NOT FOR PROFIT: Cavan Tidy Towns - growing strong
Cavan Tidy Towns plays a crucial role in maintaining and enhancing the county town's environment, as well as promoting a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable future for everyone.
Though their annual goal is the nationwide Tidy Towns competition, branch chair Paul Lynch says their focus has expanded far beyond that.
It has been an “incredible 24 months” for Cavan Tidy Towns. They've received widespread recognition for their efforts both at county and national level.
Most recently they received €20,000 in environmental funding, which they've immediately put to good use, investing in self-crushing solar powered bins as well as solar powered water dispensers - a first for a town in Cavan.
“The work never stops,” says Paul. “We're really excited to work with all the people we have been engaging with.”
The Cavan Tidy Towns committee collaborates with local residents, businesses, schools, and local government bodies to tackle issues such as litter control, waste reduction, biodiversity, and conservation.
Volunteers regularly organise clean-ups, tree planting initiatives, and awareness campaigns, all aimed at fostering greater civic pride and environmental responsibility within the wider community.
Paul says encouraging “incremental change” is the key to unlocking success.
The town has seen continuous improvements in areas like public green spaces, pollution control, and sustainable energy use.
“You need people to work with you. You want people to have pride in the place they live. Its about individual responsibility. We used to bring groups of 20 or 30 people out litter picking on Saturdays. Now we have smaller groups, 15 or more, going out in the areas they live. It's been an amazing transformation.”
Education will always be the foundation from which the group will build. Cavan Tidy Towns has taken that ethos to heart, going into schools throughout the County Town and spreading awareness about the importance of protecting the environment, recycling, and reducing waste. Their hope is the lessons passed on will travel with the students as they grow older.
“It has to start at the grassroots. Everything grows from there.”
Contact us
Cavan Tidy Towns is based in Cavan Town.
Visit their Facebook page ‘TidyTownsCavan’ or phone 086-1252739.