Birr meeting discusses positive Community Roots project

A very interesting and potentially fruitful meeting was held recently in Tin Jug Studio, Birr, which was attended by a number of local people and two members of the successful Community Roots project in Cabra, Dublin.

Scott Bryan and Caitriona Kenny of Community Roots spoke to the Birr people for about an hour, detailing the various aspects of Community Roots and how it could possibly work in Birr.

There was a positive response from the Birr attendees who realise that a positive community project like this could work in Birr Town and could be a very good thing for the townspeople.

Community Roots has won a number of awards. The programme connects garden owners with garden-less budding growers living nearby who are looking for a patch to grow their own food. The project enhances participants' health and wellbeing; and creates bonds between people due to the shared connection - it builds community connection. People who have gardens and would like to see their gardens flourishing with vegetables can sign onto the programme through the Community Roots website.

The pictured shows those who attended the Tin Jug Meeting. They were l. to r. Ricky Whelan, Offaly Biodiversity Officer, Eimhin Shortt, The Growery, Denis Madden, Birr Technology Centre, Denis Shine, Irish Heritage School Birr, Rosalind Fanning, Tin Jug Studio, Bernie Stapleton, Caitriona Kenny and Scott Bryan, Community Roots. Bernie Fanneran of Birr Tidy Towns also attended the meeting but had to leave in advance of the photograph being taken.