Success for Northern Ireland event

The booming demand for new allotments, community gardens and other green spaces was the focus of a reception held at the Northern Ireland Assembly in Stormont on March 15, 2011.

The event, hosted by Finance and Personnel Minister Sammy Wilson MP MLA, was a major step forward for Growing Communities in Northern Ireland, a new network of organisations, community groups and local authorities aiming to increase the opportunities for local people to grow their own food.

Representatives from allotments and community gardening groups - as well as other organisations backing the network - showcased their work at the reception to help press home the message about the benefits created by more growing spaces.

The network, supported by the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens (FCFCG), hopes the event will be a springboard to a successful increase in community food growing in Northern Ireland. The network’s future plans include encouraging people and community groups to register an interest in having a growing space, promoting food growing at work and giving support and advice to existing food growing groups.

FCFCG Chief Executive Jeremy Iles said it was an exciting time for food growing and community gardening in Northern Ireland:

“We have been working alongside a range of environmental organisations, local authorities and land-based groups for several years to support this activity in Northern Ireland, but thanks to grant from Awards for All, we are now able to put our work on a firmer footing. This event will give us a further boost as it means we have the attention of policy makers in Northern Ireland.

“Ultimately we would like to see an increasing number of well-used, well-run and well equipped community gardens and allotment sites, giving the chance for local people to reap the benefits of growing their own.”

To find out more about FCFCG's work in Northern Ireland visit our Northern Ireland webpage.