What is The Neart Initiative?

Neart is the Irish word for “strength”

The Neart Initiative is an umbrella term for the 10 year framework to create a sustainable community for future generations of islanders, for our island development, as suggested by the Sherkin Island Community through numerous community consultations.

The Neart Initiative has the goal of rejuvenating and supporting our island economy, creativity, education, green technologies, farming, fishing, biodiversity and all that a thriving, vibrant community needs to carry our islanders into the future of sustainable living. 

A Sustainable community with its own unique quality of life 

Our goal, with the Neart Intiative, is to ensure that the life of Sherkin Island community continues and evolves, as a sustainable community with its unique quality of life, for future generations of Islanders and visitors.

Why use an umbrella term such as The Neart Intitiave?

It is a flexible term that allows for SIDS to submit to a wider range of funding and support programmes for all the island – for the development and expansion of a community spaces on Sherkin, to include a Neart Hub, for agricultural, fishing, enterprise, the arts, sustainable energy, biodiversity and food sectors. For community, education and Covid pandemic supports. Anything that can support development on the island. 

What IS COVERED UNDER THE NEART INitiative?

The Neart Initiative – choosing which developments to focus on is decided by our Sherkin Island Community. It is a framework under which we can explore how we move forward and what we can achieve, under the core pillars of the areas of Social, Cultural, Economy. These categories will form development for Sherkin Island into the future

The framework is purposely fluid, to allow for these developments to be revised continuously by the community, SIDS, the office, the members, the committee, as our island needs evolve and change.

Some of our projects will benefit from being names ” The Neart X” such as the purchase and development of the old school, and the new community hall building, which can now be defined as “The Neart Hub” at the heart of the island, on the shores of Cuinne Harbour.