Cavan Community ENews 7.11.25
- Daniel Downey
- Nov 5
- 22 min read
Welcome to your weekly ENews. Our news is compiled weekly from our over 500 member groups, partner agencies and funders. The deadline for submitting to cavanppn@gmail.com is noon Wednesdays and we can only take community focused news. Please note that views/items contained within our ENews may not reflect the values/policies of CavanPPN.
Many Thanks, The CavanPPN Team (Aisling, Finian & Daniel). info@cavanppn.ie, CavanPPN, CCLD, Corlurgan, Cavan. H12 X9Y1
CONTENTS
FUNDING
1. FUNDING: Music Capital Scheme
2. FUNDING: Rural Action Awards Scheme
3. FUNDING: Media Skills & Development Programme
4. FUNDING: Patagonia Enviro Grant 5. FUNDING: Community - Based CCTV Scheme
6. FUNDING: Communications Grant 7. FUNDING: Festival Investment Scheme 2026
8. FUNDING: ACORN Fund For Communities
9. FUNDING: Human Animal Interaction Benefits Research Grant
10. FUNDING: Local Bereavement Development Grant
TRAINING
11. TRAINING: Think Outside the Box Training for Parents
12. TRAINING: Community Climate Leadership Training
13. TRAINING: FREE Community Training Courses for PPN Groups
14. TRAINING: Response to Self Harm in Yougn People
SURVEYS/CONSULTS 15. SURVEYS/CONSULTS: Health & Social Care Bill
16.SURVEYS/CONSULTS: Digital/ICT Training Requirements for Cavan Communities 17. SURVEYS/CONSULTS: Ireland Dog Census 2025 18. SURVEYS/CONSULTS: Shape Your Child's Primary Schools 19. SURVEYS/CONSULTS: ReDeployment of Cavan's CCTV Cameras 20. SURVEYS/CONSULTS: Cavan Renewable Energy Survey 21. SURVEYS/CONSULTS: The Power to Change Survey for Communities 22. SURVEYS/CONSULTS: Consultation On Misinformation & Disinformation
EVENTS & OTHER NEWS
23. Cavan Community Stop Smoking Service
24. Cavan One Act Drama Festival 25. Virginia Food & Craft Fair 26. Attention Cavan Vendors & Performers 27- Cavan Monaghan Science Festival 28- Call To Action From Friends of the Earth 29- Irish Environmental Network Newsletter 30- Barriers to PPNs Webinar 31- Your Community, Your Services Cavan Event 32- Friends of Castlelake & Catchment Area Newsletter 33- Literacy Opens Doors Events 34- Drug & Alcohol Awareness Week Webinars
35-SDG Stakeholder Forum Event 36- Alice in Winterland Show
37- Ballyhaise Afterschool Supports
38- Cavan Beekeepers Honey Show & Craft Fair
FUNDING
Music Capital Scheme
Mel from Music Network here, I hope you are well.
I am writing to let you know about the launch of the Music Capital Scheme 2025 which may be of interest to some of the organisations in your networks.
The scheme supports funding for the purchase of musical instruments and selected items of equipment to individual professional performing musicians and non-professional groups across the country. A total of €1,040,000 in funding is available through the following three awards which are now open for applications:
Music Capital Scheme Award 1 supports the purchase of musical instruments by non-professional performing groups
Music Capital Scheme Award 2 supports the purchase of musical instruments by individual established professional performing musicians
Music Capital Scheme Award 3 supports the purchase of musical instruments by individual emerging professional performing musicians
The Scheme is now open for applications and the deadline for applications is 2pm, Thursday 27 November 2025.
You can find further details of the scheme on the Music Network website at https://www.musicnetwork.ie/whats-on/music-capital-scheme
This is our biggest award fund to date and we would really appreciate it if you could help us to spread the word far and wide by sharing the information with any relevant contacts and through your social media. Our social media pack is available on Dropbox here and includes graphics for the different social media platforms and some sample social media post text, which you may find helpful. Download our social media pack here. If you have any issues accessing Dropbox just let me know and I’ll arrange to get the information to you another way.
We will also be providing an extensive range of applicant supports to both organisations and individuals, with a particular focus on supporting first time and previously unsuccessful applicants. These include two online Information Sessions on 28 October, seminars on key topics including recording creation, artistic planning, and application writing skills, along with a limited number of one-to-one consultation sessions with each seminar presenter. All supports are provided free of charge to applicants, and you can find out more about them at https://www.musicnetwork.ie/whats-on/music-capital-scheme-applicant-support-sessions
2. Parent Peer Support Fund For the 4th year running, the Rural Action Awards Scheme 2025/26 is currently open for applications and will randomly select 4 successful recipients after the current closing date of 20 November 2025.
The Awards offer rural community-based organisations in Northern Ireland or the border region of Ireland the opportunity to apply for and secure £1000 or €1000 towards their volunteer led community action project.
Deadline: 20 Nov
Find out more here
3. Media Skills & Development Programe
Coimisiún na Meán - Media Skills and Development Programme
The Programme is open to the following types of organisations / registered businesses that work across the media sector or with media:
Representative organisations
Advocacy organisations
Training and support bodies
Educational organisations that work to address media related matters.
Deadline: 10 Nov
Find out more here
4. Patagonia Enviro Grants
Patagonia Environmental Grants
Patagonia supports environmental organisations with bold, direct-action agendas and a commitment to long-term change.
They support innovative work that addresses the root causes of the environmental crisis and seeks to protect both the environment and affected communities.
Deadline: Various
More info: https://eu.patagonia.com/ie/en/how-we-fund/
5. Community -Based CCTV Scheme
Community-based CCTV Grant Aid Scheme
The community-based CCTV grant aid scheme supports communities and local authorities who wish to install and maintain CCTV security systems in their area to increase public safety and to deter illegal or anti-social behaviour.
The maximum grant available for each CCTV system is €45,000.
Applicants to the scheme can include not-for-profit organisations within the community, as well as relevant statutory or voluntary organisations. For example, applicants may include:
area partnerships
community development projects
family resource centres
local authorities
community enterprises
Applications are also welcome from groups such as a not-for-profit consortium of private and community interests which has come together to formulate an application.
Deadline: Ongoing
6. Communications Grant
Hi CavanPPN Members
I hope you are well. I just wanted to get in touch in case you haven’t come across our Circular.ie Communications Grant scheme. These grants are designed to support community groups, social enterprises, and local initiatives to raise awareness of circular activities in communities.
The goal is to help organisations share their stories, highlight circular alternatives, and inspire wider community participation.
You can find more details here €100,000 in Communications Grants
7. Festival Investment Scheme
Festivals Investment Scheme 2026 – Round 2 - 20th Nov
The Festivals Investment Scheme supports small-to-mid-scale festivals to deliver high-quality arts experiences for audiences. It focuses on programmes engaged with, and relevant to, local communities or communities of interest.
There are 3 bands under which to apply:
Band A – for awards up to €10,000
Band B – for awards of €10,001–€25,000
Band C – for awards of €25,001–€45,000
Round 2 is open to organisations resident in the Republic of Ireland promoting festivals with a clear artistic purpose and which commence between 1 July and 31 December 2026. An organisation may make only one application under the Festivals Investment Scheme in a year (i.e. one application in one band per calendar year).
Deadline: 5.30pm Thursday 20th November 2025
8- ACORN Fund For Communities
The ‘Acorn Fund' for Emerging Communities
We know that smaller community groups in underserved areas sometimes need that extra bit of support to get started or grow their impact. That's why we're launching our pilot Acorn Fund to help small community initiatives flourish.
The Acorn Fund provides:
Enhanced affordability at just 5% (compared to our standard rates)
Community-sized support from €5,000 to €15,000
Term loans up to 5 years and bridging loans up to 24 months
Dedicated guidance including application assistance and development planning
No arrangement fees and no personal guarantees required
No early repayment fees or penalties
This €250,000 pilot fund is specifically designed to reach groups that might not have considered support before, helping small acorns grow into mighty community assets.
The fund is open for applications for a 12-month period and designed specifically for new and emerging community organisations working in underserved areas.
📧 Email: info@clanncredo.ie 📞 Phone: (01) 400 2100
9- Animal-Human Interaction Benefits Research Grant
Addressing Evidence-Based Health Benefits of Human-Animal Interaction - 26th Feb 2026
The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) is issuing a call for research proposals from institutions and organizations across the globe to investigate the health outcomes of pet ownership and/or animal-assisted interventions (AAI), both for the people and the animals involved. Proposals should have a strong theoretical framework and focus on innovative approaches to studying the positive effects of companion animals on human health.
HABRI is interested in funding a wide range of studies focused on the human-animal bond.
Deadline: 26th February 2026
More info: https://habri.org/grants/funding-opportunities/rfp-addressing-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-hai
10- Local Bereavement Development Grant
Local Bereavement Development Grant - 28th Nov
The Irish Hospice Foundation's 2025 Local Bereavement Development Grant is open for applications. It is a one-off award for groups of six or more organisations within a geographical area that offer bereavement support. The grant encourages and supports collaborative efforts in local bereavement care development.
A webinar on Tuesday 4th November will explain what the Local Bereavement Network Grant is, and outline some examples of projects. Click here to register https://hospicefoundation.ie/our-supports-services/bereavement-loss-hub/bereavement-support/bereavement-events/
Deadline: 5pm Friday 28th November 2025
TRAINING
11- Thinking Outside the Box Training for Parents
12- Adult Education Part Time Classes
Adult Education part-time timetables have been issued this morning. These cover classes from December 2025 to Easter 2026.
The timetables are available on the CMETB Adult Guidance web page, at the bottom of the landing page:
You can also access them directly here:
13- Free Community Training For CavanPPN members Cavan PPN currently has a number of training courses available to our member groups.
They are available FREE OF CHARGE for member groups.
All the courses are online and places are provided on a first-come, first-served basis.
Examples include:
A-Z of Data Protection – Becoming & Remaining Compliant with GDPR
Finance for Non-Financial Managers
Making the News - create news releases and interview/feature pitches with a strong news hook to help secure media attention.
… and more!
(Please note: you must be part of a member group of Cavan PPN to avail of these training courses).
For more information, and to register, please click on the link below: Events | Cavan PPN | Public Participation Network
14- Responding to Self Harm in Young People
Please see details on a half day workshop on Responding to Self-Harm in Young People. This Workshop is aimed at Frontline Staff who are working with those at risk of Self-Harm and will take place on Thursday 13th November from 9.30 am – 12.30 pm in the Regional Education Centre, St Brigid’s Hospital, Ardee. This workshop has been prepared by staff from Pieta and the Resources Officers for Suicide Prevention in the North East.
Click the following Link to book a place: Self-Harm in Young People Workshop
SURVEYS/CONSULTATIONS
15- Have Your Say On Health & Social Care Bill
Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill T.D., has today launched a public consultation on the proportionality of proposed legislative amendments by the Regulated Professions (Health and Social Care) (Amendment) Bill. This Bill includes amendments to a number of Acts which underpin the regulation of health and social care professionals, medical practitioners, nurses, midwives and pharmacy owners.
The Proportionality Test Directive (EU) 2018/958, which became part of Irish law in 2022, asks governments to make sure that any new or updated rules for regulated professions are fair, reasonable, and not overly restrictive. This consultation is about getting feedback on whether the proposed changes meet those standards.
Within this public consultation, one of the key proposed changes aims to enhance the efficiency of fitness to practise processes within both the Medical Council and the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI). These improvements will help ensure robust protection of the public, while enabling complaints to be investigated and resolved in a more timely and effective manner.
In addition, to support the expansion of the role of Health and Social Care Professionals in specific clinical areas in the future, the amendments will enable CORU’s registration boards to set standards for and approve post-registration training programmes linked to specific activities that are considered to carry particular risks to the public—such as referring for x-rays. Registrants who hold the additional competencies to perform such activities may apply to have this highlighted on their registration so that the public are aware of the competence of the practitioner to perform the activity.
The Bill also proposes several other operational, technical and consequential amendments aimed at improving the overall efficiency of the legislation.
Information on the public consultation, including how to take part, is available here.
16 - Digital/ICT Training Requirements Survey For Cavan Communities
Please find attached a short survey compiled by Cavan County Council relating to DS3
Project which is supported by the PEACEPLUS Programme and managed by the Special EU
Programmes Body.
The purpose of this survey is to identify Digital /ICT training requirements in our rural
business communities (SME’s and Micro’s) and civic society (community and voluntary
organisations). We will use the feedback provided to us to develop and deliver skills,
training, and mentoring in areas of need identified in this survey so your feedback is
important to us.
If you would like any additional information regarding the DS3 Project, please contact-
Caroline Brady: cbrady@cavancoco.ie
You can access the survey by clicking the link below:
digital-skills-development-businesses-and-communities
17- Ireland's Dog Census
Ireland’s Dog Census is back for 2025 – and it’s bigger and better than ever!
We’ve got more dogs for you to meet, more questions for you to ponder, and more ways for you to help make life better for Ireland’s vulnerable canines.
Dog owners and lovers across the country really pulled out all the stops in last year’s Census, but there are still so many furry, four-legged friends who need our help.
Whether you own a dog or not, your answers, thoughts and opinions can help us provide better care for every dog in need. So… let’s get started!
18- Shape Your Child's Primary School Survey
Help shape the future of your child’s primary school
Take part in the Primary School Survey today.
It’s quick, easy, and confidential.
This survey is for parents and guardians of children in primary school or who will enter primary school in the coming years. There is a separate survey below for primary school staff and board of management members.
Complete it here:
19- Consult on Re-Deployment of Cavan CCTV Cameras
Public Consultation for Re-deployment of CCTV Cameras in County Cavan
Cavan County Council is undertaking a public consultation on the re-deployment of CCTV cameras at our Bring BanksNetwork across County Cavan.
Cavan County Council intends to install and operate CCTV cameras for fixed time periods at various sites for the solepurpose of preventing litter and illegal dumping and enforcement of the Litter Pollution Act, 1997 as amended. Thisinitiative will adhere to the new National Code of Practice for the Operation of CCTV for the Purposes of Prevention,Detection & Prosecution of Litter Offences.
Cavan County Council Bring Centres are located at the following locations:
Cavan Belturbet Municipal District
1 Cavan Town Pullamore Near (Dublin Road adjacent to Tarpey's Supervalu)
2 Cavan Town Tullymongan Resource Centre
3 Cavan Town Main Street Carpark (Behind Tesco)
4 Blacklion Rear of Go Service Station - Sligo Road
5 Dowra Sligo Road
6 Glangevlin St. Patrick's Hall, Blacklion Road
7 Swanlinbar Furnacelands Estate, Creamery Road
8 Corlough Knockmore, Templeport
9 Bawnboy Ballyconnell Road
10 Ballyconnell Opposite entrance to Derryginny Gardens Estate
11 Belturbet Clones Road beside Fire Station
12 Killeshandra Carpark, Community Centre
Cootehill Bailieborough Municipal District
13 Redhills Entrance to Sewerage Plant
14 Ballyhaise Lisnashanna, Ballyhaise
15 Cootehill Carpark, St. Michael's Hall
16 Lavey Carpark beside Killyconnan N.S
17 New Inns Opposite Lavey GAA Grounds
18 Shercock Cootehill Road
19 Bailieborough Tesco Carpark
20 Kingscourt Kells road, opposite Fire Station
21 Killinkere Rear car park at Killinkere CLG
Ballyjamesduff Municipal District
22 Arvagh Moyne Road
23 Cornafean Carpark, MacSeain's Pub
24 Crossdoney Carpark, Shantully Inn
25 Ballinagh Carpark, Gavin's Centra (Off Main Street)
26 Killydoon Carpark, Mullahoran Parochial Hall
27 Kilnaleck Fairgreen, Carpark adjacent to Copper Kettle Pub
28 Ballyjamesduff Entrance to Cattle Mart, Granard Road
29 Virginia Tesco/ Lidl Carpark, Ballyjamesduff Road
30 Munterconnaught Munterconnaught GAA Grounds
31 Mullagh Fairgreen (Off Main Street)
32 Mountnugent Community Centre Car Park
Submissions and/or observations on the proposed re-deployment of CCTV cameras are invited from members of the
public and from voluntary and representative bodies.
Submissions or observations with respect to this proposal may be made in writing to the Environmental Services,
Cavan County Council, Farnham St, Cavan, County Cavan or alternatively, you may email submissions or
observations to litterplan@cavancoco.ie . This consultation will be for a period of 3 weeks ending on 26 th November,
2025.
Paddy Connaughton
Director of Services
Cavan County Council
20- Cavan Renewable Energy Survey
In line with our national obligations and commitments laid out in the Cavan County Development Plan 2022-2028 and the Cavan Local Climate Action Plan, Cavan County Council has procured consultants Arup to develop a County Renewable Energy Strategy.
The Cavan County Renewable Energy Strategy will be a key component of future governance decisions and policy development in County Cavan and will sit within a broader economic and community development plan. The Strategy aims to identify the potential of renewable energy sources and explore the opportunities and constraints of these sources across a range of socio-economic, environmental, and political considerations. The opportunities and constraints will be presented alongside a series of GIS maps and baseline graphs. The Strategy will also include renewable energy generation targets for County Cavan.
The project team would like to invite members of the public to complete a short survey to help inform the Renewable Energy Strategy for County Cavan: Link to Renewable Energy Strategy Survey
21- Power to Change Survey
As part of the Power to Change project led by Atlantic Technological University in partnership with the Sligo Public Participation Network, they are collecting input from community groups across Ireland.
Please take this 15 minute survey to help gather evidence of the constraints community groups face both in taking action for climate and in your general work.
Survey here: www.surveymonkey.com/r/NHFCGGT
Please also share with other groups you know. Ultimately the Power to Change project has been about actively supporting groups to undertake climate actions. However there are barriers to groups undertaking climate action, as well as challenges that community organisations face in general. In order to help groups overcome these challenges we need to gather evidence. This means hearing from you!
The data generated will be used as part of Power to Change to demonstrate to government evidence that they need to provide supports to this sector and that they need to listen to community organisations and respond to their needs in terms of the changes they make, if they want the sector to engage in climate action.
If you would like to read more about the Power to Change project you can do so here: https://www.sligoppn.com/power-to-change/
22- Consultation On Misinformation & Disinformation
We’d like to invite you to take part in a short survey (5–10 minutes) being carried out by researchers at Dublin City University.
The study looks at how false or misleading information (misinformation and disinformation) is affecting Ireland’s voluntary and community sector - especially charities and organisations working on issues such as gender, race, and migration.
The survey covers:
What kinds of false stories or harmful narratives are targeting the sector
How these impact organisations’ ability to do their work
What supports or resources could help groups respond more effectively.
All responses will be anonymous. The findings will be published in a report early next year to highlight the impact of misinformation on our sector.
Please complete the survey here.
Thank you for your time and input.
EVENTS & OTHER NEWS
23- Cavan Community Stop Smoking Service
Dear Cavan Community Organisations,
We are delighted to inform you about our updates to the “Free HSE Cavan Community Stop Smoking Service and provide you with the details of new additional clinics added across the County;
Tuesday weekly Clinic in Drumalee Primary Care Centre
Wednesday fortnightly clinic in Darley Health Centre Cootehill
Wednesday fortnightly clinic in Killeshandra Primary Care Centre*
Thursday weekly clinic in Connolly Street Primary Care Centre
Thursday fortnightly clinic in Virginia Primary Care Centre*
*(new clinics)
What do we provide?
This is FREE community stop smoking service is available to all of County Cavan for the entire community. It offers friendly confidential one to one support and advice to all clients along with 12 weeks free Nicotine Replacement Therapy.
How can someone access the service?
Referrals can be made via - telephone, email, self-referrals and paper referrals; details of which are contained in the attached leaflet. If you require any leaflets for your business please reach out to us.
We look forward to supporting any of your team or service users on their quit journey.
Please contact us if you have any further queries.
Shelley Mahon on behalf of the Cavan Stop Smoking Team
Oifigeach Cothaithe agus Feabhsaithe Sláinte | Health Promotion & Improvement Officer
Comhairleoir chun Stop a Chaitheamh Tobac | Stop Smoking Advisor
M: 087 4424461| E: michelle.mahon7@hse.ie
(*Please note: my working days are Tuesday- Friday)
24- Cavan One Act Drama Festival
.
25- Virginia Food & Craft Fair
26- Attention Cavan Vendors & prformers
Attention to All Cavan Vendors and Performers!
We are searching for Cavan-based vendors who may not have reached us through our email application process. Your interest is highly valued, and we want to ensure we do not miss anyone who's eager to join us!
Interested? Fill out our expression of interest form'
Visit our website www.cottagemarketcavan.ie or Instagram page @thecottagemarketcavan for further information
27- Cavan Monaghan Science Festival!
Science Festival Turns Ten!
Bigger and better than ever, Cavan Monaghan Science Festival is back for its tenth edition! The award-winning festival, jointly organised by Cavan County Council and Monaghan County Council, with support from Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland, will take place from 8th – 15th November and features over 50 events, with 28 events taking place in County Cavan.
Highlights of this year’s stellar line-up include a talk with noted journalist and ‘The Last Word’ on Today FM contributor John Gibbons on his bestselling ‘The Lie of The Land’, ‘Midlife in the Fast Lane’ a talk on how menopause and perimenopause intersect with today’s fast paced world, a Cheesemaking class with Corleggy Cheese, and ‘Dr Bot – Will Your Next Doctor be AI’ ‒ a talk which explores the future of medicine following the global proliferation of Generative AI.
Other events sure to have a wide appeal include a talk on ‘The Psychology of Half-Time Talks’, a talk on Storm Chasing with ‘Mark the Science Guy’, and ‘Still Me’ with Dr Sabina Brennan, who will share practical insights to help persons with dementia and their families to live better with the condition.
As ever, the festival will host a special Family Fun Day in both counties, with the Cavan Fun Day taking place on Saturday, 8th November from 11am until 4pm with wide range of fun, science-related activities for the whole family.
“This inspiring and entertaining festival has gone from strength to strength in the past decade,” said Cathaoirleach of Cavan County Council, Councillor John Paul Feeley. “While earlier iterations focused on children and young people, the festival has now broadened its appeal to include all ages and demographics, in recognition of the importance of science and all S.T.E.A.M. subjects to all of our daily lives”.
County Librarian Emma Clancy said, “That the festival has reached its tenth anniversary is testament to its popularity, which is in no small part to the dedication of staff in Cavan County Council and our colleagues in Monaghan, who strive to make the festival as engaging as possible. This year’s festival is no exception, with talks and workshops on fascinating topics that showcase the importance of science, technology, engineering, arts, and maths in our daily lives, delivered by subject matter experts. There is something for everyone, young and old, and I encourage everyone to check out our programme to find an event that appeals to them”.
To find out more about Cavan Monaghan Science Festival or to book your place at one of the many exciting talks and workshops, visit www.cavanmonaghansciencefestival.ie.
Caption: Pictured at Johnston Central Library, Cavan launching the Cavan Monaghan Science Festival’s programme of events for County Cavan are from left: Sharon Howe, Creative Communities Coordinator, Cavan County Council; Laura Carey, Executive Librarian, Cavan Library; Cathaoirleach of Cavan County Council Councillor John Paul Feeley and son Éamon; Daniel Peeters, IS Project Leader, Cavan County Council; Lynda McGavigan, Director of Service, Cavan County Council; and Teresa Treacy, Senior Executive Librarian, Cavan Library. PHOTO: Adrian Donohoe.
28- A Greener Message From Friends of the Earth
We’ve been talking about housing and climate justice — how energy-inefficient homes are driving up bills, impacting health, worsening emissions, and leaving too many people in the cold.
But this issue goes beyond the four walls of our homes. Just like with housing, our energy system is shaped by decisions about who gets what—and who is left behind.
Our Broader Fight
At Friends of the Earth, we’re working for big, bold change — where climate solutions are rooted in fairness and serve the common good. That’s why we also campaign for:
Challenging the unchecked expansion of data centres — which are on track to use nearly 30% of Irish electricity by 2030. This is also leading to more expensive energy prices — even as households struggle with energy poverty and are being forced to use expensive, dirty fossil fuels. While households are again facing higher energy bills this winter, data centres aren’t seeing comparable energy price hikes. We believe energy should serve public needs, not private profit. That’s why we held an ‘Energy for Who?’ protest outside Dáil Eireann on September 30th.
Holding the government accountable — Ireland is at risk of missing its legally binding climate targets under national and EU law, putting us on the hook for significant EU fines that taxpayers will have to cover. But the real cost goes beyond money: more climate chaos, more extreme weather, rising inequality, and greater pressure on vulnerable communities here and globally. It undermines efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C and pushes us closer to irreversible tipping points. We need the government to turn climate promises into real, community-driven action—not just headlines—because only sustained action can tackle the climate crisis.
Building a strong movement for justice — rooted in solidarity, action, and care. Together with people like you, we’re pushing for a future where climate solutions are fair, inclusive, and lasting.
The problems we face — like unfair housing, pollution, and unequal access to energy — all come from the same source: a system that puts profit before people. For the past 40 years, neoliberal capitalism and blind faith in markets have led to overconsumption and the exploitation of both people and our planet. These issues aren’t separate—they’re all connected.
To solve them, we need to rethink the systems that shape our economy, our environment, and our daily lives. It’s easy to feel powerless in the face of it all. But the truth is: change has always started with people like you.
29- Irish Environmental Network Newsletter
Below is our November newsletter. Of particular interest to PPN groups will be the Introduction to LEADER webinar on Oct 10th. Hear from John Orme who will give an introduction from a national perspective, and from PPN Reps who will share their experience. More info and register here.
Also of interest will be the IEN Winter Conference on Dec 7th! I am excited to invite PPN members to join IEN members at this conference, where we will be covering topics that have been requested throughout the year. Register now to secure your place and keep an eye out for the full agenda. More info and register here.
There's also lots more events taking place in Wicklow, Dublin, Belfast, Kilkenny, Offaly, Tipperary, Monaghan, Carlow, Laois and Online, as well as news and announcements below.
If you have any questions or additions for the next newsletter you can reach me at catherine@ien.ie. If you are organising any events or meetings for your Environmental groups or Representatives that you would like promoted, you can send them to me for the newsletter or our social media channels.
As always this newsletter is free to share in full or in part. If you want to share the full newsletter here is the link: https://conta.cc/4ojPiU2
Is mise, le meas,
Catherine.
(Irish Environmental Network/Environmental Pillar)
30- Barriers to Involvement in PPNs Webinar
Dear PPN Staff,
As you will be aware, on foot of a recommendation in the PPN Structural Review report, S3 Solutions was commissioned by the Department to undertake research to explore ‘Barriers to Involvement in PPNs’.
PPNs, their individual member groups and others in the wider PPN community participated in the research, and we would like to thank everyone for your valuable contributions.
We are pleased to advise that the final ‘Barriers to Involvement in PPNs’ report has been published, together with an ‘Easy-Read’ version for greater accessibility. Both documents are available on the PPN landing page in link here.
We are also pleased to invite you, the secretariat and member groups to an upcoming webinar on the research, where the report will be presented by the lead researcher, Eamonn Seydak, of S3 Solutions. Eamonn will present on the findings of the research and will be taking questions afterwards.
Webinar details are as follows:
Date: 12th November 2025
Time: 18.00 hours to 19:00 hours
MS Teams Webinar Registration Link: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/932c213a-c289-42ec-bf45-f5b5cc3e54b7@cffd37b1-d416-411b-938d-3d3a61c6be29
31- Your Community, Your Services
We are delighted to invite your organisation to take part in “Your Community, Your Services”, a whole community event showcasing the wide range of supports and services available across County Cavan.
Date: Tuesday November 18th
Time: 11.00am – 13.00pm
Venue: Johnston Central Library, Cavan.
This event will give your service the opportunity to:
Promote your work and raise awareness of the supports you provide
Connect directly with members of the public and other organisations
Build stronger community links and networks
Hear first-hand from service users about their needs and the gaps in information and access they experience
The fair brings together community, voluntary, and statutory organisations in one space, creating a valuable opportunity for collaboration and connection.
We are so appreciative for your participation and help to make information more accessible for everyone in our community.
Included here is a poster for the event and would be grateful if you could display this in your service, distribute to service users, advertise via your social media channels.
We extend our thanks to all services for their collaboration on this event:
32- Friends of Castle Lake & Catchment Newsletter
Dear Friends,
I am delighted to share our latest Friends of Castle Lake & Catchment Newsletter, packed with updates from our busy summer and autumn!
Inside, you’ll find highlights from recent events like our Bat and Bird Detective launch, Heritage Week talks, and local citizen science projects with DCU. You’ll also find updates on our water testing at Lough Acurry, new members joining the team, and a special thank-you to all our amazing volunteers.
It’s been another season full of learning, community spirit, and care for our local nature, and it’s all thanks to your continued support.
Read the newsletter below:
33- Literacy Opens Doors Events
Literacy in Ireland
In Ireland, around 700,000 adults struggle with reading and understanding information. Around 835,000 struggle doing everyday maths like dividing a bill in a restaurant*. This means they may find it difficult to:
fill in a form;
work out a discount in a shop; or
help kids with homework.
Community and voluntary organisations provide essential support and services to communities across Ireland. You are in a unique position to champion literacy and be a support to those who are nervous or embarrassed to ask for help. Join us for this webinar series to learn more.
You can register for each event through the links below.
If you join us for all four webinars, you will receive a NALA Certificate of Completion.
For more information, contact Derv in NALA at dryan@nala.ie or on 01 255 1868
34- Drug & Alcohol Awareness Week Webinars
The Social Exclusion and The Importance of Sleep webinars will take place next week.
There are other webinars also scheduled for next week.
Please click on the link below to book all the webinars.
35- SDG National Stakeholder Forum
SDGs National Stakeholder Forum
SDG Localisation – SDGs Working Locally
Tuesday December 2nd UCC.
Please join us in Cork on December 2nd for our final forum of 2025.
Registration opens at 7pm on Thursday, November 6th with an additional release of tickets at 10:00am on Friday, November 7th.
You can register for attendance here
All workshops will be live streamed with interaction available via Slido.
The Communicating the SDGs workshop will have ISL interpretation and live captioning.
The four workshops you can choose from are:
Communicating the SDGs – Bringing the Message Home
Synergies for Success – Identifying Potential for Community collaboration
Localising the SDGs - Charting Ireland’s Path to Voluntary Local Reviews
Healthy Cities – Urban living in an SDG informed world
Looking forward to seeing you in UCC on December 2nd
The SDG Team
36- FASN Run
We’re staging Alice in Winterland: a family Christmas show at Drumavaddy Hall (5th–7th Dec). It’s a lively, modern perfirmace packed with sungung, dancing, fun, and familiar hits. We’re inviting local businesses to sponsor with funds going towards advertising, venue hire, costumes, props, and production. Sponsorship can be any amount. All donations welcome.
Sponsors will be featured in our programme, on social media, and acknowledged during the shows.
It’s a great way to support local creativity and keep family entertainment and spending right here in our community instead of going elsewhere.
If you’d like to come on board, you can write a cheque or make a bank transfer to Pothole Productions Cavan — I can share the details.
Please see the poster attached for more about the event. We are also on all social media platforms.
Thanks for helping make this local production something special for Cavan families!
Best,
Vanessa Galligan
086-7333328
37- Ballyhaise Afterschool Supports
38- Cavan Beekeepers Honey Show
Honey Show Rules & Entry Form
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