Would you like to get together with your friends and neighbours and say a ‘Big Hello’ to others in your local community? The Big Hello! is going to be a weekend of community celebration over the May Bank Holiday.
The aim is to encourage people to get to know their neighbours, by hosting or attending a Big Hello! event in their local area.
Local communities are asked to come up with ideas for events in their areas. Events can be centred around food, sport, the environment or health and culture.
The event is a celebration of the great spirit of community that exists across the country, and is an effort to help people who share communities to come together, get to know each other, and deepen the sense of community in their area.
It is all about local communities coming together and planning a simple event that works best for you. There are many types of events that you can arrange for example a ‘Picnic in the Park’, a ‘Street-feast’, a cup of tea in the local community centre or sports club, a residents group meeting for an activity for kids, themes around food, history, music or whatever interests your community!
Mayor of the City and County of Limerick Cllr James Collins said: “The Big Hello is a great way to get to know your neighbours in your local community. With our busy schedules, we sometimes lack that sense of community. The upcoming May Bank Holiday weekend is an excellent chance to reconnect with your neighbours and find out what’s happening in your locality.”
€10,000 has been allocated to Limerick Local Community Development Committee and Limerick City and County Council to support The Big Hello! in communities.
Small grants of up to €400 per event are available from the Urban & Rural Community Development Department, while organisers are encouraged to look within their community to see what resources/ talents are available to help bring the whole community together.
Applications are welcome from Community and Voluntary Groups and Organisations as well as Residents’ Associations and Committees across Limerick.
For more information and details of the application process and application form click here or search ‘The Big Hello’ on www.limerick.ie.
Closing date for receipt of applications is 4pm on Thursday 04 April 2019.