tidy towns

Tidy TownsContents

What is the Tidy Towns Initiative? 4

A Brief History 5The Community Spirit of Tidy Towns 6Who Can Enter 8

Support Initiatives 9Prizes / Awards 10Grants 11Action Campaigns 12Quality Marks 13

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Tidy TownsIs Tidy Towns all about ‘Tidiness’? 14Categories and Marking System 15The Role of FAS and Tidy Towns 16

Teacher NotesReferences

Assessments

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Tidy TownsWhat is the Tidy Towns Initiative An Overview Over 1,000 communities, urban, rural big and small have

participated in Tidy Towns at one time or another over its half-century existence and it this widespread engagement with that has brought about the transformation of so many towns and villages throughout Ireland.

Tidy Towns is a concept that all participants can buy into; the simple but powerful idea that people can make a difference to their own area and make them a better place to live, work and visit.

Tidy Towns provides a framework for such ideas to come to life; a best practice guide to maximise intent and guarantee results.

Tidy Towns is a competition where areas can be independently and constructively assessed against a general standard of excellence and against each other, thereby increasing standards year on year.

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Tidy TownsA Brief History

The national Tidy Towns initiative was launched by Bord Fáilte, the Irish Tourist Board in 1958 as part of the ‘Tostal’ a nationwide festival celebrating all things Irish.

Tidy Towns rapidly developed its own identity and has gone on to become Ireland’s most well known and popular environmental initiative.

The primary focus from the start was to encourage communities to improve their local environment – “make your place a better place”.

The competitive aspect was an important element in developing friendly rivalry that would help boost standards.

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Tidy TownsJust 52 towns entered in the first year but it rapidly increased in popularity with an average of 700 entrants per year. The success of Tidy Towns also many other initiatives at national, county and local level, which further boosted its reputation and impact.

The winner in the first year was Glenties, Co. Donegal. The emphasis has always been on participating rather than winning as the very act of taking part brings benefits to the entire community.

In 1995, following the restructuring of Bord Fálite, the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government assumed responsibility of Tidy Towns.

Prizes are awarded on an annual basis in September.

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Tidy TownsThe Community Spirit of Tidy Towns The backbone of Tidy Towns has always been the National

Competition, however the spirit has permeated Irish society far deeper than that.

The success of the National Competition encouraged many other bodies , notably local authorities and communities themselves to organise their own initiatives under the Tidy Towns banners thus spreading the message far and wide.

Many of the local initiatives are still going strong, some with a new title or focus, but their ongoing success is a constant reminder what Tidy Towns means to the spirit of Ireland.

The input of participants in these initiatives and there has been many thousands of them over the years, has helped make their communities better places to live, work and visit.

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Tidy Towns Who Can Enter?

Tidy Towns is open to all areas, big or small, urban or rural, and each is entered under their respective population categories ranging from the smallest, Category A –Under 200, to the largest, Category H – 25,0001 and over.

Entry is free regardless of the size of an area.

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Tidy TownsSupport Initiatives

There are many Initiatives that support groups working to improve their local environment and these can be broken down into four categories:

Prizes /AwardsGrantsAction CampaignsQuality Marks

Examples in each Category are listed overleaf.

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Tidy TownsPrize / Awards - prizes are awarded for work done on a

competitive basis

The National Tidy Towns Competition is the best known community environmental initiative with over €250,000 available in prize money.

Entrants can receive detailed feedback on their yearly progress.

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Tidy TownsGrants – funding is granted to specific projects that comply

with specific criteria.

The Heritage Council Grants Programme –is just one publicly funded agency with responsibility to propose policies and priorities for the identification, protection and preservation and enhancement of Irish heritage.

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Tidy TownsAction Campaigns- activities are organised on a high

profile basis providing focus and publicity.

A good example is Heritage Week.

This is an annual European wide initiative to encourage people to actively engage in their own heritage, coordinated by the Heritage Council in conjunction the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.

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Tidy TownsQuality Marks – assessments are made against a common

benchmark for certification purposes.

Green Schools-

This is organised by An Taisce and is an internationally recognised environmental education programme that promotes and acknowledges long-term, whole-school action for the environment.

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Tidy Towns Is Tidy Towns all about ‘Tidiness’?

To many persons, tidy simply means ‘clean’. A much broader definition would mean a lot more such as being ‘well-ordered’. Tidy Towns is fundamentally doing things properly – best practice, good planning , well maintained buildings and public spaces, appropriate landscaping, respect for natural amenities and biodiversity, clean and uncluttered thoroughfares, and most importantly, community engagement.

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Tidy TownsWhat are the categories and marking system

that entrants are judged under: Overall Development Approach 50 The Built Environment 50 Landscaping 50 Wildlife and Natural Amenities 50 Litter control 50 Waste Minimisation 20 Tidiness 30 Residential Areas 40 Roads, Streets and back Areas 50 General Impression 10

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Total Marks 400 15

Tidy TownsThe Role of FAS and Tidy Towns

Community Employment is a FAS administered programme that benefits both the community and the participants. The programme provides long-term unemployed people with various part-time work opportunities in the social economy together with relevant training.

Throughout Ireland, Tidy Towns committees avail of Community Employment Projects as one of the mainstays of their activities as long-term unemployed people engage in area such as daily litter patrols and keeping grassed and landscaped areas under control

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Tidy Towns Activity Sheet

1. Ten categories are listed under which marks are awarded when assessing Tidy Towns entrants. From your observations of your local area, is there any other category that you feel could be included for future years?

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Tidy TownsActivity Sheet

2. Is there a Tidy Towns Committee in your area?

Find out who are the members of the Committee and the name of the Chairperson?

What year was the Committee first formed?

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3. Annual assessment marks are readily available to assist entrants.

Find the results for local entry for last year

Do you agree with the results?

Suggest three simple ways in which you think the marks received can be improved for future years?

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4. Heritage Weeks is given as a good example of an Action Campaign.

Find out when Heritage Weeks takes place?

Find out the nearest site or building of heritage value to you

Briefly describe why it of interest and role it plays on the local community.

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Tidy TownsAssessment

1. List three benefits that derive from Tidy Towns

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______________________________________________________

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2. What year did Tidy Towns begin?

__________________________________________

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Tidy Towns 3. In what year did the Department of the Environment,

Heritage and Local Government take over the administration of Tidy Towns?

______________________________________________

4. Who can enter Tidy Towns? ___________________________________________________

5. List four of the supports available to groups wishing to improve their local communities

______________________________

______________________________

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