Judging for the 2019 IPB Pride of Place Competition in Mayo will take place on Monday, July 8, and Tuesday, July 9, 2019.
The IPB Pride of Place Competition, in association with Co-Operation Ireland, is an all island competition organised by co-operation Ireland and the Local Authorities. The purpose of the competition is to acknowledge the work being done every day by communities all over the island of Ireland.
The IPB Pride of Place Judges will visit each of the four entrants put forward for the competition by Mayo County Council: Mayo Older People’s Council Inter-Generational Project in the Age Friendly category; Ballinrobe, population 3,000 – 5000 category; Straide, population 300 - 1000 category and Knock, population 1,000 – 2,000.
Over two days the judges will visit and meet with participants and community representatives in each area.
The visit will consist of a formal presentation by each of the entrants highlighting the aspects of which they are particularly proud and the reason why they deserve an IPB Pride of Place award. This is followed by a short tour of the project or area of interest.
In 2018 two Mayo town’s collected silverware on the national stage. Balla won the best overall award in population 300 - 1000 category and the Erris Branch Irish Wheelchair Association were runners-up in the Community and Wellbeing Category.
The judges will be in the Mayo Abbey Training Centre to judge the Age Friendly Category on Monday, July 8, at 9.30am before travelling to Ballinrobe for 2pm. On Tuesday, July 9, at 9.30am the judges will be in Straide before moving on to judge Knock at 2pm.
Siofra Kilcullen, Senior Executive Officer of Community & Development, believes Mayo has some very strong entries this year; “This is the Olympics for the community sector! It’s fantastic to see all the hard work which has gone in to preparing the four entries this year. The challenge has been laid down in recent years by some very good entries and all this year’s communities are taking it head on. The effort and preparation has been second to none and we look forward to welcoming the judges to Mayo next week.”
