Council Chair hosts reception for local recipients of Live Here Love Here Community Champion Awards

Recently the Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Councillor John McClaughry, hosted a reception for the local recipients of Live Here Love Here Community Champion Awards – Dromore Health and Wellbeing Group, Omagh Men’s Shed and Trillick Community Group.

The following is a copy of the Chair’s speech which was made at the reception:

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen

As Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, I am delighted to welcome you all here to The Grange, Omagh for this reception in honour of Omagh Men’s Shed, Trillick Community Group, Dromore 2000 and Dromore Health and Wellbeing Group in recognition of your success in the Live Here Love Here Community Awards.

I would also like to welcome Bronagh from Live Here Love Here who has joined with us today.

The Live Here Love Here Community Awards recognise groups and individuals across Northern Ireland for their exceptional commitment to their community and the local environment whilst also promoting civic pride and a community can-do attitude.

This year we have three worthy recipients in our District.

Omagh Men’s Shed, winners of the Fermanagh and Omagh Regional Champions Award, worked with St Conor’s Primary School in Omagh to transform the school grounds to create raised beds, mud kitchens and sensory gardens.  This has helped to foster community spirit and promote healthy living.  A valuable element of your project is the involvement and engagement with the children.  Instilling the importance of protecting the environment and civic pride at a young age will help to ensure this and future generations become ambassadors and inspire others to continue to protect and enhance our natural environment.

Trillick Community Group, Runners Up in the Regional Champions Award, has been undertaking excellent work in the village withy gardening projects, clean ups and a Village Renewal Scheme which has helped to improve life in a rural area.  I understand various members of the community and all ages have been involved which again, will help to encourage this positive and beneficial work will continue in the future.

Former winners, Dromore Health and Wellbeing Group in partnership with Dromore 2000, have been undertaking excellent work in the village for over 26 years and I am delighted that your commitment has been recognised with the award of Runner Up in the Lasting Contribution Award supported by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.  Some of the work you have completed in this time is the establishment of a beautiful Pollinator Garden which is also a great place for the community to spend time connecting with nature, regular litter picks including your annual Big Spring Clean in March and looking after the planting throughout the village.

Each of you and your groups are the true essence and ethos of what the Community Awards represent.  Your hard work and ongoing commitment to protect the local environment and enhance your local areas for residents and visitors today and long into the future is truly admirable and to be commended.

As well as your physical action, your volunteering has improved the quality of life for so many, enhanced social cohesion, strengthened your communities and promoted civic pride.  Collectively this boosts community spirit and encourages a sense of belonging.  You are all an inspiration and I hope that other groups and individuals in the District follow in your footsteps.

Fermanagh and Omagh District Council is committed to working in partnership withy communities to protect and enhance our natural environment and create sustainable communities to ensure our District is welcoming and a great place to live.  The work you are doing helps us to achieve this.

On behalf of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, and on my own behalf, I would like to congratulate Omagh Men’s Shed, Trillick Community Group, Dromore 2000 and Dromore Health and Wellbeing Group on your worthy Live Here Love Here Awards.  I also want to thank you for everything you do to enhance your villages and protect the environment; your work has not gone unnoticed and we are proud of the work you have done and that you were the Fermanagh and Omagh representatives at this year’s awards.

Thank you.