Rural crime and rural isolation remain the key issues facing communities in Ireland, according to a recent survey Macra na Feirme conducted on its members.
25% of members surveyed identified rural crime as the biggest issue facing communities, while 20% of members highlighted rural isolation as the key challenge.
The results of the survey come as Macra na Feirme launches its biggest annual community initiative for 2018 ‘Know Your Neighbour’.
Know Your Neighbour
Launching the event, Minister for Rural and Community Development Michael Ring said: “The Know Your Neighbour campaign by Macra na Feirme is a great initiative.
“Whether you’ve lived in an area your whole life or have just moved in, getting to know your neighbours is very important.
It binds our communities together. No telephone call or text conversation can replace physically meeting someone for a chat over a cup of tea.
In the survey, depopulation was also identified as a major concern along with access to key local services.
When asked about essential rural services such as the post office, 45% of members surveyed admitted they only used their local post office a couple of times a year.
Speaking at the campaign launch, Macra na Feirme national president James Healy said: “This is the 13th year of Know Your Neighbour and, over that period of time, it has grown to be one of the cornerstones of what Macra na Feirme stands for.
L-R: Macra na Feirme president James Healy; and Minister for Rural and Community Development Michael Ring
“It’s only through a strong sense of community spirit that rural Ireland can thrive. Whether you live in a sparsely-populated region or a city or town, it’s important to have a relationship with those living around you.
“Our recent survey showed that 96% of Macra na Feirme respondents know who their neighbours are at the very least, which shows in my opinion that campaigns such as this one, do have an impact.”
Every year Macra na Feirme encourages its clubs to set up a Know Your Neighbour event in their locality and encourage everyone in the region to attend.
Events
Clubs can organise an event any day of week. In the past barbecues, country walks, sports days and local area clean-ups have all been held.
For those interested, further information on the Know Your Neighbour events is available on the Macra na Feirme website.