Tidy Towns competition is back on!

The Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys has announced the return of the SuperValu TidyTowns Competition.

The iconic competition was cancelled in 2020 – for the first time in over 60 years – due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

But special arrangements have now been put in place to ensure the return of the competition this year, with the overall winners due to be announced before the end of the year.

Over 800 Tidy Towns Groups have now been awarded grants of up to €1,000 under this fund, including 17 across County Cavan.

The 2021 SuperValu TidyTowns competition will take place in the same format as previous years, albeit with a specific emphasis on electronic entry and remote adjudication of each town’s entry.

Groups should continue to adhere to public health guidelines as they have done so remarkably well since the onset of the Pandemic.

The health and safety of volunteers continues to be paramount.

It is acknowledged 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.

At the same time, many groups have still been very active and the standard of competition is expected to be high again this year amongst the almost 1,000 TidyTowns groups around the country.

Above all, staging the competition this year is a recognition of the extraordinary contribution volunteers continued to make to their communities, even during the Pandemic itself.

For this reason, 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.

The Minister has also introduced a special prize for young people, which was committed to under Our Rural Future – ­the Government’s new strategy for Rural Ireland.

Minister Humphreys announced a €1 million fund in December to further support Tidy Towns Groups across the country.

She formally launched the 2021 SuperValu TidyTowns Competition in Glaslough, County Monaghan – the 2019 winners of the competition.

Speaking in Glaslough, Minister Humphreys said: “While the last year has been so challenging for everyone, I know that so many TidyTowns volunteers the length and breadth of the country have continued to look after their communities.

“Many groups have been unable to deliver on the projects they had planned due to COVID-19.

“That will not impact in any shape or form on this year’s competition and I am encouraging each and every one of the 987 registered groups across the country to enter once again.”

Also speaking about the launch today, Ian Allen, Managing Director of SuperValu:

“This year marks 30 years of SuperValu’s continuous support for and sponsorship of the national Tidy Towns competition.

“As one of the longest-running community and sustainability initiatives in Ireland, Tidy Towns is an incredibly important programme that all of us at SuperValu are immensely proud to be a part of.

“At its heart, TidyTowns is the public expression of the work countless individuals undertake to make our communities better places in which to work and live.

“Following a year like no other, this year’s competition is about recognising work of volunteers who have continued in every way possible and collectively help to lift the mood of the nation.”

The Minister continued: “Tidy Towns is not just a competition. It demonstrates everything good about our people – volunteerism, positivity, working together, community spirit, protecting our environment, that sense of pride in looking after the place you call home.

“This is a really special day. I want to pay tribute to the huge role played by Tidy Towns groups in inspiring vibrant communities and generating a spirit of volunteerism in towns and villages across the country – qualities that are at the core of 'Our Rural Future'.

Announcing special new award categories, Minister Humphreys concluded: “As we look ahead to an outdoor summer and staycations, we want our local towns and villages right across the country to be attractive, welcoming places. The Trojan work carried out by our local TidyTowns volunteers will be central to achieving that. My message is clear - TidyTowns is back this year and it is bigger, better and more important than ever.”

Senator Joe O’Reilly said the return of the competition will give a huge boost to communities.

“I encourage everyone who cares about their community in Cavan to get involved in the competition. This year’s closing date is Friday 2nd July 2021 with results expected to be announced in Q4 of this year," said Senator O'Reilly.

Further details on the competition and access to supporting resources are available at www.tidytowns.ie or call 076-1006912 or email tidytowns@drcd.gov.ie