Keeping it tidy in Cahersiveen...
FOR a swan to glide gracefully along the surface usually means a lot of unseen work must take place beneath surface. This is as good an analogy as any when describing the hard work of tidy towns groups across the county. The Cahersiveen Tidy Towns committee is a good example of how volunteers put their shoulders to the wheel to help keep Cahersiveen looking the best it can all year round. This is one group that believes in delegating as each member is asked to contribute along the lines of their own interest area and locality. This is how the dots are eventually joined to build a better picture of Cahersiveen.
Lisa O’Shea is Chairperson of the Cahersiveen Tidy Town – an active body comprising of over 30 members within Cahersiveen and its hinterlands. The objective of the group is to ask people to work in their own time and to concentrate on their own areas. This makes management easier and also encourages more people to get involved.
“There’s so much more involved now with recycling and biodiversity. This year we’ve really tried to allocate each category to people who may have some level of interest or expertise in that area,” Lisa said.
They jumped an impressive 11 points in the 2017 National Tidy Town Awards (38 points overall in the space of five years) which is proof positive of their dedication and willingness to keep on improving. “We’re hoping this year we will get some serious points as there’s always something going on. We’re looking to broaden how we approach things. For example, the majority of cafes in Cahersiveen have come on board with the ‘Conscious Cup Campaign’. Some places even offer an incentive of a free coffee as part of the initiative,” Lisa said.
Lisa explained that there’s a huge sense of community pride in what they do. If people don’t love where they are living, and don’t work on making it look better, no one else will.
“I love where I’m from as it’s a fabulous town. We have one of the nicest towns and there is so much to do in Cahersiveen. We even have a lot of people living on the outskirts of the town who keep the approach roads to Cahersiveen clean. We take part in countywide clean-ups, including beaches. We make sure all areas are spotless. A paint project has been started in the town and we’re encouraging everyone to keep their buildings looking fresh and clean. We’re always looking for more volunteers,” Lisa added.