Eastern Region Newsletter #3

EASTERNREGION NEWSLETTER

INTRODUCTION

Thethirdedition

ThisisthethirdeditionoftheEasternRegional Council's Newsletter Stay connected and informed with the latest updates, news, and initiatives from our region. Discover exciting community projects, upcoming events, and valuable resources that aim to enhance the well-being and progress of our residents. As your trusted source of information, we are committed to fostering engagement, collaboration, and sustainable development acrossourdiversecommunitiesJoinusonthis journeyaswestrivetomakeapositiveimpact and create a brighter future for the Eastern Region

MAINHEADLINES

AWARDS

EUROPEANREGIONOF SPORTS2023 PROJECTS

WORDS FROM THEPRESIDENT

WORDSFROMTHE EXEC.SECRETARY

InthethirdeditionoftheEasternRegional Council'sNewsletter,Iamthrilledtoshare our remarkable achievements and ongoinginitiatives.Weareproudwinners oftheprestigiousWasteReductionAward in Clean-Up Awareness from Wasteserv, highlightingourunwaveringcommitment to sustainable waste management and environmental preservation. Holding the EuropeanRegionofSport2023titleforsix months has allowed us to promote an activeandhealthylifestyle.Simultaneously, ourRegionalCouncilisactivelyadopting projectstoimprovefacilitiesandengage the community. Let's unite in building a brighter future for our beloved Eastern Region.

Ms.JeanetteGalea

Inthepastsixmonths,theEasternRegional Council has grown, modernized, and developed its practices to positively impact the social and environmental aspects of the Eastern Region. A major challenge during this period was transitioning from local door-to-door household waste collection to a regional system. We are continuously improving thisservicetoprovidethebestassistance possible. Additionally, we have launched severalprojectsinthesecondhalfof2023. We are proud to have received the "European Region of Sport" title this year, which has led to numerous sporting events being organized throughout the EasternRegionoverthecourseofayear. This work has left us satisfied and motivated to continue serving our community.

Mr.AnthonyChircop

AWARDS

TheEasternRegionalCouncilwasawardedtheWasteReductionAwardinClean-Up AwarenessattheWasteServEuropeanWeekforWasteReductionawardsheldatthe DolmenHotelinSanPawlil-Baħar.Weexpressourgratitudefortherecognitionofour efforts, whilst we also thank all twelve Local Councils for their cooperation and commitmenttoparticipatein theclean-upinitiatives.TheEasternRegionalCouncil's projects,whichincludetheSchoolStarterPackProjectandprovidingadditionalwaste bins during feasts and events, resulted in placing at the top three for the Waste ReductionAwardinPublicAdministrationTheEasternRegionalCouncilplacedfirstinthe Clean-upAwarenesscategory,and resultantlywereawardedatrophyanda€1000 grant.

PROJECTS

EUROPEANREGIONOFSPORTS2023

Fortheyear2023,theEasternRegionhasbeenproudlyawardedthetitle‘EuropeanRegionof Sport’,anawardbyInternationalOrganization‘ACES’withtheaimtopromotehealthylifestyle, inclusionandactiveparticipationthroughsport.FollowingtheOpeningCeremonyinJanuary, theRegionalCouncilembarkedonthecreationofanambitioussportsprogrammefor2023, involvinganarrayofsportsorganizations,associationsandevents.

Coveringseveralsportingdisciplines,including:football,basketball,padel,yachting,tennis, calisthenics, running, swimming, waterpolo, futsal, bocci, gostra and more, the sports programmeaimsatinvolvingeachandeverycitizentoparticipateindifferenttypesofsports, whethertheyareabeginner,intermediateorprofessional.Withtheregionhavingamultitude ofsportsfacilities,itisonlyrighttomakethebestuseoutofallofthemandgivethechanceto thecommunitytoparticipateineventsinthesevenues.

OnbehalfoftheEasternRegionalCouncil,wewouldliketothankallpartnersinvolvedinthe sportseventsrunningthroughouttheyear,mostnotably:LocalCouncils,SportsAssociations, NGOsandoursponsorsLESA,Enemed,Betsson&Farsonsfortheirbeliefandsupporttoward.

REGIONALCALENDAR

During the start of the year 2023, the Eastern Regional Council published new annual calendars,whichincludedalloftheinformationtohelpfacilitatethenewwastecollection schedule(picturedontheleft).

AlongwiththeEasternRegional calendar,flyers(picturedontheright)wereprintedwiththe newwastecollectionschedule.ThetwelvelocalitieswhoconstitutetheEasternRegionhave receivedtheseflyersandweredistributedacrossallhouseholds.

Weappreciateyourcooperationforfollowingthenewwastescheduletoensureacleaner Region.

JAN-JUN'23 ISSUE3

ART4ALL

Followingthesuccessoflastyear,theEasternRegionalCouncilwillbehostingArt4Allonce more.ThisprojectisaimedatstudentswhoattendpublicschoolswithinourRegionand whoarebetweentheagesof11and15andwouldliketolearnmoreaboutartbuthave neverhadtheopportunity.Attheendofthecourse,thestudentsexhibitedtheirartworksat theMinistryforSocialPolicyandChildren’sRightsandVeeGeeBeeinSanGwann.

Art4All isn't just about admiring art it's about fostering a sense of community and inclusivity.Webelievethatartshouldbeaccessibletoeveryone!

Sponsor

VeeGeeBeewillbeofferingtheessentialtoolsrequiredforthesesessions.TheEastern RegionalCouncilwillprovideasketchbooktoeachparticipantaswellasabottleofwater

STARTER PACK

Giventhesuccessofthe'StarterPack'projectlast year, the Eastern Regional Council will once again collaborate with the schools present withintheEasternRegiononthisproject.AllYear1 students(State,ChurchandPrivateschool)will benefit from this project; where, last year the students received sustainable stationery, sparkingawarenessabouteco-friendlyoptions In the upcoming school year, students will receivesustainablestationeryanda3D-printed pot made from recycled material. The project aimstoraiseawarenessamongstchildrenand their parents about sustainable alternatives available on the market. Let's inspire curiosity andshowtheyoungergenerationhowtomake sustainablechoices.'StarterPack'ispavingthe wayforagreenerfuture,whereeducationand environmentalconsciousnessgohandinhand.

EASTER COMPETITION

TheEasternRegionalCouncilconcludedits second annual Easter Competition, promoting eco-friendly crafts made from recycled materials. The event showcased impressive creativity as young participants displayed their unique talents Prizes were awardedtothetop3winnersbysponsors MerlinLibrary,LechuzaMalta,MaltaNational Aquarium, and ESPLORA. The Council appreciates the sponsors and participants for their contributions to the competition's successandemphasizestheimportanceof ongoing inspiration and environmental responsibility.

BINSFOR REGIONALEVENTS

FollowinganagreementbetweentheEastern Regional Council, the Cleansing & Maintenance Division and the Local Councils thatformpartoftheEasternRegion,additional bins were placed across all localities for all feasts

The scope of this project is to promote adequatewasteseparationanddecreasethe amountofwastethatisirresponsiblydisposed duringvillagefeasts.

We encourage everyone to dispose of productsinaresponsiblemannerandmake useofthesebinsinanadequatemanner.

BIN STRUCTURE

TheEasternRegionalCouncillaunchedtwo wooden bin structures containing two recycling and two mixed waste bins., amountingtoatotaloffourbins Themain aim is to encourage more waste separation and to make the bins more appealing;thus,utilisedfrequently. We highly appreciate Clean MaltaCleansingandMaintenanceDivision'shelp fortransportingthetwobinstructuresand forprovidingtheeightbins.

NUDGING ACTIVETRAVEL

ActiveTravelWorkshop

TheEasternRegionalCouncilhostedanActive Travel Workshop on March 27th, led by Prof. MariaAttardandMsKarynScerriTheworkshop aimedtopromoteactivetravelforhealthierand happier cities. It highlighted the negative impacts of excessive car usage on the environment and public health, including air pollution, noise, limited space, and congestion. The importance of small interventions to encourage walking and cycling was emphasized.LocalCouncilswererecognizedas catalysts for change, capable of fostering a cultureshifttowardssustainabletransportation through infrastructure improvements and targetedactivities.TheUniversityofMalta'steam presentedtheNudgingActiveTravelProjectand facilitated interactive sessions to engage and empowerparticipants.

60+YEARS RESIDENTS

IncollaborationwithNeptunesW.P.S.C.

The first year of this agreement has been successfully completed. This initiative was madepossiblethroughanagreementsigned between the Central Region Council and Neptunes WPSC in November 2021, the Planning Authority's funds will be utilised by this club to heat the pool during winter throughanewpumpsystemwhichreduces the carbon footprint significantly, resultantly savingmoney.

Throughacontract,EasternRegion'sresidents aged65yearsoldandover,willbeabletouse the heated swimming pool at Neptunes WPSCforfreeduringthewinterThisinitiative will be continue for the coming 4 years. Residents interested are to register at their respectiveLocalCouncil.

GLOBE PROGRAM

IncollaborationwithRIU

ThePresidentoftheEasternRegionalCouncil, Mr.AnthonyChircop,alongwithMs.Jeanette Galea (Executive Secretary) and Ms Andrea Borg Brincat (Environmental Manager), attended a workshop for the European Commission-funded project, JUSTNature. The workshop,heldatGziraLocalCouncil,brought together stakeholders from NASA's GLOBE Program, Xrobb L-Ghagin Nature Park and WildlifeRehabilitationCentre,andtheResearch Innovation Unit (RIU). The workshop included presentationsbyYear7and8studentsonthe Urban Heat Island Effect, followed by a token game where students interacted with the PresidentandMayorsofGziraandSliemato identify issues related to air quality, open spaces, and thermal comfort. The U.S. Embassy's Public Affairs Officer and representatives from GLOBE also participated intheworkshop.Specialthankswereexpressed toallindividualsandorganizationsinvolvedin organizing and supporting this productive event.

VISITS

WOMEN'SDAY

Onthe8thofMarch,InternationalWomen's Day the Eastern Regional Council's President,Mr.AnthonyChircopvisitedeach Local Council and presented the female staffwithabouquetofMimosaflowers,to show the Eastern Regional Council's appreciation.

SOCIETYOF POLISHTEACHERS

Onthe20thofMarch,theEasternRegional Council's President, Mr. Anthony Chircop, along with the Executive Secretary, Jeanette Galea, had the opportunity to meet the Society of Polish Teachers and givethemapresentationaboutourregion andtheprojectsthattheregionhasdone thusfar.

NECP

IncollaborationwithLCA&CovenantofMayors

OnFriday21stofApril,theEasternRegional Council'sPresident,Mr.AnthonyChircop,the ExecutiveSecretary,Ms.JeanetteGalea,and the Environmental Manager, Ms. Andrea Borg Brincat attended the Local Councils' AssociationMalta’sseminartitled'Discussing the National Energy and Climate Plan for Malta and the way forward to join the CovenantofMayors'..

DuringthisinformativeseminarMr.Chircop, together with the Vice President of the Eastern Regional Council, Mr. Max Zammit, and Ms. Borg Brincat, took part during a paneldiscussionwhichtackledthefollowing questions:

WhicharethechallengesfacedbyLocalCouncilsinMaltatoimplementtheClimateand EnergyTransition?andWhatsupportisneededtoachievethetargetssetintheNECP?

TogetherwiththehelpoftheCovenantofMayors’ProjectLead,MrBizarro,LocalCouncils mayhaveaclearerideaofhowtoapproachenvironmentalissueswithintheirlocalities.

ECAD

The Eastern Regional Council's President, Mr. AnthonyChircop,andExecutiveSecretary,Ms. Jeanette Galea, attended the ECAD InternationalMayors'Conference,wherecity leaders from across Europe gathered to discuss the fight against substance abuse. TheEasternRegionalCouncil'ssponsorshipof the annual membership of the Regional Council and its affiliated Local Councils allowed for effective representation of the entireregion.Followingtheconference,both the President and Executive Secretary took partinastudyvisitatKomunitaSantaMarija. Together,letusjoinforcesinourendeavorto createdrug-freecommunities.

VICTIMSUPPORT AGENCY

Onthe15thofJunethePresidentoftheEastern Regional Council, Mr Anthony Chircop, Local Council Mayors, Councillors, Executive Secretaries,andstaffmembersgatheredfora productivemeetingwhere,theVictimSupport Agency provided valuable insights into their services We extend our thanks to them for theirenlighteningpresentation.

SpecialthanksgoestoSwieqiLocalCouncilfor hostingtheseminar.

Between the 19th and 21st of June, the ExecutiveSecretary,JeanetteGalea,andthe Waste Coordinator Manager, Ryan Zammit, attendedatwodaytrainingcourseorganised by ALDA - European Association for Local Democracy,inVicenza. ThisLocalAcademyTrainingfocusedon:

GooddemocraticGovernance ParticipatoryDemocracyandInstruments ParticipatoryBudgeting CitizensparticipateinEUPolicies

HEALTH& SAFETY

On the 23rd of June, the highly anticipated conference,"BuildingaHealth&SafetyCulture in Local Government," organized by ALDB & Associates Ltd., successfully took place. The eventservedasavitalplatformforthoughtprovoking discussions on best practices in healthandsafety Wewerehonoredtohave Hon. Alison Zerafa Civelli, Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government, open the conference, highlighting the government's commitmenttoensuringthewell-beingofits employeesandcitizens.Theagendafeatured informativesessionsaddressingcrucialtopics such as risk management, employee engagement, and leadership in fostering a robusthealthandsafetyculturewithinlocal government organizations. The conference proved to be a valuable opportunity for knowledgesharingandcollaboration,paving the way for safer communities and workplaces.

COUNCIL

ANNUALGENERALMEETING

TheEasternRegionalCouncilholdingitssecondAnnualGeneralMeetingonthe3rdof June 2023. This year the AGM followed a different approach which consisted of two panelstitled"RegionofCulture2024"and"LiveableLocalities"

Chaired by the Eastern Regional Council's President, Mr. Anthony Chircop an administrativereportwaspresentedbytheExecutiveSecretary,Ms.JeanetteGalea,and afinancialreportwasalsopresentedbytheAccountsOfficer,Ms.MartheseCamilleri. We would like to thank all the Panelists, Speakers, Mayors, Councillors and Executive Secretarieswhoattendedthismeeting.

FUNDS

PROJECTSIN COMMUNITIES

Onthe5thofJanuarythePresidentofthe EasternRegionalCouncil,AnthonyChircop waspresentedwithasumoffundsfromthe scheme announced by the agency LESA, titledas'ProjectsinCommunities'.

ThroughthesefundsthisRegionwillbeable topurchasealargeelectricvehicleandbe usedasaRegionalMobileLibrarywhichwill begoingaroundthetwelvelocalitieswithin theRegionandstopnexttopublicgardens, schools, and elderly homes. In addition to this, the Region will be carrying out educationalandculturalprojectsrelatedto thismobilelibrary.

AUTOMATICPUBLIC CONVENIENCES

In the beginning of 2023, a scheme dedicated to automating public conveniences emerged. This innovative schemeprovidedfinancialsupporttoLocal Councils for modernising facilities with touchlessfixtures,sensortechnologies,and smart resource management. PCAF enhanced convenience, efficiency, and hygiene, showcasing Councils' commitment to sustainability and improvinguserexperiences.Byembracing automation,LocalCouncilsaretotransform thepublicconveniencesintostate-of-theart facilities, symbolizing progress and meetingevolvingcommunityneeds

AGREEMENTS

ST.PATRICK'S DAY

In collaboration between the Cleansing and MaintenanceDivisionandtheEasternRegional Council, a total of 50 extra bins were strategicallypositionedinSt.Julian'sfortheSt. Patrick'sDaycelebration.Theobjectivebehind this initiative is to minimize the improper disposalofwasteduringsuchevents. We kindly urge everyone to responsibly disposeoftheirbelongingsandutilizethebins in an appropriate manner. We extend our heartfelt appreciation to the St. Julian's Local Council for their invaluable assistance in makingthiseffortasuccess.

NATIONALINSECT

The Foundation for the Conservation of the MalteseBee[VO/2403]tookasignificantstep onWorldBeeDaybyformallyrequestingthe Environment and Resources Authority to recognize the Maltese Bee (Apis mellifera ruttneri) as the official National Insect This requestaimstoensuretheutmostprotection for this distinctive subspecies, in accordance withsubsidiarylegislation549.120thatgoverns the'RegulationsontheProtectionofProtected Species(DeclarationofNationalSpecies)' The EasternRegionalCouncilshowedtheirsupport by endorsing the request on May 23rd. We encourage all Local Councils to join in and demonstrate their backing for this essential initiative

EASTERN REGIONAL COUNCIL