Community Groups, Schools & Sports Clubs

There are many ways in which we can have a positive impact on our local environment, either as individuals in our gardens and immediate neighbourhood, or as part of a community effort. This "community" may be local to you or it may be a group of like minded people from further afield working towards a common goal. Whatever Community you may find yourself in, it can be a very enriching experience to give back in some way and get involved.

Climate Workshops - Primary School Climate Talks

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Schools can access our Kids Climate Action Checklist for your own Climate talks here.

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Communities taking steps to Help Our Planet - Biodiversity

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Any community, or organisation, with access to grounds and space has the potential to help Nature and biodiversity in how those grounds are managed. Here is how your community organisations and groups can help:

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Schools 

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With thousands of school grounds in Ireland, there is huge potential to protect and conserve Nature in these spaces. 

To get started, use the How To Guide - Develop A Pollinator Plan For Your School published by the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan. 

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GAA Clubs, Golf Clubs & Sports Clubs - 

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Many sports clubs across Ireland are taking steps to protect and promote biodiversity within their club grounds. With approximately 15,000 sports clubs in Ireland, these clubs can play a vital role in conserving our biodiversity if managed in a pollinator-friendly way.

All-Ireland Pollinator Plan has produced excellent guides for use by clubs as follows:

• Pollinator-Friendly Management Of Sports Clubs - guidance for general sports clubs on managing their grounds for Nature and biodiversity.

• Pollinator-Friendly Management of Golf Courses - guidance for golf course management.

• Simple steps like reduced moving, managed cutting of hedgerows and reduced herbicide use can have excellent results in a short time.

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These simple actions are within every clubs reach! Managing your club grounds for biodiversity doesn't necessarily mean taking up playing space to plant new wild flower meadows - you can just use the nooks and corners, unused areas and planting you already have!

You can find lots of useful resources on the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan website here. You will also find the signage needed to keep your community informed of your actions to help Nature in your community.  

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Faith Communities

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To get started protecting and conserving Nature in your grounds, use Faith Communities - Actions To Help Pollinators

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Tidy Towns Groups 

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Tidy Towns Groups do vital work in promoting Nature and biodiversity in our communities.  Why not get involved? Ask locally for details of the local Tidy Town group or search the link here to find one nearby.

If there is no one, maybe you can look into setting up your own Tidy Towns or Tidy Village group using the resources here. To get started looking after biodiversity in your community, use the Local Communities Action To Help Pollinators guide published by the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan. 

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Men's Shed & Women's Shed

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Ask locally for details of a nearby Men's Shed or search the link here. Women's Sheds are also popping up all over Ireland too - check out Irelands Womens Sheds on Facebook for a group near you. There are many projects which can support local biodiversity & Nature, including making nest boxes, flower planters, seating or other ideas which support existing needs in your community. If you want to set up a Men's Shed in your area, find information here.

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Community Garden Groups

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Ask locally for details of a nearby Community Garden & Allotments or search here for details. You can find details of Dublin Community Growers locations here.

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Conservation & Gardening Volunteers

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Find a local volunteer group to help through Volunteer.ie

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Tree Planting Groups

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Find details of tree planting organisations here.  

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Community Actions to get your organisation involved with

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• Community Clean Up

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Community Clean Up - The National Spring Clean usually happens in April but there is nothing to stop your community Group getting a clean up going at any time of year. 

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Neighbourhood Network Clean Up - This network has easy to follow steps for setting up your own connunity clean up at any time of year.

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#2MinuteStreetClean - Establish a culture of #2MinuteStreetClean for your area.

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Find out more details for ways to get involved with Dublin Clean Up's here. 

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• Coast Clean Up

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Clean Coasts - Find Clean Coast groups to help out or register your own group with Clean Coasts. Find initiatives to get involved with during the year, like the #2minutebeachclean, Love Your Coast, and the Big Beach Clean. 

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• Green Your Festival

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Galway County Council has been developing a Green Festival Kit for small, local festivals in conjunction with Westmeath County Council. It includes material that can be used by a festival to help green their event. Find details here.

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• Join ChangeX

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ChangeX connects people with proven ideas for strengthening communities with the resources needed to start these ideas. Find lots of projects your community that get involved with here. 

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• Street Feast - Building Community Spirit

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Street Feast is Ireland’s national day of Community Celebrations & Neighbourhood Lunches. Street Feast is a wonderful excuse to eat great Irish food, celebrate local communities and connect with people in our neighbourhoods

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Why not host your very own Street Feast, with assistance of Neighbourhood Network. National Street Feast day is 26th June 2022, but hey, you can hold a Street Feast at any time of year once the weather is settled.

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Neighbourhood Network is a not-for-profit, community building organisation. They’re all about building and strengthening neighbourhoods and kick-starting ideas for positive community participation.

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Find everything you need to know, and how to get your hands on the handy DIY starter kit, here. 

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• Community Activity Challenge - Building Community Spirit

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Another great initiative from Neighbourhood Network 

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Join in the Community Activity Challenge by reaching out to your neighbours and organising one of the activities listed on their site, or your own community activity idea! They recommend starting off with a Tea-At-Three but there is a treasure trove of ideas and support for things like starting a neighbourhood library box, putting on a community dog show, to setting up a community walking group. All fun, simple ideas to get your community meeting, chatting and engaging with each other.  

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• Community Volunteers - Accessing help for your activities

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Tap into local support for community events or urgent needs as they arise with this new pilot scheme. Publicize the Community Volunteer Scheme in your community and create a feel good tribe of people supporting their community. Many people want to give some of their time but don't know where to start! 

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Funding

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Funding community projects can be an issue when it comes to planning new activities. Tracking down potential funding, and the subsequent paperwork involved, can be one of the most time consuming elements of running a community group.

We advise that you speak to other community groups in your region and try to gain valuable insight from them. Try not to reinvent the wheel - experienced community groups will know exactly which community funding options may fit your activities so make connections and start the conversation. 

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The following are sources of potential funding for community projects for your group:

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• Community Grant Schemes, through your County Council, is a source of funding for Tidy Towns group, Residents Associations or other community groups. Speak to your local councillor about council and public grant options. 

• The Wheel - The Wheel believes that charities, community and voluntary organisations and social enterprises have a critical role to play in helping Ireland to meet its commitments to UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It provides funding for a large array of  projects so get in contact to see if your activity can get funding. Their booklet "Sustainable Communities: A Funding Handbook for Community-Led Groups" is a valuable resource for community funding. 

• ChangeX - ChangeX provides funding for many community projects, particularly in the Dublin area.

• CommunityFoundation.ie - They have a dedicated and committed team with extensive experience of grant-making from working with over 5,000 non-profit organisations at a national, regional and local level throughout Ireland and overseas.

• The Ireland Funds - This group provides grants to "Heart of the Community" groups across a broad range of services. 

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Useful Information

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• All Ireland Pollinator Plan resources 

• Biodiversity Toolkit for Communities - Leave No Trace Ireland

• ​Communities helping our endangered pollinators

• Grow It Yourself  - GIY supports people around the world to live healthier, happier and more sustainable lives by growing some of their own food.

• National Spring Clean - Litter pick groups nationally & how to organise your own Spring Clean

• Clean Coasts- Coastal litter pick groups & how to organise your own Coast Cleanup

• Walking Bus - How to start a walking bus in your community

• Get Ireland Cycling - Find ways to campaign for more cycle lanes in local communities in Ireland

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Inspiration

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What is a sustainable community and how do we become one? Irish Times Article