Committee 2023
- Chairperson: Jason Mulhall
- Treasurer: Anita Moroney
- Secretary: Noreen Keegan Kavanagh
- Members: Aine Keogh, Eamonn Kelly, Eileen Shirran, Jean Clery, Mary Deaton, Paul Butler, Paul Tyrrell, Pieter Smyth
Blessington Tidy Towns Committee was (re)established in 2012 in partnership with the Blessington & District Forum an effort to galvanize the community to work together to ensure Blessington was not only a great place to live but to work in and visit also. Over the last years our committee has grown and forged alliances with Wicklow County Council, local schools and community groups building a momentum that is in evidence today by the achievements of our local organisation. We are always looking for new volunteers.
Blessington Tidy Towns (BTT) is charged with creating a community that continues to be an attractive place to live, to work and to visit. Our focus is now on place making and on reimagining our beautiful town as a smart and sustainable community that is fit for the 21st Century.
We have an inclusive ethos and work hard to engage the wider community in our work. We also collaborate freely with external groups and institutions and maintain a very positive working relationship with a range of public bodies and agencies, not least Wicklow County Council.
We promote a support local ethos and are currently working on significant biodiversity and climate actions projects with our partner groups that will move us forward on our journey to become a truly sustainable community.
Goals for the Future
- For Blessington to retain its status as an attractive town and achieve a bronze medal in the competition.
- Promote environmental awareness, civic spirit and pride in the community.
- Encourage active participation and involvement of groups and organisations in environmental initiatives.
- Create innovative and effective projects and initiatives with a view to addressing local challenges.
- Ensure value for money through maximization of resources and through effective and efficient delivery of services.
Our Tidy Towns Committee has an active membership of 11 members which are drawn from across the community and we also draw on a wider group of volunteers to help us to deliver our goals. We work closely with all the relevant groups in town and have direct representation on the following committees: Blessington & District Forum, Blessington Town Team, Wicklow LCDC, Misc. Resident Associations, School BOMs, Blessington Access Group and Blessington Sustainable Energy Community.
We have an active 3 year plan to help turn our visions into a reality. This plan is a checklist of the steps and tasks we need to complete, in order to achieve continued success as an all inclusive community. It is an essential part of our strategic planning for the next number of years and will help with improving our teamwork. Our plan is devised in a manner which encourages people to take ownership and responsibility for tasks in all areas, especially in the strange times we now find ourselves. The success of this plan will ultimately be decided by the strength of the people assigned to the various tasks and with help from the wider community. Building on our recent success we need to keep repeating the message that our plan is a win-win for everyone.
We are extremely lucky to have had such forward-thinking people involved in Tidy Towns since its foundation, who have taken the town from strength to strength.
We wish to acknowledge the huge amount of work done by so many people. We would also like to thank, each and every one of our volunteers and helpers for their time and tireless commitment to our community. We need to continue this work. We take immense pride in our town and community. The one common theme amongst our volunteers is that we ‘Love where we Live’.
Finally, we will only consider our community development a success when those who are marginalised and excluded from society are enabled to gain self-confidence and to join with others. In practising what we preach, everyone is encouraged to participate in our plans and actions to change their situation and to tackle the problems that face our community for the greater good.