Innovating Communities to host a virtual Learning Showcase this month

Innovating Communities is to hold a virtual Learning Showcase on Friday 21 April from 10-1pm to celebrate its successes and share learning and opportunities that it says can make regional development even more innovative in years to come.

Innovating Communities is a partnership project by: Monaghan Integrated Development CLG; Louth Leader Partnership; Cavan County local Development; Leitrim Development Company; County Sligo Leader Partnership CLG; and Donegal Local Development Company CLG).

After two years of delivery, the Innovating Communities project has trained over 1300 people across the Southern Border region in Design Thinking as a problem-solving tool to support local community development. While doing this, over 130 local

Challenges that were put forward by community groups and individuals have been tackled locally. These include tackling challenges like finding studio spaces for an artist collective in Louth, breathing life back into a town centre in Sligo, considering rivers and lakeshores in Cavan, developing a recreation corridor for tourism in Donegal, tackling village depopulation in Co Leitrim and supporting climate action, biodiversity and sustainability across Monaghan.

Those who have completed the training will now go on to implement and share the Design Thinking techniques across their own challenges and work within their community.

The partnership team behind the Innovating Communities project invites you to join them virtually in celebrating the success of the project so far, as they share the learning and opportunities for making regional development even more innovative for years to come.

To get the link to the Learning Showcase livestream, register now at: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/innovating-communities-leader-learning-showcase-livestream-tickets-579211094977.

“The programme has been a pilot project that over the past two years has thoroughly proven the benefits of Design Thinking for local groups and individuals in tackling local issues”, Gabriel O’Connell, CEO, Monaghan Integrated Development.

“Throughout and since the covid pandemic, communities across the region have pulled together using the project and with this creative mindset, can go forward to tackle more problems while making the most of local resources and strengths.”

Desmond Bernie from icecream architecture; the organisation leading the Design Thinking training added “At least 165 people from each one of the six border counties have dug deep for their local community and the Learning Showcase is an opportunity to celebrate and take stock of that effort.

“The response and motivation within local towns, villages and rural areas has been immense, so it’s only fitting that we acknowledge their commitment and share their achievements on an international level.”

During the Learning Showcase, registered attendees will hear from various speakers, including the Minister for Rural and Community Development - Heather Humphreys, European Policy Coordinator for LEADER programme Iwona Lisztwan and a host of Challengers from across the region who undertook the process.

The event will premiere a Showreel featuring challengers and representatives from across the six counties, the community challenges they undertook, innovative solutions they developed as part of the project, and a Fireside Chat with community experts to wrap up the day.

Innovating Communities says it wishes to acknowledge the project funding being provided by the LEADER Local Action Group under the LEADER Programme in Louth, Monaghan, Cavan, Leitrim, Sligo and Donegal; the Department of Rural and Community Development under the National Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 and the European agricultural fund for rural development 2014-2020.

For more information about Innovating Communities, please visit: innovating.ie. For any enquiries about the event, please contact Sophie Gardiner on: hello@innovating.ie +353 (0)71 9344 933