Kildare County Council Arts Service Awarded 'Sustaining the Arts' Excellence in Local Government Award

At a virtual ceremony for the Chambers Ireland Excellence in Local Government Awards on Thursday 18th November 2021, Kildare County Council through the Arts Service was awarded the ‘Sustaining the Arts’ award for the 'Kildare Covid Notebook Project'.

The ‘Kildare Covid Notebook Project’ project was aimed at older people and those cocooning in Kildare. As the Covid 19 crisis unfolded, Kildare County Council were keen to provide some positive pro-active projects that could engage and inspire citizens of the county, particularly those who were cocooning and older people. In March 2020 over 140 moleskin notebooks were delivered to homes throughout the county by the Kildare Arts Service who encouraged participants to share their reflections, artwork, and stories throughout the lockdown with the intention that the diaries would eventually become part of a permanent archive for Kildare County Council. The notebooks documented very personal lockdown experiences, as well as national and international news, creating a record of this extraordinary time for future generations. The project was led by Kildare County Council’s Library and Arts Service, supported by the Creative Ireland and Healthy Ireland team, Kildare Age Friendly network, Naas Care of the Aged, library services, disability and mental health services in the county.

Kildare County Council joined the virtual ceremony on 18th November which showcased best practice in local government and recognised the skills, hard work, innovation, and enthusiasm within local government.

Welcoming the announcement, Sonya Kavanagh, Interim Chief Executive, Kildare County Council said; “The Chambers Ireland Excellence in Local Government Awards recognise and showcase the very best of local government, the innovation, hard work and skills of local authorities across the country.  We are delighted that 5 Kildare County Council projects were shortlisted at this year’s awards and were successful in winning the Sustaining the Arts category.”

She added; “I’d like to take this opportunity to thank and congratulate not only the individuals and community groups involved in these projects highlighted today, but to all the staff and partners of Kildare County Council for their continued dedication, commitment and innovation.”

Four other Kildare County Council projects were shortlisted in this year’s Excellence in Local Government Awards.

The ‘Local Authority Climate Action Training Programme’, a programme that aimed to build the capacity of the Local Authority sector and empower Local Authority staff to deliver the required level of climate action at the local level, was shortlisted in the Local Authority Innovation category.

The ‘Kildare Green Kilometre’, an initiative that asked people to choose approximately one kilometre of rural road in their area to look after and care for, was shortlisted in the Sustainable Environment category.

The ‘Kildare Market Square Tactical Urbanism Covid-19 Response Pilot Project’ a project that aimed to make this unique public space people-friendly and usable by the community at a time of great challenge and rapid change, was shortlisted in the Enhancing the Urban Environment category.

'Supporting Families, Sharing the Learning', an initiative from Kildare Libraries that provided accredited online training programmes to frontline workers in Co. Kildare who support vulnerable families, was shortlisted for Best Library Service.

Full details of the event and all the winners & nominees can be found at chambers.ie/events/elg-awards/

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