Garden group walks the walk for locals

A UNIQUE Southside group is helping the intellectually disabled and the unemployed to find meaningful employment in the horticultural industry by providing them with training at its community garden.

WALK is a community organisation based in Walkinstown which operates a number of projects including Walkways, which is aimed at increasing the rate of employment of people with intellectual disabilities.

To achieve this goal, WALK works with communities in Crumlin, Kimmage, Inchicore, Kilmainham and the Liberties with the aim of improving the quality of life for all people.

WALK has developed a number of initiatives including the WALK community garden at Scoil Colm in Crumlin that enables trainees to build on their gardening skills and learn from other participants and gardening mentors.

The garden project engages teachers and students from local schools, youth reach trainees, volunteers, members of other disability projects and WALK participants.

Those working on the scheme include unemployed people who are participating in integrated employment programmes run by the Department of Social Protection, including the TUS scheme and JobBridge, the national internship programme.

John McEntee, Development Manager at WALK, said a number of participants in its Walkways scheme, which prepares those with intellectual disabilities for training, education and employment in various sectors, are also currently participating in the community garden project.

“We are set up to support people with disabilities so they can become included in their community,

? he explained.

“And as well as that it provides them with training opportunities that will help them with employment in a horticultural led career.

“We are trying to promote the fact that people with intellectual disabilities have a value in the community. They shouldn’t be left behind because they have what they need to work and to engage in the community.

?

Mr McEntee was keen to point out that WALK participants are currently working on a project in conjunction with the students of Scoil Colm that will involve the construction of a small green house made from recycled plastic bottles.

WALK also operates a number of separate community gardening projects in the area that are designed to meet the needs of older and disabled people in the community who may be unable to work on their gardens.

“We have a community garden project, which we operate in conjunction with Dublin City Council, where we go around renewing local community areas,

? he added.

“We do planter boxes and hanging boxes in Crumlin Village.

“We would also go into a private garden where maybe a person was in hospital and it was overgrown so we keep an eye on it and make sure it is renewed when they come back.

?

Mr McEntee said WALK was looking forward to a series of further events over the festive season that will include their very own Santa and elves arriving by sleigh at locations across Dublin City from late November onwards.

Planned events also include tree lighting ceremonies in Rathmines, Crumlin, Sandymount and Donnybrook as well as a special visit to Crumlin Children’s Hospital.

Anyone who would like to find out more information about WALK or any of their initiatives can phone John McEntee on 4650388 or email him at john.mcentee@walk.ie Also, visit www.walk.ie