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Anglo Printers MD features in RTE LOCAL HEROES – A Town Fights Back’
Tue Jan 24, 2012

The citizens and business people of the great town of Drogheda have suffered like many other towns and villages from a tsunami of job losses and the constant delivery of bad news on a national and international level which has had a deep and local impact. The opportunity to engage in a people driven process of Regeneration both on an individual level and a town wide basis with the help of RTE TV  was made available to Drogheda initially through an application by Anglo Printers Managing Director and President of Drogheda Chamber, Mr. Padraic Kierans to the novel broadcast programme entitled ‘RTE Local Heroes Drogheda – A Town Fights Back.’

‘Local Heroes Drogheda’ is a cross media regeneration campaign which seeks to identify the practical ways in which the people of Drogheda can take the future into their own hands, through actions in their local economy to create and sustain Irish Jobs. The hope being that many other towns and cities across Ireland would take up the challenge based on the success of Drogheda’s story. This is now happening with many towns and indeed cities up and down the country now following Drogheda’s success – Tuam, Kells, Slane, Burtonport, Limerick, Clonmel and Wicklow town are among the many to join the fightback for  jobs and businesses at a local level.

What was immediately and obviously achieved by securing the chance to be the focal point of this programme was the opportunity to showcase Drogheda on the national broadcaster multi-platforms to the entire country and beyond. If that had been the only achievement it was a massively valuable gain for Drogheda, however, that was the first achievement in what rapidly became a long and impressive list of achievements. The programme aired from 9th November 2011 up until 16th December, although the work started in earnest in July 2011 when the Padraic and his Chamber team set about pitching Drogheda to RTE to win the programme for Drogheda.

 

 

Economic Assertion:

This process has assisted greatly in an analytical review of what Drogheda’s present and future needs for a successful local society are and how they might be prioritised. This ‘Local Heroes’ initiative compliments those efforts and also affords another unique leadership opportunity for Drogheda and it’s local government and it’s community groups.

It affords the chance to directly assist in the empowerment of a whole society across its wide and varied characteristics to come together with the common ambition to improve the economic, social and cultural landscape of this great town Drogheda.

Drogheda, Co. Louth was always recognised as a traditional port town. In the past it has been a stronghold for Manufacturing Industry, with specialists sectors such as footwear and clothing, it is the largest town in Ireland with some 1.7m people living within a 60 km radius. This project has recognised the need to bring a new identity to Drogheda which will focus on its present and future and not long for its Industrial past.

This acknowledgement demands fundamental change in the thinking of the people of Drogheda and how they see their own future, that requires the people of Drogheda to first see that change is needed not merely in policy but essentially in personal and collective vision.

A spark was soon ignited, and all of a sudden shop owners and landlords began to clean up their shop fronts, paint their buildings and get out their hanging baskets. The great pride which once existed in Drogheda Retail was once again returning, an enthusiasm for business to succeed was tangible and could be felt in the atmosphere especially in the town centre area, which many have said lost its sense of enthusiasm and pride many years earlier.

As the story has unfolded on TV, and as people on the ground in the Drogheda communities have felt the benefit of the ‘Local Heroes’ project so too has the fun, excitement and belief returned to the towns people.

Much has been delivered in a very short space of time by the Regeneration Team of ‘Local Heroes Drogheda’, and it is a testimony of the hard work, compatriotism and sense of belief in their town that Drogheda on the Boyne can be proud of this moment in which its community has stepped up to the mark to show Ireland a lead in one of its darkest hours.

When everyone else saw no way out, the citizens and business people of Drogheda have combined to sustain and create enterprise, deliver investment, broadcast hope, attract employment, and showcase business opportunities.

The project has shown that Drogheda can offer sustainability and longevity well into the future, until we are no longer fighting back we are looking forward into a bright and sustainable future.

Every achievement thus far has been secured with little or no funding, but the genuine goodwill of the citizens and business people of Drogheda. They have put their hands in their pocket each and every time they were asked and now we must secure the project’s lifeline.

Achievements to Date:

Over the last 100 days an incredible amount has already been achieved. Listed below are just some of those achievements to date that are directly attributable to the ‘Local Heroes Drogheda’ project:

20,000 people take to the streets for festivities over weekend

€2m boost to local Economy, retailers reporting increase in sales of 25% up to 75% on last year

 

The above list is by no means exhaustive, and in addition must be considered in the context of the timeline. The process actually began following a public meeting held on the 6th September of 2011, followed by an Ideas Summit within 6 Days and then the opening of ‘The Hub’ in quick succession. All this delivered in less than three months, this displays most eloquently the desire of the people of Drogheda to engage in this process, in this format. ‘Local Heroes Drogheda’ continues into 2012 and beyond from the ‘Hub’ at 106 West Street, operated by the Regeneration Team from across the community and including Anglo Printers MD Padraic Kierans.

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