Great Island Tidy Districts Competition

left to right Don Crowley, Manager Cobh Credit Union Ursula Duffy, Secretary Cobh Tidy Towns Hendrick Verwey, Chairman Cobh Tidy Towns Terry Anderson, Treasurer Cobh Credit Union Jim O'Rourke, Treasurer Cobh Tidy Towns Mayor Paddy Whitty Colman Rasmussen, Chairman Cobh Credit Union Cllr. Paddy Histon, Cobh Tidy Towns Committee

Entries are now open for the Cobh – Great Island Tidy Districts competition 2010 and everyone living on the Great Island is encouraged to be involved.
Speaking about the competition, Hendrick Verwey of Cobh Tidy Towns Committee said “Cobh has made great advances in the Tidy Towns competition in recent years and this is primarily down to the work of individual citizens, Residents’ Associations and the Town Council. “The efforts of so many people should be recognised and rewarded. People can learn so much by seeing how others are successful, so we have completely revamped the competition and the Awards Ceremony. This competition will help to show Cobh at its very best”.
Organised by Cobh Tidy Towns Committee under the auspices of Cobh Town Council this revamped competition is now being generously sponsored by Cobh Credit Union.
At the recent presentation of the sponsorship cheque for €3000 to the Tidy Towns Committee, Cobh Credit Union manager Don Crowley said “The people of Cobh are seeing big improvements in the town over the last few years and a lot of this is down to the work of the Tidy Towns Committee and the volunteers who help. When people see a group out painting railings it lifts the consciousness that something is being achieved and that we as a town are heading in the right direction”. Colman Rasmussen, chairman of the Credit Union Board continued “As the largest community based and community owned organisation and business in Cobh we are delighted to support the Tidy Towns committee in their work and in their ambition to win the National Tidy Towns Competition in 2012”.
Ursula Duffy, Paddy Histon and Jim O’Rourke who are stalwarts of the Tidy Towns committee went on to explain that the winning of the Tidy Towns Award would seem an extraordinarily high target for Cobh to aim for, however winning would pay huge dividends. Cobh’s ranking has improved consistently over recent years and Cobh Tidy Towns Committee feels that winning in 2012 is achievable over a three year programme. Winning would single Cobh out as a “must see” destination, it would strengthen pride in Cobh among her citizens and it would show that Cobh is serious about becoming the premier tourist destination on the south coast of Ireland. With the centenary of the sinking of the Titanic in 2012 the international spotlight will shine on Cobh and the town has to ready itself for hundreds of thousands of visitors. Cobh can attract ever-increasing numbers of Cruise liners each year and tourism can provide employment for many of Cobh’s citizens.
The Tidy Districts competition has three sections:
The Best Presented Housing Estate, Street or Area
The Blooming Marvellous competition for the best planted container
The Best Garden
The Gala Awards Ceremony in early September will be an Audio Visual presentation of what is best and what could be better so as to inspire everyone to aim higher and be better each year.
Entering the Cobh – Great Island Tidy Districts Competition 2010 either as a Residents’ Association or as an Individual Citizen will contribute to making Cobh – Great Island an even nicer place to live in, visit or do business in and will bring us ever closer to our collective goal: Cobh – Ireland’s Tidiest Town 2012!
Entry forms are available from Cobh Credit Union, Cobh Town Council offices and the Freecycle Noticeboard in Super Valu or may be downloaded by clicking here. Entries close on 2nd July.