Our New Ross New Directions Service is establishing a vegetable garden in an allotment provided by the Wexford County Council. Spearheaded by community support worker Ray Morley, the project aims to not only reconnect with the local community but also provide a unique experience for service users. We sat down with Linda Hynes, the Community Coordinator for the Wexford Region to get the full story.

“It was a bit run down at the start-it’s still a real work in progress!”

In the heart of Wexford, our New Ross New Directions Service has embarked on an exciting venture – the creation of a vegetable garden in an allotment from the County Council. The project was the brainchild of Ray Morley, a dedicated community support worker with a wealth of experience and passion. Linda Hynes, Community Coordinator for the Wexford Region in Resilience Healthcare, recently sat down with us to talk about how the garden got started.

“Ray has great connections in New Ross, you know? He spoke to a friend with ties to the local community, and that’s how we secured an allotment from the County Council,” Linda explained. The allotment, though in disuse and overgrown, presented an opportunity for New Directions New Ross to not only connect with the community, but also offer a unique experience to their service users.

The team started by tackling the weeds that had overrun the allotment, turning the neglected space into a lush opportunity for growth and education. Linda emphasised the collaborative effort required, “It was a bit run down at the start-it’s still a real work in progress! We’ve had to work to make it as wheelchair accessible as possible and deal with the weeds without using chemicals. It’s not perfect, but we love getting out there.”

The team’s commitment to inclusivity shines through, especially in making the garden accessible to all the service users. While challenges like gravel and uneven terrain exist, the team is actively seeking ways to improve wheelchair accessibility.

Linda shared, “Our male service users have the greatest interest in getting out there, but everyone is invited to participate. It’s just about getting everyone out into the fresh air and involved in the process. You know, if we have service users who have mobility issues, we can sow the seeds in little containers at tables here in the service and then transport them to the garden.”

A pivotal moment in the project was deciding whether to keep the allotment going. “We had been doing it for a while, you know, and we had to decide whether or not to keep it,” Linda said. “We were like, look, we’re either taking it or not taking it!” But Ray’s dedication and passion for the project were evident, even from afar. Linda recounted, “Ray was in Spain when the decision had to be made about keeping the allotment. He sent an email saying that he was so passionate about it and wanted to keep it, and the team unanimously decided to continue. But it’s not just Ray, you know, the entire team is invested. Everyone was just like, absolutely we’re gonna keep it!”

But the impact of the allotment extends beyond the garden walls. When asked what they did with all the produce, Linda said, “We sowed rhubarb last year, harvested it, and made crumbles to share with families. Now, we’re moving on to vegetables and soups! It’s about bringing that tangible thing home, you know? Our service users are out there learning all about gardening, harvesting, and cooking. Getting to bring a crumble out to the families is really meaningful.”

“It’s just about getting everyone out into the fresh air and involved in the process.”

Despite weather constraints, the team tries to get out to the allotment several times a week, emphasising the therapeutic benefits of being outdoors. Linda expressed, “When the weather is bad, we don’t get up as much as we’d like. But when we do, we’re all planting seeds and pulling weeds. It’s so nice to see everyone in their welly boots, enjoying the fresh air!”

As the project evolves, New Directions New Ross continues cultivating community engagement, fostering inclusivity, and sowing the seeds of personal growth. There’s still work to be done, but the impact of the garden is already visible in the smiles of the service users and the transformation of a once-neglected allotment into a productive vegetable and flower patch. We can’t wait to see what the team cooks up next!