Kilanerin Ballyfad Community Development Associateion – Sustainable Energy Community

Kilanerin Ballyfad Community Development Association joined the Sustainable Energy Community (SEC) element of SEAI Sept, 2018. After establishing a leadership team, one of the next steps was to start raising awareness across the community about the SEC specifically and sustainability more broadly.

The idea of hosting a Sustainability Fair took shape as one way to bring information in a format that would also be a fun, family day out.

We started out with a simple vision—let’s bring together the people we know who know something about this topic of sustainability.

Let’s see how we can best organize an event that will encourage whole families, multiple generations, to come out.

Let’s see if we can offer a wide variety of topics and information; so wide that everyone who comes will be able to find JUST ONE THING that they might do differently, add to their ‘kit bag’ of what’s possible for 'me' to help the environment.

Let’s not LECTURE OR TELL PEOPLE what they must do; let’s suggest --- take away JUST ONE THING that you are willing to do within your life / your home / your family / JUST ONE THING, start there.

The impact in the community is building, we are now in the midst of creating our Energy Master Plan.  We have over 300 households who have completed and returned an energy survey for their home.  This is 25% of the households in our catchment area.  I'm told this a very strong result (and we are not quite finished!) for a survey.

We high hopes for continuing this work with strong participation and we see a bright future of energy savings and possible renewables coming into place across our rural, farming community.

When I came to Kilanerin, March 2018 I had recently left fulltime employment and wanted to engage in the area where I live.  So, through the jigs and the reels, I came to join Tidy Towns and take up the mantle for Sustainable Waste & Resource Management.  In researching for that, I found the SEAI - SEC.  Took the concept to the development group in the village and with a 'yes' from them, I became chair of the leadership group.

I participated in the very first Earth Day in the US when I was in secondary school and from that day to this, the environment, the world we have to live in and how we care for it has been a thread sown deeply in my core.  Do I have a solid 30+ year record in this area?  No.  My career led me to accumulate a carbon footprint that I am not likely to overcome.  However, I now have the time to attend to the thread sown deeply in my core.  This work, all the many elements of it surely will be something I do for many years to come.

Why did I do this work?  Because I am fortunate to be able to spend time this way; because I have sufficient commercial background to be able to work within the grant and consultant and community sphere; because it is work that needs to be attended to by as many able people as possible.  I am one - taking one step at a time, learning as I go, considering success as the ability to impact positively as many people in this community as possible.  Through awareness, bringing tangible change options forward for households to consider, being in the queue, at the front, for grants to make the work needed possible.

The impact in the community is building, we are now in the midst of creating our Energy Master Plan.  We have over 300 households who have completed and returned an energy survey for their home.  This is 25% of the households in our catchment area.  I'm told this a very strong result (and we are not quite finished!) for a survey.

We high hopes for continuing this work with strong participation and we see a bright future of energy savings and possible renewables coming into place across our rural, farming community.

On a day to day basis, people are talking about PLASTIC and how to reduce its use in their home; SINGLE USE items and how they work to avoid them; light bulbs, heating controls, heat pumps, solar electric -- these are part of the conversation.  Not that the Sustainability Fair brought them to everyone, we have homes and farms taking good advantage of what's on offer to reduce the use of fossil fuels.  The Sustainability Fair brought the community together to see, hear and learn more about what's happening, what's possible and more -- all in a neighbourhood space, with family and neighbours attending.

The Sustainability Fair is billed as 'First in Wexford'.  The pride that comes with being in a leading position with something like climate change, sustainability, renewables, and all that is encompassed in this, that is a pride we take to heart in this community.  The numbers who attended were massive for a small rural area of North Wexford, the generations who came together was great to see and the openness to what's possible, what changes can make a difference in a home brought hope to the hearts of those of us who brought the fair to reality.

Awareness raising is not a one off project.  We view the fair as the cornerstone and from its start, we are continuing with a Seminar Series, pushing our SEC to keep moving forward.  There are a few items we think worked well and would recommend other groups to be sure to consider.

We used a wide array of ways to reach our community:

First we created a logo for the SEC:

We used the logo consistently.  We also kept our message simple and consistent throughout the lead-up to the event:

Meet locals in wide ranging elements of sustainability in business.  From energy efficiency and re-newables to food and farming; test drive an electric vehicle; calculate your carbon footprint. Hear from experts in their fields – Learn about grants for home energy work. Demonstrations and games for the younger set.  Events for all ages.  Come along for a bit of fun & see what’s possible

Broad distribution of our message – social media, print, radio, word of mouth

v Facebook Pages of the Community Centre, GAA

v Instagram for Development Group

v Websites for the Community, the Tidy Towns

v Twitter – we set up an account and linked up with as many of the local accounts as possible to broaden our reach

v We had several articles in the Gorey Guardian about what was coming and after the event, how it went off, etc

v We had a slot on SE Radio on an interview show to talk about value of attending the day

v We sent flyers out at the schools and throughout the neighbourhoods

v We had large posters out on the key roads to remind and direct people to the event

v Schools and churches supported and sent message out

Awareness raising requires Awareness building!

Goal 7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

Goal 8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

Goal 12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

Goal 13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts*

Goal 15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

Kilanerin-Ballyfad area - North Wexford

Karen Finigan

083 878 2718