Town Team aims to enhance community spirit in Moate

Improving the town environment for residents and businesses, enhancing the town's aesthetics and attracting new business are among the aims of Moate Town Team, the committee explained this week.

The current committee is serving a three-year term and as well as carrying out physical improvements to the town, aims to enhance the area's community spirit also.

After a number of public consultations, and with input from Westmeath County Council, Moate Town Team adopted the Moate Town Centre First (TCF) Plan in June 2023, acts as a blueprint for the town's future development. The plan is a live document and will be reviewed every three years, and provides a pathway to funding opportunities.

The committee is made up of representatives of a number of organisations in the town, as well as people who have a general interest in improving Moate.

Committee member Elaine Howlin explained: “The strength of the team is that we're all from different fields and we bring a lot from that. That's the idea of the Town Team - to bring it together from all representatives of the community. It was very much inclusive, everyone had a voice in the development of the plan."

She added that having the Town Team in place allows them to apply for funding for the various groups in the town.

"Without the Town Team, the town loses out on all that type of funding," she said, as the group hopes to attract funding of €300,000 for its plans next year, and is also working closely with Moate Railway Group on a €400,000 project on the footbridge at the station.

The group also recently received phases one and two of Town and Village Renewal Scheme funding to allow it to paint some of the buildings on the Main Street, with hopes to finish the entire Main Street by next year.

And while the group didn't set out to run community events, these came about organically, with six events held since its establishment.

Vice-chairman Turlough O'Brien explained: "One of our reasons for doing TradFest and the outdoor cinema was to show people we are doing something. Maybe a lot of the stuff we do are slow burners and people wonder what you are in fact doing, but these are a way to engage with the public and show them."

John Galvin added: "There is a community aspect to it as well. It's not just physical buildings."

Elaine, who heads a sub-committee on events, added that the events have been run as free community initiatives, thanks to grant support from Westmeath County Council and local businesses.

The group has held two outdoor cinema events at Dún na Sí, two St Stephen's Day community walks and two TradFest events in the last two years.

"The outdoor cinema was really inclusive, you had every age group, and that's what you want is a nice environment that brings people together," explained Elaine.

She added that there is a great community spirit in Moate and without it the group couldn't achieve its aims.

"I'm not from Moate and I think the joy of the town, is that anybody I know who moved to Moate does not want to leave Moate. No matter what part of the country or other country you come from, there is that sense of community spirit and that's an essence we want to hold on to. We all have that voice and it's important that we have a good few committee members to continue that voice," she said.

The committee also praised the local businesses for their support in the events they have run, as well as Moate Men's Shed for its support of all the groups working to enhance the town.

“If you're looking to see was the Town Team supported then you're really look to businesses and they've really supported us, so we hope to be able to give back to businesses by attracting more people to the town, because everybody benefits,” said Elaine.

The businesses also provide financial support for the establishment of trees and planters on the town's main street as well as flower planters last year.

"Last year, through the Tidy Towns group we put in 30 trees and tree planters around the town and we also put in 100 flower containers, from The Gap to The Snowcream, and that whole project cost us €35,000 and we raised every penny of that through the businesses in Moate," explained John Galvin.

Elaine added that there are many groups involved in Moate and said communication between the groups is important so that there is a unified approach to the town.

"The Town Team really provides that forum for communication," she added, saying that the aim of the Town Team is to improve the environment of the town for everyone.

Speaking about what he hopes the plan will achieve, PRO Shane Lynam said: "It was that somebody growing up in the town sees a future for themselves in the town, that they're not thinking that there's nothing for me here. That there's employment, a place to live, shopping, good schools, all of that."

Turlough O'Brien added: "You're hoping to enhance the community spirit through all the groups", while Nick Linnane concluded: "That it continues to be a great place to live. If we pass the jersey on to somebody when we've achieved a little bit, happy days."