COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, April 13, 2015

MOTION NO.3

MOTION: Councillor B. Leech

That the South Dublin County Council should initiate a civic pride week event that could be turned into a festive occasion and be held annually in spring. This event would include sports, community gardening, street clean-ups and musical activities.

REPORT:

The Community Services Department are already heavily involved in European Week against Racism, Bealtaine Festival, Health and Wellbeing Week and Social Inclusion Week.

Many of the events organised as part of these weeks include sports, community gardening and musical activities.

The Sports Officers and Sports Partnership deliver a wide range of sporting activities/ programmes throughout the year catering for all abilities and ages.

The Arts Office run three festivals between January and June including Noise Moves Dance Festival, Noise Flicks Film Festival and Ruaille Buaille Lucan Children’s Music Festival. They also make a number of contributions towards other events happening in the county at that time. Unwrapped Winter Festival is also delivered in December.

The Social Inclusion Unit has established three gardens to provide a space for people at risk of exclusion, each with a particular focus on migrants, people with disabilities and those experiencing long term unemployment. These are a vulnerable group of people who are on the high risk scale for health issues. Horticultural Therapy is a preventive tool and there are proven benefits to the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing that accrues from gardening as a healing or therapeutic process. The project was shortlisted for a Chambers Ireland Award 2014 under the category of Health and Wellbeing.

A new provision of €20,000 is being made available under the working title of “Endeavour Awards Scheme” and a further €170,000 under the new Community Initiative Scheme, both of which are being considered by sub-committees of the Social and Community SPC in the context of rewarding and recognising particular categories of endeavour such as Pride of Place and Tidy Towns volunteerism etc.