Diary: Mayor of the County of Cork Cllr Danny Collins
I was delighted to be part of the announcement that Cork County Council was awarded €100,000 to make Bandon a more vibrant and colourful town. The funding is part of the Streetscape Enhancement Initiative to help towns and villages in rural Ireland to become more attractive places to live, work and visit.
It’s a scheme that has been described as a facelift for our rural towns and villages and is part of the Government’s five-year strategy to revitalise rural Ireland. When our streetscapes look better, it increases the pride and the confidence in the area, so I hope that the business in Bandon will take full advantage of the grant that is on offer and avail of this wonderful opportunity to collaborate and to paint their buildings in vibrant colours.
Bandon is a fantastic, bustling market town with huge potential from a tourism and business perspective and this opportunity should be grabbed with both hands.
Staying in West Cork, I was delighted to witness Cork County Council announce that it is to partner with the Southern Star for the West Cork Business & Tourism Awards. They are back for 2022, after a two-year hiatus due to Covid.
Despite the impact the pandemic had on businesses and the challenges they faced over the last two years, many businesses shone brighter and grew in recent years.
That is why it is more important than ever to show our support for these businesses.
The West Cork Business & Tourism Awards are designed to celebrate and recognise the excellence in business and tourism that exists right across the region amongst businesses of all sizes and sectors. In 2019 there were over 250 entries from around 150 organisations, and I am very much looking forward to seeing the same high standards again this year. I am calling on businesses from across West Cork to enter – from sole traders to ‘solopreneurs’ to limited companies and multinationals. Those working from home or trading from a business premises are encouraged to join in too – there really is a category for everyone.
It's all about balance, work life balance and I am looking forward to Culture Night which takes place tomorrow Friday 23 September. It promises to be a night like no other and all events are free. So, check out the programme online at the Cork County Council website and come along to one of the 200 family friendly events organised throughout the county in places like Baile Mhúirne, Bandon, Carrigaline, Charleville, Clonakilty, Cobh, Fermoy, Kinsale, Macroom, Mallow, Midleton, Mitchelstown, Passage West, Skibbereen, Watergrasshill, Youghal and the surrounding towns and villages. Culture Night is a national initiative by the Arts Council of Ireland and is being delivered locally by Cork County Council.