Michael Ring TD has said that the return of the Supervalu Tidy Towns Competition will be a huge boost to communities across Mayo, many of whom have kept up the great work throughout the pandemic to keep their neighbourhoods clean, despite the cancellation of the competition due to Covid.
Deputy Ring confirmed that 25 Tidy Town Groups in Mayo have now been awarded grants of up to €1,000 under the Tidy Towns Fund announced by Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD.
Deputy Ring said: "The 2021 competition will take place in the same format as previous years, with the overall winners due to be announced before the end of the year. However special arrangements have been put in place to allow the competition to go ahead safely, with a specific emphasis on electronic entry and remote adjudication of each town’s entry. The health and safety of volunteers is a priority and groups should continue to adhere to public health guidelines as they have done so remarkably well since the onset of the Pandemic. The organisers acknowledge that volunteers have not been able to deliver on all of the plans that they may have had for their towns, and the competition adjudicators will be mindful of this fact when assessing entries.
"To reward the continued efforts of volunteers throughout the pandemic, Minister Humphreys has introduced a new award category aimed at groups that have continued to serve and look after their communities despite the difficulties posed by Covid-19. There is also a special new prize for young people, which was committed to under Our Rural Future – the Government’s ambitious new strategy for Rural Ireland.
"I encourage everyone who cares about their community in Mayo to get involved in the competition. This year’s closing date is Friday, July 2 with results expected to be announced in quarter four of this year.
"You can check out TidyTowns.ie for all the information you need. Entry forms will be emailed to all registered groups and can also be obtained from the TidyTowns Unit in the Department of Rural and Community Development (Phone: 076 100 6912 ) or by emailing [email protected]."
