Inishowen Smart Village Training – Next Stop: Malin Head! October 27^th 6.30pm.

The Smart Village Plan is an opportunity to have community groups, sports club, activities, or a project included in the local area plan. Inishowen Development Partnership have announced the next area that this free training will be offered in is Malin Head!

What are smart villages?

Smart Villages are communities in rural areas that use innovative solutions to improve their resilience, building on local strengths and opportunities. It is a modular and pragmatic approach to local development, where the area creates an interactive register for its local Assets, Stakeholders, Goals, Projects, and Metrics. CEO of eTownz, Pat Kennedy says; “The Smart Village approach seeks to bring together local knowledge and digital tools to empower local communities”.  

Who is the training for?

EVERYONE ! It is the hope that the training will attract a diverse group representing all of the various interest groups in the Malin Head area.

Do I need to be tech savvy to participate?

Definitely NOT, the programme is fully supported.

What is involved in the training?

The programme will consist of three sessions (each covering two modules), facilitated by Carlene Lyttle and each module will introduce a new key topic, which will guide participants through the process of creating a “Smart Village Plan” for their area. Carlene explains; “In Malin Head, so much is going on in so many different directions, having a plan and tools to get things moving in the one direction is needed. The Smart Village training and plan will improve the area for the local community”.

Where & when does the training take place?

The Malin Head training will start on Thursday 27^th October (6:30-9:30pm) in the Malin Head Community Centre. There will be a total of 3 sessions with a weeks gap between each.

What to expect?

The training has already been completed in Carndonagh and Clonmany. Aine McLaughlin, Community Development Officer at Inishowen Development Partnership, says; “this is a fantastic way to highlight what is happening in your area and collectively showcase the many community initiatives that we know are out there. We have received great feedback from the previous participants, with lots of excellent discussions, collaboration, and goal setting”.

As one participant recently commented; “this has been a great space and place to think out loud about the area. We can look at what’s here already, identify where are the gaps and where we simply need to ‘join the dots. I would certainly recommend this training and hopefully the portal will help us to gather all the information in one place so we can all access what we need if doing a funding application or making a case for an investment”.

Register online NOW to ensure that the work you are involved in, and your interests are reflected in the Plan for Malin Head.

To register visit: http://training.etownz.ie/Inishowen/

If you have any queries, Aine at the IDP can be contacted by email [email protected] or Tel: (086) 1028846.