Summit to focus on growing opportunities for Rural Town & Villages

Bobby Connolly Speaker at Rural Development and Enterpirse Summit

Monday 4th March 2019 is an important date for community organisations, business representative groups and entrepreneurs across the County of Carlow as Carlow County Council host a Rural Development & Enterprise Summit in the Lord Bagenal Hotel, Leighlinbridge with moderator, RTE’s Ear to Ground Helen Carroll, to help unleash opportunities for rural communities for investment and development.

The summit is designed to help interested parties in developing opportunities for them as individual entrepreneurs and also as communities to access funding and supports to make their visions a reality.

Launching the summit , Cllr. Brian O ‘Donoghue, Cathaoirleach of Carlow County Council said “Rural communities are a really important part of the fabric of County Carlow and it’s a major part of our role as both elected members and officials to support rural communities to develop and grow so they realise their ambition and innovative potential”. O ‘Donoghue continued to say “we would encourage all to engage in this important event for County Carlow which has been designed to help build pathways to progression for communities and businesses to access funding and supports”.

Speakers at the Summit include , Bernie O’Brien , Director of Services with Carlow County Council , Turlough O’Brien – Carlow GAA Senior Football Manager , Tracey Kehoe from Remote Connect , Kathleen Holohan , Chief Executive of Carlow County Council , John Brophy , Chairperson of Carlow Local Community Development Committee , Lorna Buggy of Buggy Curtain Making Service , Kieran Comerford , Head of Enterprise with the Local Enterprise Office and Bobby Connolly who is facilitator for the 2019 Town & Village Business Support Development Programme.

Speaking about the benefits of the summit , Bobby Connolly said “I often find when dealing with enterprises that people often spend too much time working in the business and not on the business and this Summit is a way in which people can invest 2 hours in their future to learn from their peers, hear about new opportunities in order to find a different opportunity pathway for themselves, their communities and their businesses”.

The summit is funded as part of the Town & Village Scheme 2018/19 and part of Local Enterprise Week 2019 – Making it Happen and speaking about the event, Kathleen Holohan, Chief Executive with Carlow County Council said “we are delighted to be able to spearhead this event for rural communities to avail of new opportunities” , Holohan continued to say “to date Carlow County Council has worked in partnership with communities to deliver €2.7million worth of investment via 28 projects dedicated around improving the fabric of rural towns and villages while also developing a blueprint for future opportunities” , Holohan concluded by saying “we encourage communities to approach us with their ideas as part of this event”.

The Town & Village Scheme is co-ordinated by Helen Ryan , Economic Development Officer with the Local Enterprise Office in Carlow County Council and speaking about the programme Helen said “working with communities on the Town & Village scheme we are always amazed by the significant voluntary input and vision of community groups and entrepreneurs around the County” , Ryan continued to say “we recommend communities engage with us early so that we can understand their vision for their community and work with them to deliver this via the opportunities available to the County”.

The Town & Village Rural Development & Enterprise Summit is being held on Monday 4th March 2019 , in the Lord Bagenal Hotel , Leighlinbridge , Co. Carlow from 7pm-9.30pm and to book a place call 059-9129783 or log onto https://www.localenterprise.ie/Carlow/Training-Events/Online-Bookings/

 

ENDS

For further information contact Helen Ryan on 059-9129783 hryan@carlowcoco.ie or Kieran Comerford on 0868252037 kcomerford@carlowcoco.ie

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