A GUIDE for the Balla community in helping it to meet its aims in the coming years was launched in the local community centre last Friday night.
Balla community called to action
Austin Garvin A GUIDE for the Balla community in helping it to meet its aims in the coming years was launched in the local community centre last Friday night, by Éamon Ó Cuív, Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.
The comprehensive and detailed Community Action Plan summarises the community’s view on: what Balla is like now, the vision for the future of Balla, the issues that matter most, and priorities for projects and action. The plan will be implemented by the Balla community over the next three years.
The preparation of the Action Plan has been guided by a local steering group, which brought together the main organisations in the community, including representatives from: the Community Council, Pastoral Council, national school, youth organisations, Resource Centre, local businesses, Soccer Club, Golf Club, Playgroup Committee and Active Age Group. Pippa Daniels, the Community Support Volunteer from Mayo Community Futures Programme, supported the Steering Group in its work.
The Action Plan is the result of extensive community engagement carried out over a four-month period from November 2007 to April 2008. With guidance and help from the Mayo Community Futures Programme, over 20 meetings and interviews were held, 552 community survey forms were returned from over 600 households, and over 150 people attended the community open day.
Some very interesting likes and dislikes were expressed about Balla on the returned survey forms.
The local steering group has taken cognisance of what people had to say and has identified the findings under five different themes: Roads, Traffic and Safety; Community Facilities, Activities and Organisations; Environment, Heritage and Town Enhancement; Local Economy, and Access to Services.
The steering group is setting up a number of action groups to progress each of the themes and their priority projects and actions as set down in the plan.
Mr Padraig Cunnane welcomed everyone to the launch, and delivered a detailed account of the lead-up to the Action Plan, saying it was the culmination of a year’s work. He thanked Mayo Community Forum for their help in formulating the plan.
Mr Cunnane thanked the 520 householders from 600 that had returned their forms, and also thanked Mary Wrafter of Mayo Community Futures for her help, Mr Colin Roxburgh, together with South West Mayo Development Company, Mayo County Council, amongst others, and the Minister under whose aegis the Community Action Plan falls.
Mr Cunnane posed the question ‘where to from here?’, and then offered an answer. “This is a challenge; we have good facilities and also deficiencies in our area. Some things we can do for ourselves, others we can do with the help of State agencies and in partnership,” he added.
“The people have spoken, we need numbers and people of differing abilities to get involved,” he added.
Minister Éamon Ó Cuív said he was delighted to be present at the launch of the plan. He said he had good news in that the Leader Programme budget had been increased despite tough economic times.
“You have stated in the plan what you like and dislike. You have put it nice and simply what you want to do,” he added.
“Pick the ones you can do and get them operating. Start with the things you have control over, know where the resources are. Look then at the other issues. You’ll meet frustration, there are delays, you’ll hit the wall, but you must keep going,” he advised.
Mr Jack Ryan of Balla Community Council also spoke and urged everyone to support the Community Action Plan.
The Minister was the recipient of a presentation of a piece of an Irish oak tree, as Balla was originally called Ros Dairbhreach (The Oak Grove).
A large crowd attended the launch, including John O’Mahony TD, Beverley Flynn TD, and Councillors Eugene McCormack, Henry Kenny, Al McDonnell, Cyril Burke, together with Superintendent Eugene Brennan, Castlebar.
