Good practice:

Grow Remote South Sligo

Grow Remote is a community development concept that focuses on the potential of remote working to act as an economic generator in rural locations. The project seeks to attract remote workers to rural locations, thus developing a broader economic base and thereby supporting rural businesses, particularly local retailers and service providers.

South Sligo is a region that is being significantly affected by demographic change resulting in a dispersed, older population, over-reliance on farming, lack of opportunity, loss of services and a reducing retail offering. South Sligo is currently experiencing a commercial vacancy rate of 21.4% almost twice the national average. The erosion of the economic base has fostered the South Sligo Grow Remote movement.
The Sligo Grow Remote Project will:
• To develop South Sligo as a preferred remote working destination.
• The use of innovative technology to improve the economic outlook of this rural area.
These goals will be achieved through the set up of a local chapter of Grow Remote, organising/attending local/national events and regular meetings, thereby providing a ready made network of colleagues for the remote worker to“ plug into“. In addition a pilot project is being rolled out that is seeking to promote and target remote working in Tubbercurry/South Sligo by end of 2019. The principal beneficiaries are the local community and the business community that will benefit significantly from a broader more local employment profile.

Sligo County Council investment of ca. €10,000 p.a.
Stalls generate ca. €20,000 p.a.
Local sponsorship of ca. €20,000 p.a.
More than 300 local volunteers
Agency support: Sligo County Council, Sligo Leader Partnership, Order of Malta, Police all support the event with relevant personnel

• The Grow Remote movement has been highly successful in building its network and is now active is 4 no. countries with in excess of 60 local chapters.
• 200 delegates attended the international Grow Remote Conference in South Sligo in April 2019.
• Support for rural retail – 50 bed nights /services (food & beverage) accruing from the Tubbercurry event
• International companies actively seeking to recruit remote workers in the West of Ireland
• Grow Remote Chapter founded in South Sligo

• Sourcing funding to produce large scale national and internationally focused events.
• Maintaining volunteerism required to run events/ chapters.
• Full time co-ordination would benefit this concept it could gain traction as there is significant interest among both employers and employees.

This practice has the potential to be transferable to all rural areas across Europe and particularly so across Ireland where there is a dispersed rural population. The Grow Remote movement is currently spreading organically and has the potential, if applied properly, to be another tool for communities to activate economic activity in their areas. The Grow Remote concept is effectively based around the human need for interaction, the concept relies on the natural urge from individuals to be involved in a collective. The founding of local chapters enables the creation of real on-the-ground networks into which individuals can easily integrate.

The concept has the potential to address important issues like isolation and the mental health issues that it can foster. It has the potential to have a positive impact in terms of the carbon footprint of companies and individuals and ultimately help to change the way in which we live and work.