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.

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Omeath's forgotten History

Omeath has a unique history and potential for a cultural tourism destination as the village was the home to the first recorded Gaelic match, the first Galteach, a summer residence of Padraig Pearse, the famous blind poet Seamus dall Mac Cuarta, The Fadgies . However, none of the buildings associated with Pearse and the first Gealtach were preserved and neither the heritage or tourism potential has been recognised by either the local authority or failte Ireland, Support and resources are required to promote the history and unique culture and promote the area as a cultural tourism destination.

Louth

Local Museums

Every village in Ireland has a rich history. A history that American tourists, among many others come to find. Why don't we give them somewhere to experience this history. I wanted to open a museum in Drumkeeran, but..... With co-operation from other areas, and with the whole community pulling together, every village could have a little museum. Filled with pictures from the past. Stories from some of the families that have lived here forever. Something in every town or village for the tourists and new residents to learn about the locality, and of Ireland in general and it's place in the world. Most villages have an empty building that could be utilised. Every village have people who could man it. Volunteers to begin with, but in time, they could be paid from the income from the museum entrance fee. Local children could help build the exhibits, and then future generations could visit as part of history lessons. Depending on the ambition of the local community it could go prehistoric

Leitrim

Keeping the West open

Find a way to keep more of Irelands tourist things open longer. The local hotel closes for six months and with it one of our swimming pools. More people moved West during the pandemic, so these people and those already living here need to be recognised. When the tourists go, there is still a population who want to live, to experience things, to enjoy their weekends. It is more important now with the people from the East moving here. If there is nothing for them to do here, what stops them moving back East. It may mean opening shorter hours, or operating differently, but there us still money among the populace, we have to travel to Dublin for music events, don't make u have to travel for everything we want to do.

Leitrim, Sligo, Cavan

Fundraising

Currently fundraising via a Go Fund Me page, difficult in a small rural area as so many other local groups are doing something similar. Can different groups/committees join together to run one overall fundraiser rather then working individually and split the proceeds evenly

Leitrim

Tackling Plastic Waste Locally Via a "Precious Plastic" Project

Tackling Plastic Waste Locally Via a "Precious ...

The Precious Plastic project (https://preciousplastic.com/universe/how-does-it-work.html) is a global programme to tackle plastic waste on a local level by setting up local volunteer led workshops and social enterprises to turn plastic waste back into usable products. The programme has developed in the last few years to focus on creating an ecosystem of training and supports that can give people a wide range of new skills and bring economic and environmental advantages to local communities.

Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo

Communities Working Together for Everyone's Benefit

Communities Working Together for Everyone's Ben...

To gather community groups together to garner support for each other community's project in a positive and procative way

Leitrim

Regeneration and Employment

Develop an apprenticeship program in construction that allows derelict buildings in the village to be used for on site practical learning allowing the application of building and craft skills. Engage the older generations that have the experience and other generations who want to learn creating employment across generations and encouraging people back into the community.

Sligo

Building or arranging free community centers for the activities of Non-profit community organization

Building or arranging free community centers fo...

Non-profit organizations are thriving to stabilize to withstand downturn of the economy especially during this pandemic period. To help the Non -profit community ,arranging free community centers for them to use for their activities/events will help them financially. For example consider a Non-profit organization who are paying hall rent for a group rehearsal/Dance classes …..providing them free hall for specific days in a week will help them financially in better shape.

Cavan

Retail

"That's lovely! Will I click 'buy'? Don't [think] it's available in town." It's a crucial moment. 'Convenience now vs searching town' Bigtech's unfair advantage is scale and 'frictionless' user experience (UXUI) Indigenous retailers by nature will always struggle, is there alternatives to connect that user, that item, with our bricks & mortar reseller? Local gov, if you're listening, help me, help town. We at Glofend Technologies are working on a possible solution to connect offline retailers with online buyers.

Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, Cavan, Monaghan, Louth

Services for Young People in Rural Areas

Young people in rural areas don't get the same level of support as most services are in urban areas. If young people want to access services they need to travel to urban areas. We need to engage with young people in their areas on their behalf. Working with them in their own communities so that they engage with their own communities.

Louth

Town Vitality, How to increase population & visitors

Town Vitality, How to increase population & vis...

Increase town residents = more evening-trade, activity, life, vibrancy, save retail! Your ideas..? Imagine walking through the Savoy Cinema doors (shut 30+ years) into a #CultureQuarter, a hidden village of ...? Craft making, Arts, Studios, 3Dprinting resident’s waste plastic. Affordable indigenous commercial units like 'Donegal Village'. Older generations; could we see a return of reLearning-old-trades before they're lost forever? Mixed-income, multi-generational community-led housing is a norm in many countries. Until more learn Cohousing is not CoLiving, we'll never catch up with other UK/EU towns/cities. or does Sligo continue w 'flats' where nobody needs know their neighbour, or community. Sligo's Courthouse Block ..still ignored, Dereliction has compounded vacancy. #NormalPeople want to live in warmer communities. Down-sizers deserve better options than retirement or nursing village. We can build better stuff in better places!

Sligo

Harmful Chemical Free Communities

I propose the phasing out of harmful toxic chemicals used by County Councils in grounds keeping (parks, flowers, green areas etc). Harmful chemicals include pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and artifical fertilisers etc. Now is the time to take action. We are in an unprecedented time of environmental and human degradation. The health of both systems is intrinsically linked and if we act now we can change our current path.

Cavan

Develop Inclusive Shared Green/Blue Spaces in County Louth

Develop Inclusive Shared Green/Blue Spaces in C...

As a coastal county we have the opportunity to develop a fully accessible sea swimming point for people with disabilities. Louth has beautiful scenery and historic locations that could be connected by accessible cycle lanes. These amenities would benefit the environment and everyone living in County Louth.

Louth

Play and Recreation

Develop play and recreation opportunities for children and teenagers in Termonfeckin and North Drogheda

Louth

Cycle/Walking Trail to Drogheda

Open up the Old Coach Rd from Beltitchburne to Drogheda and extend to Termonfeckin to allow safe walking and cycling as a viable means of transport link. This can keep walkers and cyclists away from the main road and also be suitable for tourism promotion.

Louth

Safe walking and cycling

Ensure that all towns and villages have footpaths and cycle lanes (if feasible) to local shops and schools. Traffic calming measures to be introduced if cycle lanes not feasible.

Louth

Bicycle Lanes

St. Mary’s Road, Dundalk is one of the most elegant wide streets in town with old red brick houses along one side and a heritage stone wall on the opposite. Most of the houses have a Conservation Order on them. 4 years ago the Marist College built a brand new school, as part of the remit bicycle lanes were added to the street, even though the footpath was wide enough to encompass them. As a resident of St. Mary's Road we had to put up with the new lanes because the school could not be completed. We were reassured that they could be reviewed in the future. To date none of the students or others use this bicycle lane. Our problem is that the whole other side of the street has been taken over by a bicycle lane with bollards that’s rarely or ever used and we have no parking on this side. Many residents have complained about this problem. We’re not against cycle lanes but object to the design of the existing ones, which could be accommodated on the extremely wide footpath.

Louth

Clean up rural drinking water

My private well water for drinking is contaminated with Roundup and MCPA

Monaghan