Phibsboro’ Village Tidy Towns (PVTT) was set up late in 2014 with a view to enhancing and improving the urban village of Phibsborough and began entering the annual Tidy Towns competition in 2015. Initially focused on litter and tidiness, the organisation has expanded to comprise the Clean Up Crew, the Climate Club with a Biodiversity Group, and a Sustainability Group, as well as the core Committee.

Our Clean Up Crew engage in regular clean ups, working with Dublin City Council to tackle littering, graffiti, and dumping. We involve different groups from the community, including scouts, school groups, sports clubs, and refugee/migrant groups. We are also involved in street art projects to help improve the appearance of the built environment.

The Biodiversity Group meets fortnightly to do some gardening at our Villa Bank Biodiversity garden, our recently created and launched nature haven, filled with native, pollinator-friendly plants. Members also regularly take part in workshops, seminars, guided walks, and information sessions, on diverse topics from pocket parks to invasive species, pollinator-friendly planting to bat watching. We have also published a BAP (biodiversity action plan) for the area, and regularly engage with stakeholders like the Metrolink Project, the Eirgrid Powering Up Dublin Project and the Royal Canal Greenway Project to promote and protect the unique habitats, vegetation, and wildlife of the area. We are also focused on education and information sharing, such as providing insect workshops in local schools and wildflower planting demonstrations at the launch of Villa Bank Garden.

The Sustainability Group has produced an Energy Master Plan for Phibsborough, detailing the area’s fossil fuel use and identifying opportunities for energy efficiency. The information is freely available on our website for the use of local residents, businesses and transport users. Our clothes swap during Phizzfest was a big success, extending the life of good quality clothes and reducing waste. The group also works closely with other local sustainability-focused groups like SPARK led by Bohemians Football Club and the Dublin 7 Triple SEC (sustainable energy committees) Alliance, sharing knowledge and experience, on various larger scale and longer term projects, from rainwater planters to solar PV.

In addition, our annual Buzzfest event in September is a hugely popular family-friendly occasion, comprising repair cafés, clothes swaps, information stalls, hands-on biodiversity workshops, baking, garden and photography competitions, music, food and fun.

Our ongoing collaborations with the Phizzfest Stitchers and Dublin 7 Men’s Shed have resulted in wonderful initiatives such as our Sustainable Crochet Christmas Tree which was set up in the garden of Phibsborough Library and created quite a stir.

Our Biodiversity & Circular Economy Map launched at the 2023 AGM is designed to help local residents identify our many urban green spaces and access businesses in the area which promote sustainability through repairing, reusing and recycling

New volunteers are always welcome to get involved. More information is available from our website and social media channels:

https://www.phibsborovillage.com/

https://www.facebook.com/phibsborotidytown

https://www.instagram.com/

https://twitter.com/PhibsTidyTown