LIMERICK communities are Going for Gold this year, as part of an annual competition aimed at increasing biodiversity and keeping neighbourhoods clean and tidy.
The Going for Gold Competition is a joint partnership between Limerick City and County Council and by the JP McManus Charitable Foundation, and receives funding from under the Limerick Going for Gold Environment Improvement Grant scheme.
The top prize of €10,000 is up for grabs for Limerick communities, as well as a number of other categories, such as the Limerick ‘Bee Friendly in Bloom’ category, which has a prize of €5,000.
The competition aims to help people take pride in their areas and make Limerick a cleaner and brighter place to live and work.
Separate to the prize fund, over €50,000 in grant assistance has been distributed to communities so far this year.
Grants range from €200 to €3,500, with the money aimed at assisting groups with their environmental work.
The overall aim is to make Limerick a cleaner, brighter place to work, live, and visit.
This year the competition element of Going for Gold will have over €60,000 in prizes to be distributed across a number of categories including:
- Tidy Towns Category – Groups must have entered Tidy Towns 2023 national competition
- Limerick Bee Friendly in Bloom open to all Tidy Towns groups who have not won a prize in Tidy Towns category along with groups who did not enter Tidy Towns 2023.
- Residential Areas – This category is open to estates and similar areas
- Judges Award – The group that has come to the judges attention and deemed worthy of an endeavour award
- Reuse Award – A Limerick not for profit organisation, charity or group will be awarded for their involvement in reuse.
- Best Front Garden Category – This award is sponsored by the Parkway Shopping Centre
In judging the competition, emphasis will be placed on litter control, general tidiness and upkeep, pollinator friendly planting, sustainable planting, overall impression, works undertaken/improvements from previous years (if applicable).
Launching this year’s competition, Mayor of the City and County of Limerick, Cllr Francis Foley, said: “Limerick is in full bloom at this time of year and it has been great to see communities taking full advantage of the recent warm dry spell to make their neighbourhoods look their very best.”
“Going for Gold is a great catalyst, giving proud communities that extra incentive to get stuck in. Long may this wonderful collaboration between Limerick City and County Council and the JP Mc Manus Charitable Foundation continue.”
Gerry Boland from the JP Mc Manus Charitable Foundation added: “I am very pleased to see that Limerick Going for Gold continues to grow from strength to strength, involving many new applicants each year right across all age groups.”
“It is wonderful to see and hear the contribution it has made to the environment by helping communities to help themselves towards a cleaner and brighter place in which to live.”
More information can be found on the Limerick City and County council website.
