09/03/2010 -

Pride of Place Competition 2010

Communities throughout Sligo have ensured that Sligo has featured in the results of the Co-operation Ireland Pride of Place Competition since 2004. Each year communities have been nominated by Sligo County Council and Sligo Borough Council to take part in the competition and show the Co-operation Ireland judges what is good about their local area.

Anne Marie Kelly, CRIB/Foróige speaking about the experience of the youth organisation in the Youth Category in 2009 says "Being involved in Pride of Place gave us, the staff, volunteers and young people of the C.R.I.B. the opportunity to really stop and reflect on all that we do here. It made us recognise how much each individual project does, but when interconnected creates something even greater than any one by itself. We had to profile all aspects of our work and did this through words and pictures. Having to detail all aspects made us realise how much actually happens here! We were well supported and encouraged by staff in the Council and developed new relationships which opened new opportunities of working together. All in all, Pride of Place was a positive experience and we were very privileged to represent Sligo nationally and take home a runners up prize in the Youth Section!"

- Foróige collecting their Runner-up prize at the Pride of Place All-Island Competition in November 2009

The Pride of Place competition is an all-island competition which recognises and celebrates the vital contributions that community partnerships make to society.
It encourages people to come together to enjoy all that is good about their area as well as change or improve certain aspects of their community.

The competition, which receives over 90 entries each year, is hosted by Co-operation Ireland under its Local Authority Programme in conjunction with the all-island Local Authority Steering Forum comprising officials from authorities in both parts of the island of Ireland. Further information is available from www.prideofplace.cooperationireland.org

Peter Sheridan, Chief Executive of Co-operation Ireland, said:  “The unique all-island Pride of Place competition has a positive effect on communities throughout the island of Ireland. It highlights local authorities’ commitment to supporting groups who undertake initiatives to improve their communities.”

Although there can only be one winner in each category, the awards ceremony is an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the efforts of all groups who do so much but who rarely get the recognition they deserve.

The concept behind the competition is very simple - to recognise and celebrate the vital contributions that community groups make to society. This basic element of community recognition makes the competition unique. Past entrants in Pride of Place have included groups involved in a wide variety of activities across the social spectrum. The common thread is the impact and difference these activities have made in peoples' lives.

 
- Cranmore Community Co-operative Society collecting their Runner-up prize at the Pride of Place All-Island Competition in November 2009

If you are interested in entering the competition please note the following:

• Closing date for the Sligo Pride of Place Competition is 23rd March, 2010
• Judging Season - Mid June 2010 to end July 2010
• Awards Ceremony, Trim, Co. Meath will be held in November 2010
• Pride of Place is a unique opportunity for community groups to be officially recognised on an all-island basis for the valuable work undertaken in their local areas.
• Entry is by way of County Council nomination only.
• Entrants are notified in advance of the judging day.
• Each entrant will have a maximum of two and a half hours to impress the judges. During the visit, the judges will be introduced to the community representatives and visit the showcase locations. The actual structure is up to the entrant. The only mandatory component is a formal presentation (up to 30 minutes) at the beginning of the visit, which should allow for a ten minute question and answer session with the judges.

According to Brian Cahill “Entry and participation in the 2009 Pride of Place Competition for Belt Torc Company, Moylough was a very positive and enriching experience. We endeavoured to detail some of our achievements, and realised in the process how much we had achieved in recent years.  Making our presentation to the judges at local level was an interesting and enjoyable experience. Even though we did not in the end win a National Award, we learned a lot from attending the Awards Ceremony in Newcastle, Co.Down. The sheer breadth and scope of voluntary achievement in Ireland is amazing, and gives encouragement to us all to continue with our efforts.”

- Representatives from Belt Torc Co. Ltd pictured at the Pride of Place judging day

“Ballintogher Community Enterprises took part in the Pride of Place Competition in 2009.  It provided us with an opportunity to showcase many of the positive developments in our community over recent years.  A significant number of people were involved in the review we conducted and this review has prompted the development of plans for the coming years.  We were delighted to have been runners up among the prizewinners at national level”, said Seamus McCormack.

- Teresa McCormack, Balllintogher Community Enterprises, collecting the Runner-up prize at the Pride of Place All-Island Competition in November 2009

Speaking about the on-going involvement of the county in the competition, Rita McNulty, Director of Services said “Sligo County Council is delighted to be involved with this competition, as it is a good way to highlight the variety of work that is being carried out by community groups and volunteers throughout the county. Pride of Place is a great source of motivation for many communities and can give encouragement and inspiration to others who wish to achieve something similar. I am looking forward to the entries for the 2010 competition as they will undoubtedly be as impressive as those which have gone before.”

Entry forms are now available from the Community and Enterprise Office, Sligo County Council or can be downloaded here:-

Download Application Form for Pride of Place - Single Issue Project - 77 kbs

Download Application Form for Pride of Place - Population Category - 81 kbs

Closing date for receipt of entries is 23rd March, 2010.

Further information is available from the Community and Enterprise Office, Sligo County Council on Telephone 071 9111800.