EDITORIAL: We should be very proud of all our Tidy Towns Committees in Tipperary

Behind every Tidy Towns result and medal, is a dedicated team of volunteers who work to make the area they live in the best in Ireland.

The work is not seasonal but all year round and has to be done around jobs, kids and other life commitments.

There is not one Tidy Towns committee across the county that shouldn’t be proud of their results last Friday.

Know that your efforts are noticed by residents in your towns and by your representatives at the council.

But perhaps the best way communities can honour the work of their local Tidy Towns groups is to look after their areas themselves.

Those who are willing to get out with litter picks should be respected by not littering to begin with.

The council also spend a significant amount of time and money tackling illegal dumping and littering.

Which at the end of the day, is your money, wasted on someone who cannot use a bin.

There are a few local Tidy Towns committees that are hosting AGMs shortly and looking for new volunteers.

If you have the time, why not pop down and see what it is all about?

Notices with upcoming events are regularly published in both the Tipperary Star and The Nationalist, so keep an eye out for those.

And if you are reading this and you are part of a Tidy Towns committee we always love to get you pictures and updates.

So, don’t be a stranger.

Tidy Towns do wonderful work to brighten up the towns and villages across the Premier County.

But, they also have a vital role in community engagement on biodiversity.

They have the skills to contribute to those efforts and the interest to benefit from learning opportunities that will come up as part of the council’s plans.

A recent row in the Thurles-Templemore Municipal District Council on grass cutting highlited the need for more engagement with residents.

Volunteerism has been shown to improve wellbeing, promote friendship and help people feel more connected to their communities.

So, your joining your local Tidy Towns committee is a win-win for you and the environment.