Applications Open for TidyTowns 2021 Competition
- Iconic competition makes comeback following COVID-19 disruption
- TidyTowns groups to showcase their communities via electronic entry
- New prize category to recognise role played by volunteers throughout pandemic
- Special award for young people as per commitment under ‘Our Rural Future’
- Over 800 TidyTowns groups across the country have been awarded special €1,000 grant to support their efforts
The Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, 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.
The SuperValu TidyTowns competition is open to applications until Friday, 2 July.
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.
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 ambitious new strategy for Rural Ireland.
Minister Humphreys announced a €1 million fund in December to further support the TidyTowns Groups across the country.
The Minister confirmed that over 800 TidyTowns Groups have now been awarded grants of up to €1,000 under this Fund