Gairdín Pobail Chnoc Fola – we have built and developed a permanent community garden

Description

We developed an aged friendly group in 2018 – we built a community garden through community support, we ran a 5k and also got assistance from the ETB. An aged friendly audience was targeted and formed and have remained together since. The community garden runs from February to November and the group meet each Monday. They grow vegetables and fruits. Through covid a number of the ladies became widows and this initiative has helped them to grieve and remain socially inclusive. It has shortened their winter. We also organise chair aerobics on a Tuesday afternoon to keep fit and a cup of tea afterwards for social inclusion over 40 attend. Social Dancing classes with Eddie Mc Fadden was a big hit and we also do bingo on Sunday’s in the community hall. Mondays evening’s we have a group of Men who play cards mainly 25’s about 30 men attend.
We also run a youth club with over 135 local children aged between 4 and 12 registered with us.

Aim of Initiative

Old age is a sensitive phase; elderly people need care and comfort to lead a healthy life without worries and anxiety. Social inclusion gives older adults a sense of purpose, of accomplishment and of belonging to the community. It allows older adults to stay active and to continue to contribute to the development of society based on their needs, preferences and abilities. Social participation fosters ties that prevent isolation. A cup of tea and chat goes along way. On a cold February morning i said to a lady in the community garden “Fair play to you for coming up today” her reply was ” I got up this morning and had no one to speak to- i came here and am part of a group – i had tea- a laugh and participated.

Who is it aimed at

Creation of age friendly activities for our community – Our main aim is improvement of physical activity, and overall mental health for participants as well as social inclusion. No one is alone.

3 Steps critical to success

1. Asking the group what they wanted – letting the group develop – make choices- decisions- get them involved and become part of the community- community centre and garden
2. Allowing the group to take ownership of the community garden
3. Getting a group of men in the hall on a Monday evening to play cards

3 Challenges in Planning / Delivery

1. Getting people involved to come out to be socially involved
2. Funding
3. Covid

3 Outcomes / Benefits

1. Reduced social isolation and improved community cohesion. »Increased rates of physical activity.
   Engaging in social activities is beneficial to both physical and mental health. Staying socially active can help prevent social isolation and loneliness, which are both linked to negative health outcomes. This includes depression, high blood pressure, heart disease, and cognitive decline.
2. Research has shown that older adults with an active lifestyle: Are less likely to develop certain diseases. Participating in hobbies and other social activities may lower risk for developing some health problems, including dementia, heart disease, stroke, and some types of cancer.
3. Our group got involved with more classes and activities – Healthy Eating- Flower arranging. They take an annual trip together to visit other community gardens.