PPN holds SDG Training for Tidy Towns groups
To celebrate and highlight European Sustainable Development Week (ESDW) 20 September – 26 September 2023 the PPN ran two Sustainable Development Goals workshops specifically tailored to Tidy Towns groups.
‘The ESDW is a European-wide initiative to stimulate and make visible activities, projects and events that promote sustainable development. The recently adopted global 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) articulates key issues that call for urgent action at all levels and by all stakeholders. The ESDW contributes to this ambitious, universal and transformative agenda by promoting the organization of bottom-up activities that have a thematic link to and support the SDGs. As such, the ESDW aims to raise awareness for the 2030 Agenda in Europe and calls upon local stakeholders to actively engage with sustainable development, in general, and the SDGs, in particular.’ (ESDW.eu, 2023)
For more information on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), please visit the United Nation’s website.
The national SuperValu TidyTowns competition is an annual contest organised by the Department of Rural and Community Development. The competition is supported by the title sponsor SuperValu and many other agencies.
The competition involves participating areas being rated on all aspects of their local environment and prizes awarded to the best under many different categories. The overall winner is “Ireland’s Tidiest Town”. which is announced at a national ceremony in September each year.
With progress monitored and detailed feedback provided year on year, most participants initially enter the competition to generate interest about the environment in their community and create a solid platform on which to raise issues with the relevant authorities. Over time, the areas attain a standard where competing for major prizes is within reach. As such it is very much a development programme for towns and villages across Ireland.
The aim of the workshop was to help Tidy Towns Groups to:
- Align their work to the SDG’s
- Learn how to map their projects to the SDG’s in the Tidy Towns Entry Form & Special Award Category
- Learn how to promote the SDG’s in their community through their work
A copy of the training presentation can be seen here:
