Community gardeners travelled from Wicklow and Waterford, Dublin and Donegal recently to attend the seventh, quarterly run event by the Community Garden Network (CGN) in Cork. On a very wet and windy day, the coordinators and tutors, as well as enthusiastic gardeners, met in the Knocknaheeney/Hollyhill community garden training room and gardens for a conflict management and networking event.
The aim of the network is to support community gardens, allotments and CSA’s in Ireland and Northern Ireland. They do this virtually with a Facebook group and twitter account as well as a dedicated forum website where gardeners can upload photos, video, post their gardens events and blogs and virtually talk to one another, sharing tips, information and advice.
The CGN also meet in different locations around the country, giving community gardeners the opportunity to meet and be involved no matter where they live or their methods of communication. To date they’ve met in Derry, Dublin, Leitrim and Athlone with the next scheduled event taking place at Ballybeg in Waterford in May.
“Apart from promoting all the many benefits of community gardening to everyone, from the proven mental and physical health aspects that come part and parcel with gardening and working outside, to the advantages of gardening together in socially inclusive groups, we are trying to find all the community gardens in Ireland and Northern Ireland and encourage them to register with the network.” Dee Sewell, one of the founding members and coordinators mentioned. “When we have a better idea of how many community gardens are out there, we can make bigger and better plans to help them survive and flourish, offering advice on everything from tutors, funding and grant applications, to social enterprise, land usage and business linkages.” Dee also added that the CGN are hoping to attract funding or sponsorship to help them pursue their aims for what is currently a purely volunteer run organisation..
For further information, if you know of a community garden that might be interested in the network or would like to join the forum site and place it’s garden on the map, or can offer funding advice, please see www.cgn.ie for contact details.
