Augher is blooming, thanks to an exciting initiative involving green-fingered members of the community and the St Macartan’s GAA club.
The Augher Community Garden Project has unearthed hidden talents among local people and provided a focus for those who have discovered the joy of growing their own.
Flowers, fruit, veg and herbs of various shapes and shades have been shooting up in the community garden at the GAA ground on Annahilla Road, where willing participants of all ages have been cultivating a common interest in gardening and horticulture.
The Community Garden Space has been established for the use and enjoyment of the people of the Clogher Valley, providing them with the opportunity to learn new skills, promote healthy living and strengthen community spirit.
The project has also provided a valuable outlet for those who may be affected by isolation, according to Augher GAC’s Health and Wellbeing Officer Patrick Treanor.
“Not everyone within a community actively participates in playing or attends matches on a regular basis. This can lead to a sense of being disconnected from the community as the team was possibly the only area of focus within a club,” he said.
“Projects such as the community garden can offer locals an outlet to meet others and engage in something that they enjoy outside of the football field. It can be an educational pastime or merely a way of meeting up for a chat.”
Patrick highlighted the project as a means by which GAA clubs can reach out to the wider community and help foster health and wellbeing among the local population.
“The community garden project is an excellent way of highlighting how the GAA can help provide a base for health and wellbeing throughout a community. This proves that the GAA is much more than a sports club for the local area.
“Within the Augher garden project there are a variety of ages and sections across the community involved. Surely this is what the GAA is all about – helping those around the area feel part of their local community, providing those around us with a place where they can go to interact and have fun.
“The club has to be more than what takes place on the field of play. It’s for everyone.”
Aims of the Augher Community Garden Project
• to provide space for people to come together to share their knowledge of gardening and learn from each other
• Build a Green Hub where people can undertake some physical activity in a relaxed environment
• Promote Grow Your Own and Healthy eating
• Encourage Organic gardening
• Learn new skills and put them into practice in both the Community Garden and your own garden
Workshops planned
• Building & siting Raised Beds to grow, fruit, veg or flowers
• Sowing seeds, bulbs and potatoes
• Seed & seedling swapping
• Planting out
• Composting
• Pruning
• And much more……
This project is being delivered by the Conservation Volunteers.
Materials and tools will be provided, so the project just needs people to make it work.
If you would like to get involved in this project please come along to any of the workshops. Or contact 07714145692 for more information.
By tyronepro Tue 30th Jun
