Council rejection hasn’t deterred garden group from plans to extend facility
Members of the committee for Westside Community Garden are holding out hope for plans to extend the facility this year – despite Galway City Council failing to approve their use of public lands to extend the garden in time for the Spring.
The existing garden development, located beside the Westside Resource Centre, has been up and running for five years. Much used by the local community, the garden has a solid base of around 15
members with other interested parties lending a hand from time to time.
According to committee member, Ann Martin, despite the setback of not having their extension ready for this season’s planting, they haven’t lost sight of their end-goal of creating a garden that will be operational all year round.
“The City Council still haven’t come back to us – there were plans to have it planted by March 17, but we’ll still be making use of what we have,” she said.
Included in plans for developing the garden is the installation of a drainage system, the erection of a medium sized polytunnel, setting up a roof drainage system to collect rainwater, and the construction of a water storage area.
In addition, the group hope to incorporate solar panels in the future for the provision of heat to aid the growing process.
Ann believes that this extension would be beneficial because it would maintain operations throughout the Winter – helping them expand to include schools in their work.
“The polytunnel would keep interest going through the Winter, because what happens is the schools break-up during the Summer and they don’t get to see the produce,” she explained.
The garden is open to all groups, and often has visits from those who are interested but unable to attend regularly.
A group of intellectually disabled young people, and some men from the Occupational Health Department of University Hospital Galway, visit on occasion.
The garden also facilitates a mother and toddler group – aptly named the ‘Peashoots’.
“We hope to be helpful to the Westside in small ways – they might all be small but they are cumulative.
“We are focussed on what the community needs, and what the people need for nutrition,” said Ann.
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.