Kilkenny communities urged to have voice heard at future-shaping ‘Our Town’ workshop

Community-focused individuals and groups interested in building better, more inclusive communities are being invited to register for an information and training workshop on Thursday, August 10, which focuses on the future of towns across the county and the services they provide.

Kilkenny Leader Partnership will host the free ‘Our Town’ event at Thomastown Community Centre, beginning at 2.30pm. It will focus on the future of rural towns in Kilkenny, scoping out areas such as mobility, connectivity, inclusion and the circular economy.

Pre-registration is essential as places are limited and registration is now open via the Leader website or on Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/smart-villages-mobilityconnectivityinclusioncircular-economy-tickets-686458966247

The event in Thomastown is the final in a series of ‘Smart Villages’ workshops and information and suggestions gleaned will feed through to the work of KLP and community groups and social enterprises across the county.  Among those addressing the workshop will be former Mountjoy Prison Governor, John Lonergan; mobility expert, Brendan Finn and geographer, Caroline Crowley.

While Smart Villages focused on broadband and transport connectivity in the main up to now, the imminent workshop also give a voice to people who live in the county and who  may feel socially disengaged and affords them with a platform from which to shape their towns from an economic, social and environmental viewpoint, Martin Rafter, KLP Assistant CEO and Social Inclusion Programmes Manager, said.

“It is more important than ever that people have an opportunity to shape the place they live in and for people to feel that they are connected and included. Mobility, Connectivity, Inclusion and the Circular Economy can no longer be considered in isolation," said Mr Rafter.

"They all need to be factored into our drive to build more inclusive towns and villages where people are more connected, where they are contributing to and are part of the sustainable economy. It all trickles out.

“This workshop will really appeal to those who wants to be part of building better quality, more inclusive communities in Kilkenny. The information and the ideas we will generate on August 10 will shape how we work into the future, it will inform our thinking. It will also feed into how we work with our partners in Ireland and internationally into the future."