Press Release for Immediate Release – 17th February 2022
We want your input: Community Garden projects seeks publics view on future vision for Counties Community Gardens and Allotments.
Carlow County Council as part of Ru:Rban, an EU project funded under URBACT, is calling on the lovers of the outdoors and Green Finger Enthusiasts to have their say in the development of a new Community Garden and Allotment Policy for County Carlow by participating in a survey for Garden Visitors and Users in County Carlow.
Welcoming the survey , Cllr. Fintan Phelan , Cathaoirleach of Carlow County Council and member of the steering group for the project said “We look forward to hearing the publics views and inputs into this strategic piece of work for the County and I’d encourage all to participate whether you are a visitor to our many gardens or a green finger enthusiasts who wants to play an active part in one of the many community groups in County Carlow who run community garden projects”. Concluding the Cathaoirleach said “I’d like to thank all the members of our local Urbact steering group who have given their time to the project to date and I look forward to the continued delivery of this project in 2022”.
Ru:Rban is an EU Project funded under Urbact. The project Ru:Rban builds upon the "Management model of Urban gardens in Rome" Good Practice, in order to transfer to EU cities geographically distant from each other to ensure sharing of experiences to enhance the capacities of local governance. Transfer efforts will be given to 3 distinct, interlinked, thematic components/elements that the Good Practice is divided into: Capacity building in organizing urban gardens, Inspiring and training people to manage urban gardens (Gardeners) and urban gardens governance and regulations. The partners in the project are all Local Government organizations and include Rome (Lead Partner: Italy) / Split (Croatia) / Alexandroupolis (Greece) / ALGECIRAS (Spain) and Carlow Town (County Carlow).
Speaking about the project, Kieran Comerford , Head of Economic Development & Enterprise said “Being part of Ru:Rban has to date been a positive experience for County Carlow and the project only works as it has a steering group called an ULG which guides the activities supported under the programme at local level”. Comerford continued to say, “our local ULG group will benefit significantly from this EU project which will assist in the development of sustainable solutions in terms of governance and management of community gardens and allotments while also focusing on tourism, marketing and awareness”. The ULG Group includes volunteers and representatives from St. Mary's Community Biodiversity Garden , Carlow Garden Trail , MSD , Seven Oaks Hotel , Carlow Tourism , An Gairdín Beo, Visual , Carlow County Development Partnership , Woodford Dolmen Hotel , County Carlow Chamber , Delta Centre and Myshall Community Gardens.
Melissa Doyle, Business Advisor / EU Projects with the Local Enterprise Office explained “there are two different surveys; one for gadening enthusiasts and the second for gardens visitors and to encourage people to complete the survey, a draw for a €100 voucher is to be given to a respondant from each survey”. The surveys are located on Surveys | Carlow County Council's Online Consultation Portal. For further information contact Melissa Doyle on 059-9128783 or e-mail enterprise@carlowcoco.ie
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Media Queries to kcomerford@carlowcoco.ie or by calling 086-8252037