Keeping Loughrea Beautiful
By Michelle Bateman
In September 2023 Loughrea Tidy Town came up with a very simple plan. We asked businesses to ensure outside their premises was kept weed and litter free and, if their neighbour’s property was unoccupied, to give a little attention to that too.
It was as simple as that!
We visited all businesses, had a chat and made the request. We had the campaign outlined in a letter and, to make it more eye catching, we printed it on yellow paper! We requested that they display the letter in their window as a sign of their commitment to the campaign and so, the Proud To Keep Loughrea Tidy campaign was launched. We are very grateful to them for embracing the idea.
Ideally, we would like people to sweep outside their premises daily and pull the odd weed that might rear it’s head. How wonderful would the town be if everyone did this? It’s also very beneficial socially because invariably people will stop for a chat and appreciate what you are doing, good for body and soul!
We litter pick every Saturday morning, meeting at our HQ in Kelly Street at 11am. Volunteers have specific areas that they maintain and take pride in, and it ends up being quite a social occasion. The volunteers enjoy the get together and always have a sense of satisfaction in having made a positive contribution to the community. Of course, new volunteers are always welcome.
Litter picking isn’t the only way we try to improve the town. This year we requested the owners of some rundown and derelict buildings to ‘pretty them up’ and, in fairness, most have acceded to our request.
We also try and do our own “pretty up’ on the town by planting flowers in wooden barrels to add a splash of colour. We had a Window Box Scheme in the Summer of ‘24 where people were encouraged to display window boxes, a little bit of nature outside their window. ‘Where flowers bloom, so does hope’ Lady Bird Johnson
We were very happy with our result in the 2024 Tidy Towns Competition. It had been five years since the competition was entered and we increased our points by 19. We received the Judge’s report containing recommendations and we are putting a plan in place for the coming year to action these.
Our goal is to enhance and beautify the town in whatever way we can, but it’s not the case that ‘that’s what Tidy Towns do’. It’s not just our gig, it’s the responsibility of us all, we are all in it together, and we cannot do it without you!
If you are not in a position to join us, it’s totally acceptable and appreciated if you look after ‘your own patch’. If everyone does a little, then no one does a lot.
Our presence on the streets shows our commitment, passion and love for the town. We are but guardians of it and it’s our duty to improve it and hand it on in better condition to the next generation.
We are steeped in luck to have such a fantastic town and it has so much untapped potential. Watch this space!
Love this town <3