New Junior Tidy Towns programme to inspire next generation of Mayo community champions
Belcarra Community Council and Belcarra Tidy Towns are delighted to launch Belcarra Junior Tidy Towns – Clean & Green, an exciting new summer programme designed to inspire local children to take pride in their community while having fun, making friends and learning about the environment.
The free eight-week programme began yesterday (Monday) evening with a launch at Belcarra Community Centre.
Children and their families will meet every Monday evening at 7 o'clock throughout July and August for one hour of hands-on activities.
The programme has been created to introduce young people to the work of Tidy Towns in a fun and engaging way.
Each week focuses on a different community or environmental theme, including village clean-ups, biodiversity, nature walks, dog fouling awareness, riverside clean-ups, eco art and planting projects, before finishing with a celebration of everything the children have achieved.
Every participant will receive their own Belcarra Junior Tidy Towns Ambassador Pack, complete with a specially designed passport. Children will collect a stamp each week as they complete activities, and those who finish all eight weeks will receive a certificate and exclusive Belcarra Green & Clean badge.
The chairperson of Belcarra Tidy Towns, Mary B. Prendergast, said: “We want our young people to feel proud of where they live and understand that everyone can play a part in looking after their community.
"Junior Tidy Towns is about much more than picking up litter. It’s about teamwork, biodiversity, community spirit and helping children realise that even small actions can make a big difference.”
The programme has been carefully designed to be interactive, with activities including nature bingo, environmental challenges, creative projects and community campaigns, ensuring children enjoy learning while developing a lifelong appreciation for their local environment.
Belcarra Community Council hopes the initiative will become an annual event and encourage a new generation of volunteers who will continue to care for the village into the future.
Parents remain with their children throughout each session, making it an enjoyable weekly activity for the whole family.
Belcarra Community Council and Belcarra Tidy Towns look forward to welcoming families for what promises to be a fun-filled summer of learning, teamwork and making Belcarra even greener.