Social Affairs

Community food groups to share €75,000 fund

Grants ranging from €500 to €2,000 aim to encourage people to grow their own food

In previous years, the scheme has supported almost 500 community food-growing projects involving over 120,000 people. Photograph: Getty

Conor Kane
Fri Dec 29 2017 - 10:46

A €75,000 fund is being made available to community groups across the country to encourage them to grow their own food.

The Get Ireland Growing scheme, launched by Grow It Yourself Ireland (GIY) and Energia, invites all budding growers to apply for funding before January 19th.

Grants ranging from €500 to €2,000 are on offer to at least 85 community food groups split across three categories: “Sow”, “Grow” and “Harvest”. Projects should all have an element of outreach, promotion and inclusivity and should have a plan to encourage more people to get involved.

In previous years, the scheme has supported almost 500 community food-growing projects involving over 120,000 people, according to GIY’s head of community development Karen O’Donohoe.

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Ms O’Donohoe added €340,000 has been awarded to groups around the country over the past five years.

Knowledge exchange

GIY also provides supports and opportunities for knowledge exchange between projects, helping to share the best ideas. All projects remain part of the GIY network, meaning they have access to other GIY resources and additional groups and projects.

Initiatives which have received support from past funds include: a grow garden for the Irish Wheelchair Association Centre; the provision of tools and seeds for the horticulture course at the Ballymun Adult Read and Write Scheme; project funding for an urban food growing project in Cork city with Mad About Cork; and a food growing project for Galway Simon’s Residential Service ‘Tuí Bhrian’.

GIY was founded in Waterford by Michael Kelly in 2008. Last year it helped more than 150,000 people and 6,000 community groups in Ireland and the UK.

For further details on this year’s initiative and to submit an application, see giy.ie.

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