Cathaoirleach of Meath County Council Cllr Wayne Harding launches the Civic Dollars project in Meath alongside members of the Healthy Meath team and Bective GAA committee.
Navan, Co. Meath, Ireland, 7th April 2026
How Civic Dollars is helping residents improve their wellbeing, support local organisations and unlock valuable community rewards through an innovative digital community currency.
Rewarding Healthier, More Connected Communities
In April 2026, Meath County Council launched Civic Dollars as part of its Healthy Meath initiative, introducing a new way to encourage people to spend time outdoors while supporting their local communities.
Delivered in partnership with Meath Public Participation Network (PPN), the programme launched with 134 designated outdoor Earn Zones across County Meath, enabling residents to earn Civic Dollars by visiting parks, green spaces and other outdoor amenities.
Unlike traditional fitness applications that measure steps or distance, Civic Dollars rewards time spent outdoors, making participation inclusive for people of all ages, abilities and fitness levels.
Residents earn one Civic Dollar for every 30 minutes spent in an Earn Zone. These can be redeemed for rewards from participating businesses or donated to local charities, sports clubs and community organisations.
Turning Time Outdoors into Community Value
Using the Civic Dollars app, residents can earn one Civic Dollar for every 30 minutes spent in designated outdoor Earn Zones across Waterford.
These digital community currency tokens can then be:
Redeemed for rewards and experiences provided by participating local businesses.
Donated to local charities, sports clubs and community organisations.
Used to participate in local incentive campaigns and community initiatives.
This creates a circular model in which spending time outdoors generates benefits for individuals, businesses and the wider community.
Turning Community Currency into Real Community Support
One of the standout features of the Healthy Meath programme is how Civic Dollars transforms time spent outdoors into tangible benefits for local charities, sports clubs and community organisations.
Residents can donate the Civic Dollars they earn to participating community groups. Those groups can then use their accumulated Civic Dollars to access a range of practical rewards through the Civic Dollars community portal.
These rewards are designed to help organisations improve their facilities, support their members, deliver activities and build stronger, healthier communities.
Community rewards available through the Healthy Meath programme include:
Free Art Workshop: A creative workshop for local clubs and community groups, encouraging participation, creativity and social connection.
Community Clean-Up Pack: Practical resources to help groups organise local clean-up activities and improve their community environment.
Healthy Meath Health & Wellbeing Event: A dedicated event supporting healthier lifestyles and wellbeing within local clubs and organisations.
HSE Wellbeing Event: Access to a wellbeing event delivered for participating community groups.
Mental Health Ireland – 5 Ways to Wellbeing Talk: An opportunity for organisations to host a session exploring practical ways to support positive mental health and wellbeing.
€20 JM Foods Voucher: A practical reward that community groups can use to support their activities.
Free Defibrillator Pads: Replacement pads for a community group's existing defibrillator, helping maintain important lifesaving equipment.
Corporate Volunteering Through EirGrid
In addition to these rewards, EirGrid is supporting the initiative by offering community groups access to staff volunteer days and specialist expertise.
This includes assistance with community clean-ups, sustainability projects, social media and communications, engineering advice and grant applications.
Together, these opportunities demonstrate how Civic Dollars can connect individual wellbeing, local businesses, public health services and corporate social responsibility within one community-focused platform.
The result is a simple but powerful model: residents spend time outdoors, earn Civic Dollars, donate them to local organisations, and those organisations turn the donations into resources, experiences and support that benefit their communities.
For local authorities, the Healthy Meath programme provides a practical example of how digital incentives can support both healthier lifestyles and stronger, more resilient communities.Community Rewards That Make a Real Difference
Supporting Health, Wellbeing and Social Connection
The programme supports Healthy Meath's wider ambitions to encourage physical activity, improve mental wellbeing and strengthen community connections.
It also helps raise awareness of Meath's parks and public spaces, encouraging residents to explore their local environment and take part in activities that contribute to healthier lifestyles.
Importantly, the time-based approach removes some of the barriers associated with conventional fitness challenges, allowing people with different physical abilities to participate and contribute to their communities.
A Scalable Model for Local Government and Corporate Partnerships
The Healthy Meath initiative demonstrates how local authorities can use Civic Dollars to connect public health, community development and corporate social responsibility through a single digital platform.
For local authorities, it provides an inclusive way to encourage outdoor participation and support community organisations.
For businesses and corporate partners, it creates opportunities to direct staff volunteering, professional expertise and resources towards identifiable local needs.
For community groups, it provides a new route to access practical support and strengthen their capacity.
And for residents, it creates an additional incentive to spend time outdoors, knowing their participation can benefit both their own wellbeing and their wider community.
Healthy Meath shows how small individual actions can generate meaningful collective value.
Bring Civic Dollars to Your Community
Discover how Civic Dollars can help your local authority, health organisation or corporate partner encourage healthier lifestyles, strengthen community connections and generate measurable social value.
Contact Civic Dollars to explore a partnership.
Stephen McPeake CEO - Civic Dollars - stephen@civicdollars.com https://civicdollars.com