Retrofit Ready host mid-programme conference

Owen McConnon Community Retrofit Champion, Retrofit Ready

The Retrofit Ready home energy saving project, which was launched in May 2023, will host its Retrofit Ready Mid-Programme Conference on Thursday, September 26, in the Íontas Theatre, Arts & Community Centre, Castleblayney, County Monaghan, the home of one of its partners, Monaghan Integrated Development (MID).

The event is being organised by the Irish Local Development Network (ILDN) and principally by Michelle Mullally who is Programme, Impact and Communications Officer. The event is run in association with all select partners.

Retrofit Ready is a national project that was set up as a pilot programme for Sligo/Leitrim and Cavan/Monaghan. The project is funded by the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, administered by Pobal and involves a consortium of Cavan County Local Development, Monaghan Integrated Development, ATU Sligo, Plan Energy Sligo, LEADER Partnership Sligo, Leitrim Development Company and the Irish Local Development Network. This programme aims to facilitate eligible organisations to collaboratively develop supports, tools, know-how and approaches to assist local communities in taking climate action. The strand focus is on climate education, capacity building and learning by doing – moving beyond ‘raising awareness’ to build the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values necessary to respond to the challenges of climate change at community level. Projects will demonstrate inclusivity in design and practice so that no one is left behind.

Myself and Luke Tarmey are the Community Retrofit Champions covering Cavan/Monaghan and Sligo/Leitrim. Since its inception we visited communities in the four counties, explaining the concept of retrofitting and grants available for retrofit works. To date, there has been significant interest in the information provided, resulting in a greater number of householders making grant applications for home improvements.

The focus of the conference is to showcase works that have been carried out on the Retrofit Ready programme since its launch 18 months ago. Keynote speakers include Dr Barry McCarron, FCIAT, Dr Rob Mooney, Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, Mel Gavin, R&D Coordinator at the Contract Research Unit, Atlantic Technological University, Sligo, (ATU) and Gavin Forkan, Managing Director with Plan Energy.

A panel discussion will provide all attendees with their knowledge and experiences of the Retrofit Ready project. The panel will include representatives from Retrofit Ready, ATU Sligo and Plan Energy Sligo. Master of Ceremonies for the event and discussion will be Francis McCarron, Community Development Team Leader with Monaghan Integrated Development, (MID).

Several exhibitors who have been supporting the Retrofit Ready project during the past year and a half, with information events, will attend at the Íontas Theatre, Arts & Community Centre in Castleblayney to showcase their companies, personnel and the products they supply, with their primary focus on all aspects of retrofitting.

The event will get underway at 10am on Thursday, September 26. There will be a welcome reception that will include a sign-in and refreshments as well as a meet and greet session with dignitaries, guests and suppliers’ exhibition stands.

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