Gortnaghey workhighlighted by HE

Its rural progress report - “Rural Review” - was launched at an event in County Armagh recently, which sets out work the Housing Executive has been involved in across rural Northern Ireland during the past three years.

In the report, the “small-scale improvements” such as the new garden in “what was previously a bleak, unused area” are pointed to as an example of something which can have a significant impact in improving the local environment.

Michael Conway, the Housing Executive’s Rural Housing Coordinator, explained the idea behind the three-year report: “35 per cent of the local population live in rural areas and we recognise that a different approach is sometimes required to deal with rural concerns. It was for this reason that we developed our three year ‘Rural Homes and People’ Action Plan in 2009.

“We are now pleased to report that the majority of the actions set out in that Plan have been progressed, often through working in partnership with others. It is particularly pleasing to note that the last three years have seen record levels of social housing starts in rural areas.”

In a specific section highlighting the good practice in Gortnaghey, the report states: “Rural regeneration is sometimes portrayed as involving large village renewal schemes or streetscape work in rural towns. However, in smaller locations, it can take the form of more small-scale improvements which can have a significant impact in improving the local living environment.

“In this respect, community gardens can play an important part both in enhancing the appearance of run down sites and in involving residents in improving their locality, as the opening in 2011 of a new community woodland garden in Gortnaghey illustrated.

“The Housing Executive’s Sammy McArthur and Martina Forrest worked along with local residents and Raymond Ronaghan of the Landscape Centre to create the garden from what was previously a bleak, unused area.”

The garden has four different sections as Mr McArthur explained: “The Sow and Grow area will be used by the whole community to grow produce.

“We also created a Nature Walk to benefit local schools. Gortnaghey, along with Burnfoot, have engaged in cross community work and we wanted to continue this success by developing an educational wildlife section for their use.

“The reflective Garden of Love was specifically designed for the community. Gortnaghey is a small village and many families have been affected by cancer.

“The daffodils represent Marie Curie Cancer Care and the border has been designed by the community to include a flower or plant which has a special meaning to them. The Tranquillity Garden was created where families could come and have picnics or people could come and sit and relax and enjoy the surroundings.”

Ethna Burke of Gortnahey Community Association added: “We were delighted when the Housing Executive approached us regarding this project. It is a great improvement and a stepping stone in helping in regenerate the village. ”