Ardee Garden Care & Repair Project

Description

Ardee Garden Care & Repair Project – this is a an innovative community project which sees Ardee Tidy Towns, Dee Hub, An Garda Síochána, Louth County Council & Age Friendly Louth collaborate to provide free gardening services to older people living in Ardee a rural town in in Co Louth.

The main aim of the service is to assist older people with small gardening projects including grass cutting, garden tidying , weeding and hedge cutting. This community-driven initiative aims to assist those in need by offering essential garden care at no cost.
The need for a garden care and repair service in Mid Louth was identified by Louth OPC member Mary Dunne in 2023 as an urgent requirement in this rural part of Co Louth.

Louth OPC members discussed the matter and it was agreed that it aligned with Action 47 in the current Louth Age Friendly Strategy namely “Implement the Louth Community Safety Strategy and An Garda Siochana’a Older Peoples Strategy “ and it also aligned with the new Louth LECP 2024-2029 objective 5.4 which states that “continue to support an Age Friendly society that embraces all people in Co Louth. It was anticipated delivery of this action and LECP objective will enable people to age with confidence and dignity in their own homes and communities for as long as possible.

Age Friendly Programme Manager Sinead McVerry and OPC Chairperson Joe Grogan agreed to lead out on the project and to carry out a scoping exercise with local community groups in Ardee. Following scoping exercise they identified they would require a number of community partners to help deliver the project. They identified they would need a partner to administer the scheme on the ground locally in Ardee and they would require another partner to carry out the actual gardening services. DEE Hub were identified as a potential administration partner, They are a not for profit community resource hub established in Ardee and have a proven track record in administering projects locally .

Ardee Tidy towns are a not for profit volunteer organisation who work hard to improve their local environment and make Ardee a better place to live in visit and work.Ardee Tidy towns were identified as the best placed community organisation with the knowledge , skills, equipment and capacity to deliver the gardening services and supports required for the project.

Sinead & Joe approached both organisations separately at first to see if they would be interested in partnering with Age Friendly Louth to deliver the project. Representative’s from both organisation’s expressed an interest in principle with the project but advised they would need to bring the idea to their respective committees to get approval and agreement from their committees to progress the project. Both organisation subsequently reverted with agreement from their organisations to proceed and a steering committee was established with representatives from all organisations involved invited to sit on the committee.

Following a number of steering committee meetings it was agreed to pilot the project within Ardee town, to focus solely on garden care and repair , it was agreed Tidy Towns would not be in a position to provide home maintenance on this occasion. It was further agreed that AGS should be invited to join the group.

In April 2024 the Mid Louth Municipal District Elected Members provided an allocation of €5,000 from their discretionary fund towards the project. Age Friendly Louth have provided €2,500 funding for the project Once funding was confirmed and all partners were in agreement regarding policies and procedures , a risk register was prepared , service level agreements were signed and data sharing agreements were also put in place. Advertising of the project commenced end of May 2024 and Tidy Towns commenced garden assessments week beginning 6th June followed by garden assessments.

Tidy Towns will provide approx 300 hours of volunteer work over the period of 4 months from June 2024- September 2024 , this will include garden assessment , agreeing scope and scale of works and carrying out of gardening services.

The Dee Hub will administer and co ordinate the initial contacts from service users requesting the service. They have set up a dedicated phone line to deal with enquiries for the service. They will take initial details from the service user, deal with any questions and queries . They have put a data sharing agreement in place with Ardee Tidy Towns to pass this information to tidy towns volunteers. The tidy towns volunteers will make arrangements to call on a specific time/ date to assess the proposed job.

A team of two tidy towns volunteers will assess the job
Scope of work is agreed between the older person and Tidy Towns volunteers.
A time frame for the job is worked out and agreed
A team of two or more tidy towns volunteers will carry out the work
Tidy Towns volunteers will provide the tools, the older person must provide brown bin to get rid of any garden waste.
Tidy Towns volunteers are instructed not to take money under any circumstances.
Service users /older people can make a donation to Ardee Tidy Towns.
All work to be signed for on completion
The service will provide garden tidying, grass cutting and hedge cutting to older and vulnerable people in Ardee town area,

At the end of the pilot project DKIT Netwell Centre will carry out an evidenced based evaluation of the project.

It is our intention to scale up the project and replicate it with the other Tidy Towns who operate across Mid Louth in 2025. This will provide an aspect of longevity and sustainability to the project. We will also lobby the Mid Louth Elected Members for additional funding to scale up the project for 2025 and seek additional funding streams.

Aim of Initiative

The main aim of the service is to assist older and vulnerable people to age with confidence and dignity in their own homes and communities for as long as possible.
By providing necessary small gardening services including grass cutting, garden tidying , weeding and hedge cutting. This community-driven initiative aims to assist those in need by offering essential garden care at no cost. The provision of ongoing assistance with garden maintenance gives older people a sense of safety and security in their home and enables them to live independently in their local community in ongoing comfort and safety. By focusing on the well-being of older people and vulnerable residents, the scheme fosters a stronger sense of community support and enhances the quality of life for everyone in Ardee.

Who is it aimed at

The initiative is aimed at older people over 65 years of age and those who are considered vulnerable adults .
The project at present covers older people and vulnerable adults living within the municipal boundary of Ardee town only.

3 Steps critical to success

1. Goals & ObjectivesInitially Age Friendly Louth needed to define what the goals and objectives of the project where and also to clarify who we needed to partner with in terms of local community groups in order to deliver the project. It was clear from the inception of the project Age Friendly Louth would not be delivering the project instead we would be taking an innovative approach and partnering with the existing community infrastructure in Ardee, Co Louth namely Ardee Tidy Towns, Dee Hub and An Garda Síochána. Age Friendly Louth have provided oversight, monitoring and funding , Dee Hub have administered the project and Ardee tidy Towns provide the equipment, skills and volunteers to carry out the gardening work. An Garda Siochana also provide oversight and guidance in relation to welfare issues and safety and security issues should they be encountered.
2. Funding & ResourcesOnce all stakeholders agreed to be involved with the project we needed to secure funding and resources for the project. In April 2024 the Ardee elected members provided an allocation of €5,000 from their discretionary fund towards the project. Age Friendly Louth have provided €2,500 funding for the project. Dee Hub were in apposition to provide administrative support to advertise the project locally and to set up a dedicated phone line for the project which would be manned by a member of staff from Dee Hub. Procedures and policies were discussed agreed and put in pace as to how the project would be managed and implemented from the start of the process to the end of the process. All partners were involved with these discussions and agreements. SLA’s and data sharing agreements were put in place and signed by project partners. Dee Hub were provided with funding to purchase a phone and provide administration suppprt for the project. Ardee Tidy towns were provided with funding to carry out garden assesmenst and gardening . Gardening work commenced on the gardens of older and vulnerable people in Ardee in early June 2024. It is anticipated that by the end of the project in September 2024 Ardee Tidy towns will have provided over 300 hours of gardening work to older people in Ardee. This will provide older people with a sense of safety and security and enable them to age with independence in the homes and communities for as long a s possible, contributing to an age friendly society.
3. Monitoring, Support & EvaluationAge Friendly Louth have provided oversight, monitoring and funding , Dee Hub have administered the project and Ardee tidy Towns provide the equipment, skills and volunteers to carry out the gardening work. An Garda Siochana also provide oversight and guidance in relation to welfare issues and safety and security issues . Steering committee in place to monitor the project and meet every 2 weeks to assess and review the project. DKIT Netwell Centre will provide an evidenced based evaluation of the project. This will include project partners, older people who have used and benefitted from the service and service providers.

3 Challenges in Planning / Delivery

1. Identifying suitable community partners and getting them to agree to come on board with the project.It was imperative to identify groups with the capacity to deliver within the local community. The existing community groups are pillars of the local community and bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to the project. An Garda Síochána provide oversight and guidance if/when volunteers encounter concerning situations.
2. Securing funding and resources for the project.As with all projects whilst partners were in agreement in principle to proceed with the project , funding was required to get the project started and to provide an ongoing level of service during summer months. Mid Louth Elected Members agreed to provide funding of €5,000 from their discretionary fund and Age Friendly Louth provided a further €2,500 from their budget.
3. Managing ExpectationThis project is dependent on the provision of volunteers within Ardee Tidy Towns. At present they have approx. 12-15 volunteers and the project is entirely dependent on the knowledge skill and capacity of these volunteers to deliver the gardening maintenance service. It was a concern that they would be overwhelmed with gardening requests and for this reason it was agreed to keep the service local within Ardee town only , and to advertise it within the town only. Steering committee felt local advertising and word of mouth would be sufficient to manage the project and manage expectation.

3 Outcomes / Benefits

1. Innovative & Collaborative Community ApproachTaking an innovative approach to community projects by using the existing community infrastructure in Ardee and getting them to extend and diversify their services. Cross collaboration of community groups and community resources. Dee Hub administer and co ordinate the initial contacts from service users requesting the service. They take initial details from the service user and deal with any questions and queries . Tidy Towns provide 300 hours of volunteer work over the period of 4 months from June 2024- September 2024 , this will include garden assessment , agreeing scope and scale of works and carrying out of gardening works. Age Friendly Louth provided funding and financial oversight and management of the community partners and project. An Garda Síochána provided advice and oversight in relation to welfare concerns for service users. Elected Members in Ardee provided funding for the project. A cross collaboration of community groups, working together to create an age friendly society for all.
2. Enabling older people to age with confidence at home for as long as possibleThe main aim of the service is to assist older and vulnerable people to age with confidence and dignity in their own homes and communities for as long as possible. By providing necessary small gardening services including grass cutting, garden tidying , weeding and hedge cutting. The provision of ongoing assistance with garden maintenance gives older people a sense of safety and security in their home and enables them to live independently in their local community in ongoing comfort and safety. By focusing on the well-being of older people and vulnerable residents, the scheme fosters a stronger sense of community support and enhances the quality of life for everyone in Ardee This community-driven initiative aims to assist those in need by offering essential garden care at no cost
3. Safety & SecurityA well maintained garden gives an older person a sense of security and wellbeing. When the garden becomes overgrown or unmanageable it becomes a burden, a source of worry, and symbolizes a loss of control over their bodies and lives. They may experience negative psychological effects that include feeling depressed, powerless, and frustrated as they have to engage others to carry out tasks they once did with ease. In some cases inability to garden, or the loss of the garden, can induce a sense of bereavement leading to low morale. To enable elderly persons and vulnerable adults to stay living at home for longer due to the assistance of managing their garden and outdoor space. Individual safety and security is extremely important because both safety and security affect an individual’s well-being. Security is freedom from the threat or fear of harm or danger. An overgrown garden is sometimes a flag to others that people are struggling or not coping and this project aims to assist older and enable them to stay living at home and age independently within their community.