Jacqueline Kelleher Jacqueline Kelleher at the ULSARA AGM 2016 on the Heritage Community Garden based in Avila on Bloomfield Avenue Donnybrook

1. The Heritage
Community Garden
Jacqueline Kelleher
on the Heritage Community Garden based in
Avila on Bloomfield Avenue Donnybrook
ULSARA AGM April 2016

2. The Heritage
Community Garden
Without Community Service, we would not have a strong quality of life. it is
important to the person who serves as well as the recipient. Its the way in which we
ourselves grow and develop.
Dorothy Height

3. The Heritage Community Garden
• The Heritage Community Garden started in November
2011.
• The aim of the project is to develop the community
through organic gardening.
• To date we have run workshops on successful organic
home growing food.
• We have also run courses with groups e.g.. Headway.
• The Youth Advocacy Program YAP has also availed of
our services on a individual basis.
• The garden is also used as a training ground from experts
from all over Ireland who run training workshops in their
expertise.
• The garden hosts many celebrations throughout the year
which enables people from all walks of life to come
together to learn and grow in their community through
the love of nature and fresh organic food.

4. The Heritage Community Garden
Connects people to their community
• Many volunteers talk of not being part of
their community, however the Heritage
community garden enables them to get
involved with their community by creating
a place that they can participate in non
formal educational group projects while
learning how to grow their own foods and
taking care of their environ – we at the
Heritage Community Garden respect
difference and promotes diversity

5. Celebrations

6. Integration

7. Why do we do what we do
• Because we care about our
Community
• Because we care about our environ

8. The benefits of participating in the Heritage
community garden
• Improves the health and wellbeing of
those involved
• Many people who come to our garden talk
of the garden relieving the stresses and
strains of everyday life.
• Our garden is designed to cater for people
with a range of different needs and we
work together as a team to make sure that
everyone can be involved in the Heritage
community garden.

9. Creates opportunity for recreation, exercise,
therapy, and health.
• Sowing Seeds • All of the Heritage community
garden's participants report a reduction
in stress through their regular
community garden participation as well
as a general feeling of wellbeing.
• Studies (like the one conducted by
Lackey and Associates) have shown
that community gardeners and their
children eat healthier, more nutrient
rich diets than do non-gardening
families (Bremer et al, 2003, p.54).

10. Stimulates Social Interaction
• Many friendships are formed at the
garden and there are many examples of
care and attention which those
involved show to one another.
• We have core volunteers from
Headway, Gateway, Aware and the
local surrounding community who
come and participate in gardening
activities regularly at the Heritage
Community Garden.

11. We Garden Organically
• Organic gardening is essentially gardening without using synthetic products like fertilizers
and pesticides. It involves the use of only natural products to grow plants in our garden.
• Organic gardening replenishes the natural resources as it uses them.
• In the Heritage Community Garden, we consider our plants as part of the larger natural
system that begins with the soil and includes water supply, the wildlife; insects and people.
• At the Heritage Garden we want food we serve to our families as well as our
environment to be safe and healthy.
• We strive at the Heritage Community Garden to ensure the volunteers activities are in
harmony with the natural ecosystem and we aim at minimizing exploitation as well as
replenishing all the resources consumed by the garden.

12. Produces Nutritious Food
• Food costs have risen significantly in recent years.
• Organic food is often beyond the reach of many, especially
those in receipt of pensions, disability allowances or benefits.
• Being able to grow and cook fresh organic produce makes a
real difference to diet and health.
• Many people who would have limited the range of vegetables
they would have used, tend to increase the range and quantity
of vegetables and fruit they cook every week as result of
involvement in the garden.
• Children involved with the project begin to identify and eat
vegetables they would have never considered before.

13. Fuki
Head
Gardener

14. Bernard, Billy, Eileen and Ritchie

15. Tommy and Andres's

16. Louis

17. The Harvest Festival 2015

18. The team widening down from the Harvest
Festival

25. Headway's participation in the Heritage
Community Garden

26. Barbeque
held by
Headway at
the Heritage
Community
Garden

27. Enjoying
the
scenery

28. Gathering
flowers to
make floral
arrangement
display

29. Harvesting
potatoes

30. Preparing
hanging
baskets

32. For Further Information on the
Heritage Community Garden
please visit
http://www.theheritagegarden.com/
https://www.facebook.com/heritagecommunitygarden