Lios na Circe Residents Association

The word “crisis”, in its original Greek form means “a decisive moment in which a solution is needed quickly”. This sums up exactly the position that we the Lios na Circe Residents Association Castlebar found itself in when the Covid 19 “crisis” reached our shores. Our continued strive to ensure our estate is a clean, inclusive and welcoming place for everyone to enjoy was turned on its head. As most households were staying home and some cocooning, we knew that a new and innovative approach to connecting with each other while staying safe would have to be realised. The age of Zoom meetings were born. Together we had our usual association meetings with representation onto Cluid Housing Association’s National Residents Advisory Board and Anti Social Behaviour Working group. Some of our members attended education courses which would benefit the association. We continue many activities such as Food cloud in collaboration with Le Cheile Family Resource Centre and Tesco, a summer flower planting & litter pick up rota, a walking group, an Easter colouring competition. Christmas 2022 saw an elf all the way from the North pole deliver treats to the children in the Estate. Here’s what some of the residents have to say: “I moved into the estate during the pandemic. I found it awkward to get to know people but with zoom meetings I felt more at ease. I love the community spirit and enjoy our little activities” “I think as a community, the past number of years has brought homes closer together” Our key learnings: • We are a strong residents group who promote social inclusion, aim to tackle Anti-social behaviour whilst realise that some people struggle with life’s events. • We strive to make our estate safe and welcoming to all residents. We encourage unity and cohesion in the estate creating a harmonious environment for all tenants which gives a sense of wellbeing and attributes to good mental and physical health. • We are a resilient bunch of people. Through working together during a crisis we are now equipped with a set of tools ensuring that the growth of community spirit and inclusion will continue to flourish both face to face and online when faced with challenges in the future.