Westmeath WPPN WHY SHOULD M Y G R O U P B E Public INVOLVED IN W E S T M E A T H PPN? Participation Your group should be involved to benefit greatly from: Network VOLUME 1 ISSUE 3 AUGUST 2018 Have your voice heard The Voice of the Community Consultation Networking Keep in Touch, find out what going on in Westmeath Communities own communities. Our democ- How to keep in touch, stay Funding Westmeath PPN is a formal network, which allows the racy is strengthened, by informed, with news, allowing diverse views and Publicity local authority to connect grants available, upcoming with community groups interests to be considered as events & what other groups part of the decision making Information around the county. are doing: process of local Government. PPNs give citizens a greater The result is more transparent, log on & register with Representation say in local government better informed & improved www.westmethppn.ie decisions which affect their decisions. Training INSIDE THIS ISSUE: - World Community 2 Development Conference ‘ The voice of the Community’ - How does WPPN achieve this? - WCC Paid out €172,279 in 3 Community Grants Westmeath PPN’s tag line is ‘the voice of the 10. WCD Westmeath Community - Rochfortbridge Men’s Shed 4 community’ but, how do we achieve this? Development - Town Twinning Well, currently Westmeath PPN has 46 represen- 11. Volunteer Centre 12. Heritage Forum - Picnic in the Park 5 tatives on 16 structures; elected by their peers at & the 'Big Dig' 13. Music Generation - Our Kids Code the PPN Plenary; of over 600 groups. These elected PPN reps are there to be the voice; repre- 14. Regional Sports Centre - Irish Wheelchair Association 6 senting all of the PPN groups in the county. 15. Primary Care Health Forum for 2018 16. Age Friendly Council - Storyland - Fore Asking the questions you want to ask and getting answers. WPPN Reps Report back from many of these - Heritage Week 2018 7 - One Million Tree in One Day committees and reports are posted on Westmeath PPN currently have reps on: Westmeath PPN Website - The Water & 8 1. Westmeath PPN Secretariat Communities Office 2. LCDC (Local Community - You Could not Make it up!! Westmeath PPN regularly ask for submissions Development Committee) to all of the above structures; which your PPN - Westmeath Heritage 9 3. JPC (Joint Policing Committee) reps will then bring on your groups behalf. Week Events Westmeath County Council - There are also 22 additional PPN members, - Independent people with 12 Strategic Policy Committees (SPC) who present your submissions to the disabilities CLG 4. Environment, Water & Emergency Municipal districts. Send Group submission Services SPC - Action Plans launched for to [email protected] seven villages in Westmeath 12 5. Housing Corporate & Culture SPC - Change the way community 6. Planning & Transportation SPC 13 HUGE, HUGE Thank you thinks about energy 7. Economic Enterprise & Tourism SPC to all of the Westmeath PPN Reps, 8. MRDATF Midland Regional Drugs who give of their time on a voluntary and Alcohol Task Force basis to work so diligently on behalf of 9. County Childcare Committee the Communities of Westmeath Keep up to Date with Your PPN: www.westmeathppn.ie P A G E 2 World Community Development Conference Maynooth University The whole Conference ference Dinner, again in the 25th – 27th June 2018 then broke up and went Pugin Hall of Maynooth into designated parallel University followed by Irish The theme of this panel sessions the themes music by Una Ni Fhlannagain conference was Participa- of which were challenges and Ceili Band. tion, Power and Progress for community develop- in Community Develop- ment around the world and Day 3 kicked off with a ment towards 2030. the differences in coping plenary again and I found the with it. only breaking for talk from Yaser Alashquar an Four members of West- lunch and coffee breaks. academic from Palestine and meath Public Participation Ireland particularly interesting Network Secretariat The day ended with a Con- and certainly gave us 'food for namely Maureen McCor- ference Reception in the thought'. Again the whole mack, Anne Drury, Dave Pugin Hall of Maynooth conference departed to their Raftis and John Mangan University and for those chosen parallel panel sessions. together with the two who wanted there was a The themes seemed to be Resource Workers Annette 'Songs of Struggle' social global community develop- Barr-Jordan and Brigid gathering. ment. ‘‘..were Geoghegan were privileged to privileged to be able to Day 2 again started with a Throughout the Conference be able to attend this Conference. plenary in the main confer- when having to move from ence hall. room to room we were assisted attend this The conference Chairper- by the wonderful community Conference.’’ son Anastasia Crickley We were very privileged development students from opened the meeting on and honoured to have Maynooth University who Monday 25th June and we Bernadette McAliskey (nee were instantly recognisable by had wonderful singing Devlin) from the South their bright purple T-shirts. At from the Maynooth Tyrone Empowerment the closing ceremony they read University Chamber Choir. Programme, Northern their declaration and gave a Ireland. Her talk was very short very moving 'skit' The first keynote address powerful. was from Mary Robinson The closing address was by and she spoke on Climate Day two again the whole Lynne Segar a feminist, Change and her Founda- conference departed into academic and community tion Climate Justice. She parallel panel sessions. activist. finished with a quote The main theme of which 'There should be nothing was ethics and values and I myself thoroughly enjoyed about us without us' and the rights of the people. the Conference. We were the ‘'There should be led us all into singing 'We only Secretariat in attendance, shall overcome' Day 2 ended with the Con- something which we are very nothing about us proud of. We gained a lot of without us'’ knowledge and the experience was well worth it. We were also blessed with the most glorious sunshine for the 3 days. Thank you for the opportunity of being able to represent Westmeath Public Participa- tion Network. Maureen McCormack (Mullingar Municipal Representative) 1st July 2018. WESTMEATH PPN AUGUST 2018 VOLUME 1 ISSUE 3 Westmeath County Council Paid P A G E 3 out €172,279 in Community Grants to date in 2018 Westmeath County Council together to promote and its interest in the promotion of recognises the work carried enhance the living environ- Science, Technology, Engi- out by Community and ment of their area. To classify neering & Mathematics Voluntary Groups in the as a Residents Association (STEM) in the county, recog- county and their input in there must be at least 10 nising the contribution these developing and implementing houses in the estate. Grants subjects can make to future various programmes and are allocated on the basis of economic development. projects that enhance the number of houses in an general wellbeing and quality estate, the level of disadvan- of life of their communities tage in the estate and the size and the people of the county. of green areas the residents maintain as part of their The purpose of the scheme is work. to encourage and support local community and 3. Community Action Grants voluntary groups to continue €85,000 paid to date in 2018 to develop and implement community initiatives that have a positive impact on The purpose of this grant is their area and on the County. to assist local community groups in undertaking pro- This Community Grant jects which contribute to the Scheme involves four general general wellbeing and quality categories of Grant as of life of the local commu- follows: nity. Well Done & 1.Tidy Towns Grants €37,750 4. STEM Grant (Science, paid to date in 2018 Technology, Engineering & Huge Thank You Mathematics) €2,500 paid to Westmeath The purpose of this grant is to date in 2018 assist Tidy Towns groups in County Council their efforts to improve their The council introduced this new category to demonstrate ‘‘Westmeath town or village and facilitate its participation in the County National Tidy Towns compe- tition. Towns and villages are Council Paid divided into categories at a national level depending on out €172,279 their size which will assist the in Community criteria for grant allocations Grants to 2. Residents Association Grants €29,600 paid to date date in 2018’’ in 2018 A Residents Association is defined as a group of local peo- ple living in a housing estate in a particular area which comes Cathaoirleach Awards winners 2018 P A G E 4 All Saints’ Church Open with Civic Service for Heritage Week All Saints’ Church Mullingar The Church houses an important Open for Heritage Week collection of Stained Glass and memorials dating from the mid-17th Special Heritage Week to the late 19th century. Civic Service on 22nd August at All Saints Church is a focal point in 1.15pm; All are welcome Mullingar and represents one of the more important elements of the The prominent & elevated position of built heritage of the town. this church has been used as the site of church buildings since c.1200, when a Open 11am to 3pm Daily Monday church here was granted to the Augus- 20th to Saturday 26th August 2018 tinian priory of Llanthony Prima, –With a guide each day Gwent, by Simon de Rochford, the Bishop of Meath. All Saints’ Church, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath Rochfortbridge Men’s Shed Rochfortbridge Men’s Shed is now We try to be of benefit to the local For more information please ring an established part of our local community. For instance we have Willie.