Drop Down Menu
  Search...
 

Civic Dollars Project in Inishowen 26.04.24

FOLLOWING on from the resounding success of last year’s Civic Dollars Pilot Project, Donegal County Council is delighted to announce the extension of this innovative initiative over the next two years.

Participants download the Civic Dollars mobile phone app (on Google Play or the App Store) and earn online credits by spending time in local outdoor resources that have been identified countywide. Credits can then be redeemed in exchange for local and countywide rewards provided by the local business community e.g., a discounted coffee or discounted entry into a local attraction or donate them to a locally identified community group who can exchange them for rewards.
Cllr. Niamh Kennedy, Chair of Donegal LCDC pictured launching the Civic Dollars Project with (L-R) Stephen McPeake, CEO Civic Dollars; Margaret Fitzgerald, Healthy Ireland Coordinator and Paddy Doherty, Senior Executive Officer, Community Development at the Shore Front Walk, Killybegs.
The app measures time spent in a designated ‘Earn Zone’ and does not record steps or distance to ensure the project is inclusive of participants with mobility or health issues. The technology used is non-invasive and privacy-friendly, by only using GPS data and allowing users to opt in once they enter an ‘earn zone’. Data is anonymised, and a user’s session will end automatically once they walk out of the ‘earn zone’ geo-fence.

Speaking from the Shore Front Walk, Killybegs, Chair of Donegal Local Community Development Committee, Cllr. Niamh Kennedy said: “A measure of the success and popularity of the Civic Dollars project is in its growth from an initial five sites identified as ‘earn zones’ at our pilot launch in 2023 to over eighty sites across the county - including playgrounds, beaches, parks, trails, forest walks and the shore front walks”.

Cllr. Kennedy added: "The Civic Dollars project aims to provide people with an incentive and support to improve their mental health, increase their physical activity levels, and encourage engagement with local community groups and support for the local business community."

Identified ‘Earn Zones’ in the Civic Dollars project across Inishowen:

• Buncrana Playground
• Ballyliffin Beach
• Ballyliffin Playground
• Barrack Hill Park Carndonagh
• Buncrana Amazing Grace Heritage Trail
• Moville Playground
• Muff Community Park
• Carndonagh Playground
• Culdaff Beach
• Culdaff Playground
• Swan Park, Buncrana

For further information about the Civic Dollars Project and details of participating community groups and businesses visit www.donegalcoco.ie .

To download the app visit www.civicdollars.com .
 
:: Return to > Top Stories    > News    > Home