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A community environmental event is coming to Hilltown next month as part of Live Here Love Here's Connecting Communities roadshow. The drop-in event takes place at INF Hall Hilltown on Tuesday 16 June from 6pm to 8pm.
The roadshow is visiting communities throughout the north during May and June, with the Hilltown stop involving residents, community groups and organisations including Higher Ground NI and Southern Health and Social Trust.
The events are designed as informal drop-in sessions where people can meet others passionate about improving local spaces, explore volunteering opportunities and find out about funding available for environmental projects. This includes Live Here Love Here's Small Grants Scheme, which offers between £500 and £3,000 to support community-led environmental improvement projects.
Attendees will also be able to speak directly with Live Here Love Here Field Officers and learn about other programmes running throughout the year. These include Adopt A Spot, which encourages individuals and groups to take ownership of local areas, and the Healthy Oceans Healthy Minds initiative, supported by Belfast Harbour, which returns in August to highlight the link between healthy blue spaces and personal wellbeing.
Lynda Surgenor, Manager at Live Here Love Here, said the roadshow was intended to build on the work already taking place in communities. "Connecting Communities aims to celebrate the growing movement of volunteers who are taking practical steps to improve their local areas, while encouraging more people to get involved. Every year we see thousands of people giving their time to carry out litter picks, plant trees, restore green spaces, create community gardens, run biodiversity projects and take part in beach cleans. Their efforts make a visible difference in towns, villages and neighbourhoods right across Newry, Mourne and Down and this roadshow is designed to support that momentum and help new ideas take root."
Surgenor added that the events were also a chance for people to find out what support was available. "It's also an opportunity for people across Northern Ireland to learn more about the support available through Live Here Love Here programmes. By connecting people, sharing ideas and highlighting the support available, we hope to inspire simple actions that can make a real difference to our local environment and help build stronger, more connected communities."
The Connecting Communities roadshow is delivered in partnership with ten local councils, with support from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. Full details and booking are available at liveherelovehere.org.
