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

Creation of pocket forests in the border areas area

Creation of pocket forests in the border areas ...

Work with https://www.pocketforests.ie/ to RECONNECT PEOPLE WITH NATURE in border communities. They reconnect people with nature through education workshops to rejuvenate soil and grow native trees, shrubs and woodland flowers to bring a forest ecosystem to your community. WHAT IS A POCKET FORESTS. forests in small spaces. special method of growing small biodiverse forests.

Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, Cavan, Monaghan, Louth

Health Care Forests

Inspire and support healthcare sites in transforming their green space for health, wellbeing and biodiversity. Ideas include beautiful gardens for rest and recovery; woodland, orchards and meadows that lock up carbon and create habitats for wildlife; and growing space for fruit and veg. https://nhsforest.org/ lots of evidence about the benefits linking nature and well being. Also lots of examples of projects in action to learn from. Can link into social prescription projects.

Monaghan, Louth

Setting up a cross border biodiversity campagin group

Setting up a cross border biodiversity campagin...

Species and habitats don't know borders. Bringing together groups and people interested in Biodiversity to become one voice for the need for more joined up thinking from funders to provide funding for cross border Biodiversity projects. Creating an cross border Biodiversity action plan using the all ireland pollinators plan to build on.

Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, Cavan, Monaghan, Louth

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

Ensuring sewage treatment for Dunfanaghy approp...

As above.

Donegal

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

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

Developing Universal Design Community Garden

Developing and establishing Dundalk Community Garden, based on a Universal Design would be all inclusive, accessible as well as supporting a wide range of needs. It would be a place where all ages and backgrounds could find respite and experience nature, supporting sensory, therapeutic and mental health. It's aim is to engage all levels of ability and backgrounds, children with additional needs, families,young people,single individuals, general population, dementia sufferers, it would support those who feel lonely and isolated no matter the age or gender in gardening, horticultural therapy or just enjoying the change of seasons or to learn something new or inspire connection to nature. Help bridging the gap in town center activities and bringing the community together.

Louth

Raw Materials in Monaghan for artistic use

An idea from the Monaghan Idea Generation Workshop on the theme of Arts; A number of raw materials that could be used by artists can be found in County Monaghan. For instance, deep yellow clay from Glaslough was used in Lisgoa pottery, which supplied earthenware to all the fairs and markets in the county and a fine clay found near Carnmore, Sliabh Beagh was sold to the potteries in Dundalk. Yellow and red ochre, lead, manganese and other minerals used for pigments are also found in the county. It would be great to make use of these to replace imported materials.

Monaghan

Enhance the Carlingford to Omeath Greenway with the rich local history and stories.

Enhance the Carlingford to Omeath Greenway with...

This challenge has come from discussion in the North Louth Idea Generation Workshop on the 30th June 2021. The aim of this Design Thinking workshop is to facilitate interested participants from the local area of Cooley Peninsula who are passionate about improving the Greenway experience for their local community and visitors alike. This group will be facilitated in generating ideas and solutions in tackling this challenge and working towards the goal of enriching the experience for all.

Louth

Create a Cooley Camino Walk

This challenge came from the North Louth Idea Generation workshop held on June 30th 2021. The aim of the Design Thinking course would be to facilitate interested participants in working on creating a Cooley Camino Walk, in and around the Carlingford Lough, Omeath area, mountains and surrounds.

Louth

Community Gardens and Allotments in North County Louth

Community Gardens and Allotments in North Count...

The purpose of this Design Thinking course is to facilitate interested participants who are passionate about creating community gardens and allotments in their local community in North County Louth which would create opportunities for meeting, socialising and growing organic fruit and vegetables to sustain their families and communities.

Louth

Knowledge and Skills for Circular Economy

Educate about why we need to transition from linear to circular economy. Develop a market place for materials for the circular economy.

Cavan

Restoring hedgerows for climate and biodiversity benefits

Restoring hedgerows for climate and biodiversit...

Hedgerows are homes for birds and mammals, support pollinators, shelter livestock from cold and heat, absorb carbon, prevent sediment entering watercourses, and are often last spots where you will see spring woodland flowers. Widespread removal and intensive management is reducing their coverage and benefits. Challenge is to find a way with landowners, communities and others to join together to create a real network of healthy hedgerows stretching across the region.

Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, Cavan, Monaghan, Louth

Wells for Community Connection

To develop exsisting and new places /opportunities for social connection in meaningful ways. Traditionally communities where more dependent on each other and more curious to connect (less distractions) The local community well was a meeting spot for clean water. Meeting at the well and other meeting spots created strong connections. As did the mode of transport ie walking and cycling created opportunities to stop and acknowledge each other. Recreating this type of transport initiative in rural Ireland like electric bikes initatives would help the actions to reduce climate change / and involve tech solutions re the security and charging points as secondary aims. The primary simple aims are social engagement in health promoting initiatives through meeting places as a result of meaningful regular activity.

Louth

Build Compassionate Connected Communities

Build community with training in Asset Based Community Development or similar model Promotion of compassionate connected community including groups and organisations and help them realise their potential to promote health and wellbeing ( 8 dimensions of wellbeing: intellectual wellbeing, occupational wellbeing, environmental wellbeing, relational wellbeing, physical wellbeing, emotional wellbeing, spiritual wellbeing, financial wellbeing)

Louth

Farm to Fork

To provide support to evaluate the possibilities for small farmers to reposition their value in the rural community. To add value to existing farm produce, to share resources to ensure ongoing and shared production of local produce with an outlet for sales, marketing, research and development.

Donegal

River and lakeshore amenity development

Development of walkways around river and lakeshore areas. Incorporating biodiversity and water protection measures

Cavan

Celebrating and Safeguarding our Ancient Landscapes and Histories

Celebrating and Safeguarding our Ancient Landsc...

It's been widely reported that vandalism of Neolithic tombs is an increasing problem across Sligo. A visitor centre on our ancient landscapes could serve a variety of purposes - job creation, education opportunities for local schools, drawcard for tourists, and a way to publicise the importance of the sites and the need to protect them. It could be both a way fundraise for action and a central hub for the groups that are working towards greater education about, and protection of, Sligo landscapes and all its associated stories.

Sligo