Carrick school’s ‘Gardening with Grannies’ project among 10 grant recipients

Woodlawn Primary School’s Gardening with Grannies initiative made a successful application through the Live Here Love Here Small Grants Scheme.

The school explained: “The concept is that grandparents connected to school, and local communities will forge links with our school children to participate in a collaborative gardening project.

"This will require a poly tunnel area, vegetable area and a pollinator area which will not only link to our curriculum, but the involvement will also benefit the elderly residents of Woodburn estate which is an area of social deprivation.

"Woodlawn Primary School has a massive green space that could be further developed over time to benefit other members of the community. Woodlawn Primary School has two autism classes which will assist in this project as well. This project funding will allow that process to start.”

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council works in partnership with the Live Here Love Here (LHLH) campaign (from the environmental charity Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful) which promotes civic pride and creating better environments for communities.

The scheme provides an opportunity to apply for a grant between £500 to £3,000. The most recent round of funding closed in early May. Judging took place in mid-June with 30 applications from groups hoping to deliver projects ranging from sensory gardens, raised beds, reflective gardens and waste reduction proposals.

Council, in partnership with LHLH, is funding a further nine initiatives:

• Braidside Integrated Primary and Nursery School, Ballymena - Community Woods & Sensory Garden;
• County Antrim and Derry Country Fiddlers Association, Ballymena - Braid Community Garden;
• The Grouped Parishes of Craigs Dunaghy & Killagan (Cloughmills), Ballymena - Mindfulness and Wellbeing Garden;
• Friends of Partytime Garden, Portglenone - C2C - Conviction 2 Conservation;
• Playaway Group, Islandmagee - Playaway Playgroup Summer House and Garden Project;
• Raloo Rural Cultural & Educational Group, Larne - Raloo Rural Volunteer Enhancement;
• Simon Community NI, Larne - Urban Sanctuary;
• Carrickfergus Community Church (Sunnylands area) - Growing Together;
• Whitehead Community Association, Carrickfergus - Kids Kitchen Garden.

Council commits funding each year and the campaign returns fifty percent of this through the Small Grants Scheme.

If you are interested in undertaking a local environmental improvement project, visit the Live Here Love Here’s Small Grants webpage for further information: www.liveherelovehere.org