A new community group aimed at giving Keady’s community what it wants with a focus on “bringing people together” is set to hold its first public meeting at the end of January.
The group, known as Keady 4 All, has been assembled by a group of people who have long been active – both individually and as part of other organisations or businesses – in the town, including Councillor Bróna Haughey.
Speaking to Armagh I, the Sinn Féin representative described the decision to create the group as “organic” and came about in response to a conversation between Irish Language Preschool, Naíscoil an Chéide’s committee members.
She explained: “We had held a tractor run and other things earlier in the year and just noticed that there’s a lot of demand for this sort of thing in Keady.
“So many parents had said they would love to see more of that. Keady has so much potential.”
While the area is brimming with opportunity, Bróna explained that some community projects have “fallen by the wayside” in recent years with “one thing or another” and people just generally being busy.
One of the focuses of the new Keady 4 All group will be to provide a “central focal point”, to ensure community projects, groups and individuals all have access to the same information and support.
Describing the town as “fantastic”, Bróna is emphatic about the group’s desire to give the public what they want.
To find out exactly what that is, the Keady 4 All team have planned to host a public meeting in the main hall of Keady’s Tommy Makem Arts Centre on January 30, 2025 at 8pm.
Bróna outlined the plans for the meeting, adding: “The meeting will be for everyone to come in and have their say on what they would like to see in Keady.
“We are going to do it in focus groups across the hour. We will talk about eight different sections, wellbeing and how we can promote wellbeing in Keady.
“From sport to getting elderly people out, preventing loneliness, working with young mothers and families and working out what we can do to get people active.
“We will also look at inclusion. Obviously, there are different communities and people of different nationalities living in Keady so it’s about bringing those people together.
“We will also have a discussion on arts, one on festivals and one on environmental impact, just to get an idea. It will be a quick, five minute chat and then move people around.”
Following this initial meeting Bróna is hopeful that the Keady 4 All team will have enough information to create a Development Plan, which will become a crucial component in their bid to secure funding.
A preliminary meeting has already been held, where a number of individuals and groups keenly expressed their enthusiasm and eagerness to become involved.
Among them is Councillor Ashley Mallon; Lily McAtavey, who was instrumental in organising Keady’s 2013 record-breaking ‘Rock the Boat’ attempt for Cancer Research; Dabadum Drum School owner, Jenny McParland; a number of parents from school Parent-Teacher committees; St Patrick’s Youth Club organisers; several local business owners and inclusive, charitable organisation, Don’t Box Me In.
Of their strategy moving forward, Bróna continued: “We also really want to make it cohesive. We know that there is loads going on in Keady but it’s just really hard to get that sense of everybody knowing about it.
“We are trying to tackle things that effect everybody.
“Keady would have had a great St Patrick’s Festival, so we would be asking questions to see if there’s an appetite for that sort of thing and, if there is, how do we go about doing it?”
The group will be taking part in a promotional day this Sunday (January 19) and are inviting the public to help disperse leaflets and other promotional material.
Interested parties should meet at ‘The Trap’ car park near St Patrick’s Chapel, Keady at 1pm.