MEP visits business and community projects in south Mayo

MEP Maria Walsh was back on home ground for a ‘walk and talk’ through Ballinrobe town with board and staff members of South West Mayo Development Company (SWMDC).

The first part of the tour involved a visit to Distinctive Woodwork, a relatively new addition to the local business community.

Martin Munroe explained to MEP Walsh how relocating the business to Ballinrobe from the UK with support from the SWMDC LEADER programme was integral to his successful move.

Both Mr. Munroe and MEP Walsh discussed the various opportunities and challenges for his bespoke furniture business, which included the potential for apprenticeship and the impact of Brexit on the business.

Mr. Munroe, who currently employs four people, was delighted to confirm that he has two apprentices starting this summer, and a graduate from the Letterfrack College.

The South West Mayo Development Company team visited the Valkenburg Hotel, which was bought by Ballinrobe Civic Arts & Amenity CLG on behalf of the local community. Here, MEP Walsh met with chairperson Michael Sweeney, board members and SWMDC staff members Padraic Corcoran (Rural Social Scheme supervisor) and Trevor Grimes (Tús Supervisor). Michael outlined the ambitious plans for the building and the significant funds donated by local people in the Ballinrobe town and region.

This fund afforded the group to secure LEADER (with the support of LEADER project officer Norita Clesham), and former Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht funding.

MEP Walsh was hugely impressed by the project and its potential to meet national policy objectives around vacancy, social enterprise and heritage, commenting: “It is a pleasure to visit projects of such scale being driven by a group of community volunteers. This is going to be a jewel in the crown of Ballinrobe and indeed County Mayo.

“A project of this scale really shows how important our communities are and the immense opportunity they see, within and for their community, to grow and develop.”

MEP Walsh and the South West Mayo Development Company team also visited the Tacú Family Resource Centre where she met with coordinator Mary Jackson, her team and members of the Tacú knitting group.

This part of the visit was very close to Ms. Walsh's heart as Mary presented details of their newly launched mental health programme, ‘Heroes’.

MEP Walsh shared to the group the importance, now more than ever, that we highlight, signpost and support initiatives such as this programme: 'We all have mental health, and we all need to protect it’.

Mary’s team also outlined other supports offered by Tacú including Food Cloud, family drug and alcohol supports, and counselling services, for example.

SWMDC Community Employment (CE) supervisor Declan Walsh outlined the staff resource provided to Tacú under the CE, Rural Social Scheme and Tús programmes, which supports several projects including the Tacú Meals on Wheels service.

MEP Walsh complimented the group on their work: “This is exactly the kind of support model that we should be promoting in our communities. For over two years people have been challenged by the Covid-19 pandemic. Isolation, addiction and people’s mental health has suffered.

“What Mary and the team are doing here is beyond compliments. It’s life-changing.”

Finally, SWMDC chairperson Paul Gibbons and board members Monica Horan and Eugene O’Malley met with MEP Walsh to discuss SWMDC’s work. During this meeting CEO Sabina Trench highlighted the pillars of the company’s work and approach to integrated rural development.

They also took the opportunity to present MEP Walsh with the SWMDC strategic plan 2021 to 2027.

Mr. Gibbons thanked MEP Walsh for her visit to Ballinrobe: “By visiting us today, MEP Walsh is showing us that her interest in rural Mayo, our people and our potential has never wavered. That is very encouraging, and we look forward to a long and lasting friendship over the months and years ahead.”