Galway County Council has won the prestigious Chambers Ireland Excellence in Local Government Award 2013 in the partnership with Business Category sponsored by AIB.
Mayor of County Galway Liam Carroll accepted the award on behalf of Galway County Council at the awards ceremony which was held in Dublin last week. Galway County Council was nominated for its work on the Made in Galway Initiative.
Made in Galway involves developing a brand to market locally produced goods and services from Galway. This initiative aims to create closer linkages between producers in Galway and consumers both based in Galway and further afield. It has an objective of showcasing the range of quality produced that is being made in Galway.
The work was started in 2012 through the establishment of the Made in Galway website, www.madeingalway.ie, since then over 200 businesses operating from Galway have registered on the site, showcasing the wide range of food craft and other creative products that can be sourced in Galway.
The Made in Galway initiative is more than just a website, it also involves online marketing, demonstration at trade events/expos, tourism promotion, presence at festivals and events. The initiative is focused on having local producers to the fore, showcasing their talent and promoting products that are made in Galway. The objective of this initiative is to generate more sales for local producers in order to sustain/create employment in the Galway region. It also highlights the attractiveness of the Galway region as a food and craft tourism destination.
On accepting the award, the Mayor, Liam Carroll stated: “I’m delighted to accept this award on behalf of Galway County Council, it is appropriate recognition of the great work that the Council is doing to support local companies based in Galway. Small business is the backbone of the Irish economy and has suffered greatly in the downturn of the past few years. To ensure a full sustainable return to economic viability for this country we must support growth of small businesses in all sectors. This is a great example of how local authorities can support small business to find new markets and grow.”
Martina Moloney, Galway County Manager, added to this by saying that “Current Government Policy provides for an increased role for Local Government in supporting enterprise and economic development in their area. Galway County Council has a strong track record of supporting enterprise in the region through investment in infrastructure, development of the tourism and creative sectors. We are delighted that Chambers Ireland has recognised the valuable contribution that the Council is making to enterprise development through the Made in Galway initiative. I would strongly encourage people in Galway to visit the website www.madeingalway.ie in the build up to Christmas and support for producers when deciding on Christmas gifts this year.”
