Community cafés breathe life back into the heart of rural Tipperary
MEP for Tipperary Cynthia Ní Mhurchú has come out strongly in favour of a new funding stream to support Community cafés across rural Tipperary
Ní Mhurchú made her calls after a meeting with the Tipperary Tearooms Action Group.
Tipperary County Council’s annual budget meeting is due to take place in the coming weeks. Ní Mhurchú has called on the County Council Chief Executive Sinead Carr, and fellow Fianna Fail councillors, to support an appeal for funding from the Tipperary Tearooms Action Group.
Ní Mhurchú has also called for a national funding stream for community cafés in the next budget.
There are currently over 5 community cafés in Tipperary and around 26 nationally, mainly in Munster and Leinster.
Ní Mhurchú described them as a vital alternative for small rural areas where commercial enterprises may not have been commercially viable. The Community cafés in Tipperary are mainly run by volunteers, and are regenerating rural village centres, providing an outlet for pensioners and those living alone and breathing life back into the heart of rural Tipperary.
According to Ní Mhurchú, the Loughmore Cottage tearoom is the perfect example of an award-winning community enterprise that is inspiring community activism across Tipperary,
“Community cafés promote volunteerism and a sense of community and pride in our area. Community cafés should not replace private enterprise and should only be funded where a commercial café has not proved viable. Community Tea Rooms help to tackle rural isolation and loneliness because they encourage older people in Tipperary to get out and socialise in a friendly and community based setting”
There are also successful community tearoom projects in Tigh Maighne (Moyne), Ballingary, Cloughjordan, Lorrha and Annacarthy.
Ní Mhurchú has committed to lobbying the next Minister in the Department of Social Protection to fund a new scheme that would incentivise those on the long-term unemployment register to take up roles in community enterprises such as community cafés. This would encourage them to learn new skills, whilst supporting local rural initiatives that benefit the community.