Cork County Council this week hosted the 2015 Anti Litter Challenge Awards at Vertigo Restaurant in County Hall.
114 Communities took part in this year’s competition, and this week was the occasion when the winners of the Towns categories were announced, as well as Best Improvers in the Villages category, and the County Final winners in the Villages category.
The Council’s annual Anti Litter Challenge showcases the energy and dedication of the local communities in Cork County, and is a prime example of what can be achieved by a partnership approach between the Council and the Community. The Awards night is a celebration of the voluntary effort of the communities involved during the year.
Commenting at the awards, Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr. John Paul O’ Shea said ”The purpose of this competition is to acknowledge the efforts of local groups in the fight against litter, and to strengthen the partnership that exists between Cork County Council and you, the communities involved. Being an avid community participant myself, I am always inspired to see communities year after year involved in what can often seem like the thankless job of litter control. Each year we see the challenge of litter increasing due to a small minority who exhibit no civic pride, and each year we see the response of our communities expanding to meet this growing challenge”.
The 2015 Anti Litter Challenge Awards went to the following Towns and Villages:
Category A (Towns):
1st – Dunmanway
2nd – Millstreet
3rd – Blarney
Category B1 (Towns):
Ist – Skibbereen
2nd – Passage West
3rd – Schull
Category B2 (Towns):
1st – Ballincollig
2nd – Clonakilty
3rd – Mitchelstown
Best Improver (Towns):
Ballincollig
Category C (Villages – County Final):
1st – Ladysbridge
2nd – Meelin
3rd – Drimoleague
Best Improver (Villages):
Glenville
Mayor O’ Shea added “I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of Cork County Council to congratulate all the winners and all the communities for taking part in this competition and for making it such as a success again this year. This competition is an excellent example of local communities working with the local authority in solving a common problem that is Litter”.
As our local communities are the lifeblood of this competition, Cork County Council is always interested in hearing from communities who have not participated previously, or who have taken a break from the competition and would like to take part again. Please contact Finbar O’Keeffe, Environment Department, Cork County Council, Inniscarra on 021 4532758 or by e-mail litterchallenge@corkcoco.ie