Energia Get Ireland Growing funding granted to Mayo projects

THE overall winner of the Energia Get Ireland Growing fund is The Edible Landscape Project, a training and education initiative in Westport.

The team behind the project say that they are honouring local biodiversity as well as beautifying the town of Westport by creating an opportunity for recreation, exercise therapy and education in the forest garden to producing nutritious food.

Created by GIY (Grow It Yourself) in partnership with Energia, the fund has awarded €75,000 to a total of 86 food-growing projects all across Ireland. As well as the overall winner in Westport, funds have been allocated to projects in Ballina and Claremorris.

The Claremorris recipients are Mount St. Michael Biodiversity Group and Clogher Environmental Group, while the Ballina recipient is Green Team West 32

All of the projects granted funding have an inclusive approach, and they all aim to encourage more people to grow their own food within their community.

Commenting at the awards ceremony, GIY founder Michael Kelly said: “It is a real honour to meet the people behind some of the most incredible projects being organised mostly by volunteers in communities right across the country. We are delighted to award the recipients of the 2018 Energia Get Ireland Growing fund. We, along with Energia, share in the joy of helping 86 community groups to get their food-growing initiatives under way or further developed in parishes, towns, villages and cities across 27 counties.”

This is the sixth year of the fund, which has already supported over 500 community food growing projects to date, positively impacting over 140,000 people. A sum of €410,000 has been awarded over the last six years, and this was distributed to projects all across the country.