“E-A-R-L-Y” – we all know how to spell that word Enda!

It was suggested by Enda Kenny in last week’s national news that the 2016 General Election would be held in early spring and, just to emphasise the point, the Taoiseach actually spelled the word for us just to make it easier to understand, “Early in the Spring. E-A-R-L-Y.” he stated whilst at an event in Madrid.

Anyone would think he was a school teacher – oh wait a minute, he is!

At least now we know that the country is on General Election footing and have no doubt that ALL the political parties and independent TDs are gathering their troops and starting to plan their election campaigns. And this will give an opportunity to all of us, who have registered to vote, to plan our own questions for those putting their names forward for the 2016 General Election.

For those who have not registered to vote, there is still time to make sure that you can have your say and let me be very clear that everyone should register to vote and then everyone will be allowed to have their say and ultimately influence the result next year. There will no doubt be many sitting TDs hoping and praying that new voters do not appear on the register and, in fact, I am sure that many of these TDs are in fact quite happy at the very poor levels of political engagement seen across this country. This means that they will yet again rely on diehard traditional voters to come out and vote. Thus, returning the same average number of electoral votes we are now used to seeing year after year after year.

Coming back for 2016!

Now, just for one minute, imagine that the whole of Ireland were to become enthused with politics over the next six months and then just imagine how much effort and engagement our political representatives would be forced to make with every single voter. We would all feel the better for increased levels of engagement and therefore we would all be able to grill and demand a better performance from our representatives. You only have to look across the Channel to see what difference higher levels of public engagement has made to the political map in Scotland and in the UK in general. And only when higher levels of public engagement are made can we really hold our representatives accountable to us the V-O-T-E-R.

If we are to make changes for the better in Irish Politics then we, the V-O-T-E-R, must be more vocal, more interactive and we need to benchmark just how our representatives are performing.

We have heard over the last few weeks promises of this funding and that funding for Waterford City and County when, in reality, once you read the very small print, many of these headline grabbers are in fact “pipedreams!” If these are not pipedreams then the promise of funding and game changer investments must be delivered and delivered now. If they cannot be delivered prior to the next Election then Government’s promised investment in our City and County must be ring fenced and we need our existing TDs to “SHOW US THE MONEY!” before E-Day in 2016.

 

I fear that, as we move ever closer to an “E-A-R-L-Y” spring election, we will start to read and hear more and more spin about what has been delivered and what can be delivered in the future.

However, if we are really to see our representatives making a R-E-A-L difference to Waterford, then we, the electorate, must once and for all engage with everyone who puts their name forward for the 2016 Election. We must tell them what we want and let them know that we will be monitoring their performance, their promises and we will ultimately judge their honesty.

What we cannot do in the 2016 General Election is revert back to our old “traditional voting preferences” as that is just what we are expected to do.

Let us “C-H-A-L-L-E-N-G-E” the mediocrity in 2016!

Perception is everything!

When marketing or branding a product or service, that is predominantly aimed at members of the public, our perception is all encompassing to the process of actually successfully buying that product or service.

In circumstances where we have a poor perception of a product or service we are pre-programmed to avoid at all costs and to a greater degree we imagine, rightly or wrongly, that said product or service is inherently poor or inferior, regardless of what the marketing messages might be telling us.

By definition, perception is the process in which we use our senses to acquire information about the surrounding environment or a particular situation.

And how does this exactly relate to Waterford City.

It is very simple. Everyone’s perception of Waterford City varies in an ever so slightly different way because we all sense experiences in slightly differing ways.

To my mind the City still has a huge untapped potential that needs to be realised in the short and medium term to get the City back as the economic hub of the South East. In my current work role and through my involvement with various groups and committees I see firsthand the enormous amount of work being planned and being carried out. This work will, without any doubt, benefit the many businesses and therefore all the people of Waterford City and County in the very near future.

However, as I am so immersed in these processes my perception more often than not differs from that of my family, my close friends and my business colleagues. I just constantly see that the City and County have not really scratched the surface of what is possible to drive the region forward and for Waterford City to regain its rightful place as the fourth City of Ireland (in economic terms). 

I am always a glass half full person.

I do often feel that I am sometimes alone in that positivity or at the very least I am one of a very small minority that sees a positive future vision that will literally put Waterford back on the map.

I have advocated on many occasions, both in print and on radio, that every voter in Waterford should attend at least one Council meeting in their lifetime. This will give voters the chance to see at firsthand how Council runs, functions and operates through our locally elected representatives. It will also help people understand how the City and or County are perceived through the eyes our elected representatives and the council executive.

Is your vision of the City the same as that of our elected representatives?

With an ever improving retail offering we must encourage even more people back into Waterford City Centre to experience these new shopping opportunities and with the proposed additional shopping centre to come on stream we must take every opportunity to drive up footfall in the City Centre.

It is more important than ever to get this right as we now see out of City Centre retail villages offering a real carrot to attracting shoppers – lots of free car parking!

The many City Centre retail shops can encourage people across their threshold with sales, end of season sales and lots of seasonal special offers. So why can we not look towards opportunities that offer a similar enticing promotion based around parking your car?

Monaco where the first hour of car parking is FREE!

Will further reduced car parking rates or specific car parking offers, similar to those in Cork, Limerick, Dungarvan and Kilkenny, bring increased footfall back into to the City Centre?

Well, we will not know until we have tried and until we try we will always be perceived, by the people of Waterford and many of our visitors, as an expensive place to park a car - no matter what the car park sign states the hourly rate might be.

On a sporting day of green Waterford City is turned orange!

Start line - George's Street.

I was fortunate to be asked to Chair the South Eastern Cancer Foundation Solas Centre's main charity fundraiser in 2015, namely the "South East Run and Walk for Life". As a fundraising event it is of huge significance to the Solas Centre so how could I refuse the request. Being involved has literally blown my socks off in terms of how important the Solas Centre is to so many lives right across the South East. 

In light for this my blog this week is the actual final press release I wrote covering the "Run and Walk for Life 2015". I am sure that readers will get a flavour of the event and how we plan to make the occasion even bigger in 2016. 

On Sunday 11^th October over 2,000 people ran, jogged, walked and crawled their way around the Solas Centre Run and Walk for Life courses. It was a day of great joy and huge positivity as thousands of people took on the challenge of the 10-mile running route or the 5-mile walking route.

All participants set off from Gladstone Street at 12:30 on the dot and proceeded down The Quay, up The Mall and then spilt, with walkers heading up John’s Hill and runners heading out towards the ring road, before turning back towards the City at the Ballindud roundabout. Both the runners and walkers passed the Solas Centre at the Williamstown roundabout before once again splitting and then converging once more to travel down the Dunmore Road and finally into the People’s Park and across the finish line. Once medals were handed out, every single finishing participant and their supporters enjoyed the Fun for Life, which continued late into the afternoon.

On such a big sporting day when the whole country had literally gone green, with the Rugby World Cup and Euro 2016, Waterford City was a sea of orange as far as the eye could see.

Commenting on the successful day was Michael Garland, Chair of the Solas Centre Run and Walk for Life, “On behalf of the organising committee we would like to thank ALL the participants, our sponsors, volunteers and everyone who gave up their time to help with the event.

Team Pete.

To see so many taking part was honestly just joyous and we knew at the end of Saturday night’s registration that the numbers were going to be very good. In fact we have exceeded our target of 2,015 participants and that is testament to ALL involved and verification that the Solas Centre holds a very special place in so many people’s hearts.

The introduction of the 5-mile walk has opened up a whole new group of participants and we will start planning the 2016 event in the next few weeks once we have had time to take on board all the feedback. We know that to bring the event to another level in 2016 we have to look at some aspects of combining runners and walkers and we will do this in preparation for next year’s event.

Once again we would like to thank ALL those who took part and ALL those who helped with the event. We look forward to seeing you ALL in 2016.”

As Chair of the Solas Centre Dr Brian Creedon is responsible for operating and running the Solas Centre, “As Chair of the Solas Centre I have to thank all involved from the Committee to the runners and walkers. We set a very ambitious target, in terms of numbers, and I am thrilled that we reached and exceeded that target.

Team Dog!

From the moment Mayor John Cummins officially started the event to the moment the very last walkers completed the course it was one of the most rewarding 4 hours I have so far experienced in all my previous Run for Life events. 2015 will be remembered as the event that literally put the Run and Walk for Life back on the map.

With such a large event we could not organise it without the support of our many sponsors and event partners. The main sponsors in 2015 were of course Datapac and Beat 102-103 and the likes of Waterford Council, Garda and other volunteer organisation rolled in behind the event. There are far too many to mention and we will in due course acknowledge everyone with an open “Thank you” night in the Solas Centre.

Once again we would like to thank all the 2,000 participants and we look forward to welcoming you all back in 2016.”

How ithers see us!

Chocolate Mannequin Pis - what bit would you bite first?

Like it or not we do so many things in our day to day lives through our eyes.

We pick our partners on their looks. The first thing that attracts us to the opposite sex is the look of said possible suitor. All other traits such as personality, sense of humour etc come later. If we like what we are looking at then the chances are we will pursue, chase and ultimately get together. And when you look at the animal kingdom that is why so much effort is made in courtship that so often involves colour, dance, display etc as it is the eyes that do most of the initial work.

Trying too hard?

We choose holidays based on the pictures in brochures or based on pictures we have researched on the internet. I have no doubt that many readers now use the internet to actually look at, in real-time, holiday destinations. We also look at pictures posted by other holiday makers on discussion pages and holiday review sites.

Our food tastes so much better if we like the look of what we are about to eat. That is why so many top chefs spend so much time picking the right ingredients that not only tastes good but will look good on your plate. You only have to look at the plethora of TV chef programmes and look at the time spent on arranging the produce on the plate prior to serving. In fact we have now gone one stage further and we are seeing dishes being served on slate beds, wooden boards and all manner of items that are not our traditional china plate. Going to such great lengths on the presentation are ways to enhance our experiences and to make sure that we come back time and time again.

Should our City be treated any differently? I would argue No!

It has worried me and many others for quite some time now that the entrances to our wonderful City have been a very poor reflection on what our City has to offer. But like it or not the entrances to the City are in many ways our shop window to the City. And like a retail outlet that shop window must be dressed properly and appropriately to give people the right first impression of what type of City they are entering, what the City might have to offer and will the City come up to their expectations!

As it stands I do not believe that we have it right.

If you are driving from Dublin, and assuming that you do not get mixed up with the poor signage and redirected across the toll bridge, then you are presented with a quite foreboding drive down to the train station. The vista is not welcoming and in fact rather industrial. That concrete wall creates a claustrophobic impression and it is somewhere you feel that you must drive passed quickly. This wall is ripe for inclusion as part of the Waterford Walls project and should be a key focus for 2016. Likewise coming in from the Wexford side is also rather industrial and depressing.

But your spirits could be lifted when you see the bridge. But alas this is not festooned with flags, it is not adorned with wonderful floral displays, it is not lit correctly and so on. You do not have to look too far to see just how impressive a well dressed bridge looks - New Ross for example.

Then coming down through the Dunmore Road is like navigating a Himalayan mountain pass. All sorts of different patchwork surfaces, full of big lumps and large bumps and it is never ending.

No matter what spin you put on it we have NOT dressed our shop window correctly and I often wonder just how others see us.

“O wad some Pow'r the giftie gie us, To see oursels as ithers see us!” Robert Burns.

More sporting success please!

We must inspire a culture in Waterford that is not afraid or frightened to celebrate success. The recent positivity around our GAA successes, in both the male and female disciplines, has allowed the City and County, albeit far too fleetingly, moments of being “the best of the best”. These successes must be cherished and built upon in futures years to ensure that this becomes a regular annual celebration. Our GAA prowess appears, to this non GAA person, to be on an upward curve and those leading this charge must be applauded, helped and supported.

Having lived in Waterford City for nearly fifteen years I have been excited by many sporting “nearlys” and the margin between success and failure in sport, as in business, is a very, very fine line. Waterford’s sporting teams across all manner of disciplines have on so many occasions almost got there just to be thwarted at the very last minute. But there is always an annual drive and enthusiasm at the start of every season and if that collective will could be harnessed and transferred to the field of play then we would be at the pinnacle of all our City and County sports. Waterford generates passionate supporters and this must be utilised in terms of other aspects of our City and County. If we can literally bring the rafters down shouting for GAA or soccer or rugby then we should be doing likewise for our other City and County assets – yet we seem to remain strangely silent about these!

As a prime example of how leaders in our local sports have a positive affect on not only our own mindset but the mindset of whole communities you do not have to look very far.

Kilkenny Castle

Kilkenny is a prime example of a town that almost certainly, on an annual basis, will celebrate some sort of sporting success. And this sporting celebration filters down through the people of Kilkenny to such an extent that they are not afraid to rejoice, exult and take pride in their own town and the environs of a whole County. Ask someone in Kilkenny how business is going and they will tell you it is going great. Ask someone in Kilkenny about the castle and they will boast about it as if it is the only example in the whole of Ireland. Ask a Kilkenny person about the nightlife, shopping, restaurants etc and you will undoubtedly get the same positive upbeat answer. The people of Kilkenny are, in part, lead by their sports and the senior personalities associated with their sports and they celebrate everything else with just as much gusto, passion and eagerness. And this mentality is infectious and contagious as every visitor to Kilkenny leaves with the same positive impression. It really is a win win for all concerned.

As our GAA success story continues to gather pace we also need to see our soccer team return to winning ways for the benefit of the City and County. In fact if all our sporting sectors can be part of a metaphorical rising tide then this can only benefit everyone. Just imagine future years where we can watch our GAA teams winning at the highest levels, our soccer team on top of the Premier League, our rugby teams back playing senior rugby and so on. To be absolutely blunt our sporting success has to be seen as part of the City’s future and we all must make an effort to support our teams as and when we can. The benefits of sporting success to a local economy cannot be underestimated and the higher the standard the higher the economic spend and the more positive the impact this has on a localised economy. You really do not have to be Adam Smith to realise that if Waterford sporting prowess exponentially grew over the next few years we would all see the economic benefits.

As a City and County looking towards a brighter future we do need to see more positivity from every single inhabitant who lives, works and plays here.

On a daily basis I go out of my way to meet and speak to as many visitors as I can and they are easily identified as they are more often carrying map, or they look lost having inadvertently wandered out of the Viking Triangle, and I would say that 95% of the feedback about the City is extremely positive. I would go further to say that many “love” the idiosyncratic way our medieval architecture leads you through and around our City Centre. Though I do often wonder just how many of us are prepared to do the same. We all know from our own holiday experiences that a friendly welcoming face goes a long way to helping you enjoy and remember a place with fond memories. And really Waterford should be no different.

We have a City that is ideal for walking and discovering and perhaps this needs to be the focus in terms of our future development. Let us use the very assets that make the City what it is today instead of trying to “impose” modern solutions on a Medieval footprint. With the immanent start date for the City Centre Renewal just around the corner I would hope that the circa 70 plus submissions lodged with the Council will be taken into account. And it will be very interesting to see if all the work and effort that went into the engagement with members of the public actually results in positive changes to the overall plan.

Success and the emotion it brings!

I am a great believer that in order to progress in business you must surround yourself with positively minded people. Negative people do not drive businesses forward and, in fact, negative people who hold senior positions within a company or organisation often asphyxiate and smother potential “superstars” from, shall we say, the “lower ranks”. This model can be seen across many organisations including those involved in sport and the trick is spotting this early and then being brave enough to make the right changes.

Maybe we have to see changes from within that will encourage positivity and allow us to free up our lungs to breathe more easily and so in the future we too can shout from the terraces of Croke Park or the Aviva Stadium and be singing the songs of victory.

Finally, well done to our Ladies, just don’t leave it another 17 years to repeat the success – please!