Challenge Bank

Do you have a Challenge in your area that you think could be solved through Design Thinking? Take the next step in your Challenger journey by adding it to the bank!

Courses will be based on the Challenges that people like you, across the region, feel need fresh and innovative thinking. To do this, we’re asking everyone to submit the Challenges that they’d like to tackle collaboratively.

Like and comment on other people's Challenges to show support and increase its chance of being included in a Course. You can filter Challenges by county or category.

Roll over a Challenge for more details. Click to go to the Challenge and like it or leave a comment.

Click to go to the Challenge and like it or leave a comment.

add new challenge

Mohill to Ballinamore Cavan - Leitrim Rail Trail and McGahern experience

Mohill to Ballinamore Cavan - Leitrim Rail Trai...

This programme will examine how local community groups in Mohill Gorvagh Fenagh and Ballinamore can progress the development of the Cavan Leitrim Rail trail project between Mohill and Ballinamore and also a take forward the thinking and concept of developing a "McGahern experience" in the space and place where John McGahern was born, lived and died and of which he wrote so much about and its people.

Leitrim

Roller-Skate Rink in County Monaghan

Identify a group or individuals who may be interested in developing a roller-skating rink in County Monaghan. Perhaps making use of buildings that are not in use; for example, along the N2, there is a car dealership building that is no longer in use.

Monaghan

Ensuring sewage treatment for Dunfanaghy appropriate to present and to future needs.

Ensuring sewage treatment for Dunfanaghy approp...

As above.

Donegal

Visual Food Menus for Adults with Intellectual disabilities

Visual Food Menus for Adults with Intellectual...

I work within a residential setting in Sligo with adults with an intellectual disability. An area we find challenging for adults with ID is not being able to read a menu when out socially in Sligo or indeed in most counties in Ireland. Inclusion in our society/ community should be for all. The adults I support can find this embarrassing that a staff member would have to read the menu for them, challenging and difficult that no visual menus are on display. We all have a right to be Included within our society. I would strongly like to highlight this as a major challenge for them. I and the people I support would like the opportunity to change this. What supports and help can you provide to us.

Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, Cavan, Monaghan, Louth

Upgrading energy efficiency measures

Challenge :Upgrading energy efficiency measures to an existing building for charity organisation Save Our Homeless Dundalk.

Louth

Creating Smart Communities in County Cavan

Centralised around the 13 remote working hubs in County Cavan, we would like to bring together forward-thinking ideas of how we might create smart communities to live and work in. Areas of development could overlap across digital, environmental, economical and social aspects of how our local communities can thrive.

Cavan

Community radio

A local community radio for muirhevnamor based on community events in the area

Louth

Sharing the beauty and peculiarity of Ardee Bog: Ecological Survey & Community Outreach

Sharing the beauty and peculiarity of Ardee Bog...

The purpose of this challenge is to raise awareness of Ardee Bog as an important landscape for biodiversity, carbon sequestration and recreation. Friends of Ardee Bog (FAB) wish to carry out an ecological survey of a sample area of Ardee Bog, and share the knowledge we acquire with the community through outreach. The ecological assessment would investigate which species are supported by the sample area of the bog and would evaluate its rewetting and rewilding potential. FAB would then share our knowledge of the bog and its biodiversity through setting up a ‘pop-up’ shop in Ardee in which we could exhibit artwork and information, host educational workshops and organise site visits. FAB would formulate a fundraising plan for the project as part of the challenge. This challenge would equip FAB with valuable knowledge and experience which would help us to carry out similar and potentially larger projects in the future.

Louth

Clarkes bridge Redevelopment

A very busy junction used by up to 5000 cars a day, That is in need of redevelopment for both Safety & commercial purposes.

Sligo

Securing a safe Footpath/cycle track between Dunfanaghy and Portnablagh - or better still - to Ards

Securing a safe Footpath/cycle track between Du...

As above - plans exist

Donegal

Back to the Future

Given the supply chain issues that emerged during Covid, let’s create a model of rural sustainability by promoting self sustaining communities of yore using solar and wind power. The individual small individually owned farms could be consulted, supported and encouraged to create products to add value to keep rural dwellers able to be rural dwellers.

Donegal

Recruiting new members & volunteers

We will be undertaking a major redevelopment of Letterkenny Community Centre over the next number of years and require new volunteers and board and committee members to help.

Donegal

Towards 2025: Community Groups Connecting

What does the future hold for your community group? Our communities have grown and changed over the past number of years, how we engage and interact with one another is also changing. The needs, wants and ambitions of people who live in our local area and how we connect is becoming more diverse too. Is it time to take a fresh approach to engaging your communities’ greatest asset, IT’S PEOPLE! Some of the challenges faced by all community groups. > How can you better understand your community, it’s people, who they are, their wealth of skills, talents and diversity? > Are there untapped skills in your community which could bring a new energy to your community organisation? > How can you connect with them and engage them moving forward? > How can you empower your community group and its residents? > How can you support your community grow and deliver in these ever changing times? Why not start the journey today to re-focus and re-energise your community group.

Donegal

Simple Bi-lingualism symbolism (Irish language/heritage,) as core rural/economy/tourism accelerator

Simple Bi-lingualism symbolism (Irish language/...

The history, heritage, culture of Irish family and place names could be leveraged by many Innovating Community project challenges. Symbolism is powerful, transforming ordinary story lines into remarkable narratives. Border counties have both Anglo and Gaelic stories to tell, two facets. Innovation is the goal. The cultural popularity of Breaking Bad (two personas in one) and Game of Thrones (borrows heavily from the Irish "Book of Invasions") is proof re-visualizing our landscape/projects with bi-lingual/cultural bias has merit. Bi-bilingualism as symbolic principle in signage is a start. Over time we can develop great products and enhanced story lines by tapping our rich Anglo and Gaelic Irish heritage. Innovation happens everywhere, from simple ideas. Note: I am working alone on some Digital Heritage Development ideas, so would love to work with others to explore ideas to embrace Gaelic Irish heritage, not ignore it.

Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, Cavan, Monaghan, Louth

Lack of Access to Water Sports

Living in Cooley area, Co. Louth, I have noticed that even though we are living very close to the sea there is a lack of access to affordable/free water sport equipment. As a result most local families don't engage with water sports as it is very expensive. The idea would be to set up community group and apply for funding for container and water sports equipment that could be used by local community.

Louth

A Community Based Landscape Vision for the Protection and Renewal of the Pettigoe Plateau.

A Community Based Landscape Vision for the Prot...

This large upland area in south Donegal contains some of the best natural, cultural and heritage landscapes in the country. The course would aim to bring people together to learn about this unique landscape, what the threats and opportunities are, and to then establish a vision for this unique area, much of it still in a semi-wilderness state in the year 2021. The challenge would be to involve local landowners including farmers and forestry companies; local comunities and people living on or bordering the plateau such as the villages of Pettigo, Laghey and Ballintra, and all local groups/national agencies who collectively have an interest in taking environmental/economic issues effecting the area seriously - while exploring the opportunities such a plan could create in enhancing and restoring these uplands over the coming decades.

Donegal

A community space for activities

Challenge raised at the Idea Generation Workshop for Ballybay- A community space for activities

Monaghan

Greenway from Ballybay to Castleblayney

Challenge raised at Idea Generation Workshop for Ballybay - Greenway from Ballybay to Castleblayney - perhaps a Recreational Corridor?

Monaghan