John Collins KCC, Cody Shanahan Inspired Tralee, Deputy Mayor of Tralee Cllr Anne O’Sullivan, Kyle Flahive Inspired Tralee , Minister Norma Foley TD, Fiona McCarthy from Inspired Tralee and Liz Maher CEO Inspired Tralee at Inspired’s Scotia Village Tralee. Photo By : Domnick Walsh © Eye Focus LTD ©INSPIRED has welcomed the award of €100,000 from Kerry County Council under the Community Climate Action Programme, representing a significant investment in the continued development of Scotia Village, Ballyard, Tralee.
Scotia Village is being developed as an inclusive hub for climate action, biodiversity, circular economy learning and community engagement, with people with intellectual disabilities and autism at the heart of its development, as co-creators, learners and active contributors within their community.
The funding will support the development of a new Climate-Smart Pod, a purpose-built, accessible and energy-efficient learning and training space that will enable Inspired to expand its climate education, circular economy, biodiversity and community programmes throughout the year.
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Scotia Village provides a unique hands-on environment where adults with intellectual disabilities work alongside schools, volunteers, students, businesses and community partners.
Activities include certified organic food production, beekeeping, biodiversity conservation, composting and circular economy initiatives such as Trash to Treasure, which transforms waste plastic into new products, and Eco-Woodcraft, which repurposes waste timber, and discarded materials.
Speaking about the announcement, Liz Maher, CEO of Inspired, said, “This €100,000 investment is about much more than a building. It is about ensuring that people with intellectual disabilities are not simply included in the climate conversation, but are given the opportunity to lead it. Scotia Village demonstrates what can happen when inclusion, sustainability and community come together. We are extremely grateful to Kerry County Council and the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment for recognising the potential of this work and helping us take the next step through the Community Climate Action Programme.”
According to John Collins, Climate Action Coordinator Kerry County Council; “Kerry County Council are delighted to support this project through the Community Climate Action Programme. It will allow Inspired to scale the environmental programmes that are already underway at Scotia Village and will operate as a low-carbon demonstration building for the group and the wider community.”
Inspired believes the investment will further establish Scotia Village as a practical model of inclusive, community-led climate action, demonstrating how environmental sustainability can simultaneously create skills, confidence, meaningful roles and pathways towards future employment for people with intellectual disabilities.
It’s great that this wonderful group is receiving this funding. However, the project is in Clahane, not Ballyard as stated.