pride of Place award. This is followed by a short tour of the project or area of interest. This tour will showcase all elements of pride/volunteer and community efforts/initiatives in the area.
Last year Ballina Community Clean Up achieved the top position in Category 5 - Population > 5,000.
Judges will visit Kilmovee on Thursday, August 4, at 9.30 a.m. and Achill on Friday, August 5, at 10 a.m. Members of both communities are encouraged to support and be part of the judges' visit with both groups.
Speaking about this year’s competition, Catherine McConnell, acting chief executive, Mayo County Council, in supporting this year’s community groups, said: “We as a local authority appreciate the work, commitment and continued dedication to making Mayo look its best and adding value to the county. We will continue to support ongoing efforts to create strong, vibrant and sustainable communities.
“I would like to congratulate this year’s groups on their own achievements, on being nominated to represent Mayo in this national, prestigious competition. On behalf of Mayo County Council, I wish them every success with Pride of Place 2022.”
Joanne Grehan, director of services for community engagement, added: “It is a wonderful competition which showcases and highlights best practices in communities throughout Mayo.
“Mayo County Council and the municipal districts work closely with our community groups in Mayo; we recognise and appreciate the level of volunteerism of all community groups which has helped to make Mayo a great place in which to live, visit, work and invest.
“Pride of Place is a way of acknowledging work carried out by our community groups and we wish the participating groups in Pride of Place 2022 continued success.”
A date for the Pride of Place awards ceremony/winners announcement has yet to be confirmed.