REIGNING Tidy Towns champion Ennis was the location this morning for the launch of the 2022 competition with Minister Heather Humphreys doing the honours.
The Minister for Rural and Community Development was joined by Managing Director of SuperValu, Mr. Ian Allen to launch the competition which is sponspored by the supermarket chain.
Speaking at the launch of the competition in Clare’s county town this morning, Minister Humphreys said, “It is wonderful to be here in Ennis, Ireland’s Tidiest Town, to launch the 2022 SuperValu TidyTowns competition.
“Seeing the competition back to its normal cycle is very welcome news and no doubt thousands of TidyTowns volunteers across the country are thrilled to see the competition back in full swing.
“TidyTowns groups have shown great strength in recent times and have continued to put their shoulder to the wheel in keeping our towns and villages and indeed the country, looking its best, when we needed it most.”
Minister Humphreys continued, “My Department strives to support vibrant, inclusive and sustainable communities throughout Ireland, and TidyTowns is a great way to get involved in community life. I would encourage young and old to get involved in your local TidyTowns groups. You might be surprised at how much you will benefit as well as your community.
“The role my Department plays in this competition continues to give me great satisfaction as we support and recognise the work of local communities. I also commend our sponsor, SuperValu, for their continuing support and enthusiasm and for all they do in raising awareness of the competition. Now in their 31st year of sponsorship, they continue through their nationwide network of retailers to make the competition one of the best known sustainable and environmental initiatives in Ireland.”
Mr Allen said, “It’s great to be launching this year’s SuperValu TidyTowns competition and even better to be doing so in person following a challenging couple of years for everyone. This year marks our 31st year sponsoring the SuperValu TidyTowns competition and in that time, we have seen it grow along the way.
“There is a great opportunity to continue the evolution of SuperValu TidyTowns, enabling us to engage and empower people around the country to create sustainable communities, recognising the value of our biodiversity, and coming together to play our part in response to climate change.
“We look forward to working with colleagues, friends and neighbours in communities around the country to make this a reality and we encourage people to contact their local SuperValu TidyTowns committee to join the efforts being made to build more sustainable communities for all.”
Now well into its seventh decade, the competition continues to attract new entrants and continues to grow. This year again we see some new and exciting special awards with great prizes and all groups are encouraged to consider entering some of these awards. These include an award on Bat Conservation, redesigned awards on climate action and air quality and the continuation of the Young Persons in TidyTowns award.
The closing date for receipt of entries for this year’s competition is Friday May 20 2022. Entry will only be accepted by email to the tidytowns@drcd.gov.ie address. Entry forms to the SuperValu TidyTowns competition will be emailed to all registered groups or can be obtained from the TidyTowns Unit in the Department of Rural and Community Development (Phone: 01 773 6912) or by visiting www.tidytowns.ie or www.supervalu.ie.
In place since 1958, the competition continues to grow from strength to strength. It is administered by the Department of Rural and Community Development and sponsored by SuperValu.
Full details of the competition are available on www.tidytowns.ie