Civic Dollars reward health and wellbeing in Waterford
Mayor of Waterford City and County, Cllr. Seamus Ryan is pictured at the launch of the Civic Dollars initiative in Kingfisher Club. Alos included were Eoin Morrissey, Healthy Waterford Healthy City & County Coordinator, Dylan White, Active Travel Communications and Behavioural Change Officer, Waterford City and County Council, Stephen McPeake, Founder & CEO, Civic Dollars, Lauren Walsh-Kett, Waterford Sports Partnership, Sinead Breathnach, Senior Executive Officer, Community & Sports, Waterford City and County Council, Keith Murphy, Waterford City and County Council, Johnny Brunnock, Waterford City and County Council, David Abbott, Waterford Sports Partnership and Niamh McGuinness, Rural Recreation Officer, Waterford Leader Partnership.
A new initiative called 'Civic Dollars' was launched last week by Waterford City & County Council in conjunction with Waterford Sports Partnership, as part of the Healthy Waterford Programme.
The initiative is part of theHealthy Waterford programme and Active Cities Project and is designed to encourage residents to enjoy the city and county’s parks and open spaces while improving health, wellbeing, and community connection.
The Civic Dollars app rewards people for spending time outdoors in designated 'earn zones' across Waterford and for every 30 minutes spent in these areas, users earn Civic Dollars which can be exchanged for rewards from participating local businesses.
They can also be donated to community organisations and charities. In launching the programme, Mayor of Waterford City and County, Cllr. Seamus Ryan, said: “This is a fantastic initiative that encourages people to get outdoors and enjoy our beautiful parks and green spaces.
"Civic Dollars gives us a creative way to support physical and mental wellbeing while also boosting our local businesses and community groups. It’s about building a stronger, healthier Waterford for everyone.”
Eoin Morrissey, Healthy Waterford Coordinator, added: “Healthy Waterford is about supporting people to live full, active and healthy lives. The introduction of Civic Dollars adds a really engaging and inclusive way for people to make small positive changes that benefit their health and the wider community."
Stephen McPeake, CEO and Founder of Civic Dollars, also welcomed the initiative: “We’re delighted to be working with Waterford City and County Council, Waterford Sports Partnership and the Healthy Waterford team to launch Civic Dollars in the county.
"This programme builds on our work across Ireland and internationally - from Donegal to Denmark, to the USA - showing how rewarding people for simply spending time outdoors can have a real impact on health, wellbeing, and local economies."
"Waterford is a perfect place to bring this to life, and we’re excited to see how it helps residents get active and connected," he said.
The initiative in Waterford forms part of the Healthy Ireland Framework and reflects the Council’s commitment to promoting physical activity and community wellbeing.
To find out more contact Eoin Morrissey eoinmorrissey@waterfordcouncil.ie or Lauren Walsh Kett lwalshkett@waterfordsportspartnership.ie
