Kildare communities gather to launch next chapter of Turning the Sod

Community representatives, local organisations and residents from across County Kildare came together at the Kildare Community Development Centre for Turning the Sod: Launching the Next Chapter, an event celebrating the programme's achievements to date and setting out an ambitious roadmap for the future.

Hosted by County Kildare LEADER Partnership in collaboration with project partners, the evening marked an important milestone for the Turning the Sod initiative, bringing together participants from across County Kildare to reflect on progress, share experiences and explore new opportunities for community-led action.

The event celebrated the achievements of the first phase of Turning the Sod, highlighting the extensive community engagement, training and local action that has taken place across participating communities over recent years.

Attendees heard inspiring stories from community representatives who shared first-hand accounts of how their involvement in Turning the Sod has strengthened local networks, built confidence and supported communities to identify and progress their priorities.

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A key highlight of the evening was the launch of a series of SMART Community Strategies developed collaboratively with local residents. The strategies, created through an extensive programme of engagement and co-design, provide a clear framework for future community action and investment in communities including Carbury/Derrinturn, Johnstown Bridge/Tirmoghan and Rathangan.

The event also formally launched the next phase of the programme, introducing a new community training programme that will take place from August 2026 to February 2027 in four locations across County Kildare: Prosperous, Coill Dubh & Robertstown, Nurney & Suncroft, and Castledermot & Levitstown.

Through a series of ten two-hour sessions, participants will work alongside community development experts from Icecream Architecture to develop ideas for their local area into practical, achievable SMART Community Strategies.

The project is funded in full through the 2023–2027 LEADER Programme. The need for the project was identified as part of the 2023–2027 Kildare Local Development Strategy, which highlighted the importance of supporting communities to build capacity, strengthen local leadership and develop community-led responses to local needs and opportunities.

Using the Smart Village concept, the aim is to empower people living in rural communities to find practical solutions to the challenges associated with their localities and surrounding areas. Three elements of using the Smart Village concept are identifying local assets, getting access to up-to-date knowledge and taking action.

Organisers are now encouraging residents, community groups, local businesses and anyone with an interest in improving their locality in the four training areas to register their interest through the Turning the Sod website.

People living in Prosperous, Coill Dubh & Robertstown, Nurney & Suncroft, and Castledermot & Levitstown are invited to visit www.turningthesod.ie to find out more about the training programme and receive information on dates, venues and opportunities in their area.

For more information and to register your interest, visit www.turningthesod.ie.