orking with North Tipperary Leader Partnership on two community enhancement schemes has given me huge experience in this area and has helped me appreciate the need for clear and concise dialogue and leadership within community based projects. Also working with Limerick City Tidy Towns Group and Castletroy Residents Association has given me further insight and understanding of the workings of community groups and the importance of expert assistance.
Many local parks, playgrounds and public spaces are designed without local residents ever getting a look in. Usually its a pubilc representative that will give a project the go ahead or not, and very often they will not have had the time or the inclination to consult with their local community. Involving communities with the design of their own public spaces, is not only important in analysiing what their needs are , but it is usually vital for the sustainable real success of those spaces into the future. Community involvement has been proven to reduce vandalism, it raises community spirit, it can get a better design result for the people living in the area.
Consultation with communities that usually have very little access to funding. They rely on small collections or grants from local authorities, or other funding bodies. I can help these communities come up with a workable costed plan that can be implemented in phases or as funding allows. This is a format which is welcomed by sponsorship and funding bodies, when they are presented not only with a set of proposals on paper, but with a costed plan, your proposal will surely have a greater chance of success!
