‘What we’re doing is growing people’

A large crowd gathered at Nenagh’s Abbey Court Hotel recently to learn more about an exciting new community project called ‘The Growing Place’.

Originally known as Nenagh Urban Social Farm, this therapeutic horticultural project is focussed on using nature as a therapy that is accessible to as many people in the community as possible.

Those involved have secured a 10-year lease on an acre of land just off the N52 bypass at Moyroe, Coolaholiga. Among their plans for the site are raised beds where herbs and plants could be grown, a polytunnel for year-round produce, a wildflower garden area, compost, tool shed and possibly such features as an educational space and rainwater harvesting system. All of these plans are aspirational, and those involved in the project are looking for others to get involved in a voluntary basis and help them clear the site, which is presently overgrown with vegetation.

‘MEANINGFUL SETTING’

Among the founding members of the project is Tracy Ingelbach. Originally from Dublin, she talked about how lonely people can become even when surrounded by thousands of others in an urban sprawl. The idea behind The Growing Place is to get people out engaging with each other and engaging with nature in a positive way.

“We want to get people outdoors but in a social setting and a meaningful setting,” Ms Ingelbach told those gathered. She wanted The Growing Place to be “a safe, inclusive and therapeutic environment”.

Those behind the project have been talking to local groups and accessibility is a key issue for most of them, Ms Ingelbach said. The idea of the raised beds is to help people with mobility issues. Another idea of a figure-of-eight pathway would guide people around the site without getting lost.

She stressed that The Growing Place is not about selling produce. It will remain “voluntary-run and community-driven”. It presently consists of a board of three members and is limited by guarantee. The Growing Place will be seeking charity status and will seek to join the Association of Social Therapeutic Horticulture Facilitators in Ireland, which will give the group certain legal protections.

Another member of the group, Rachel O’Malley (formerly of North Tipperary Development Company), told of visiting a number of similar initiatives around the country. She worked on a feasibility study for Nenagh and identified a need for a social therapeutic horticultural space that could be used by different service providers in the community.

‘AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COMMUNITY’

Founding member Charles Stanley Smith described the initiative as “an opportunity for the community”. Nenagh has a number of service providers that would benefit from using the envisaged space for a couple of hours a week.

“We are ‘trading as’ The Growing Place,” Mr Stanley Smith said. “What we’re doing is growing people.”

He said the volunteer members would seek to appoint a paid manager, someone who would help them secure grants for establishing and maintaining The Growing Place.

A number of people in attendance raised concern over access and parking at the site, as well as safety given the speed of traffic on the N52. Past discussions at local authority level about providing a roundabout at the Coolaholiga/Dromin road intersection with the bypass were mentioned. The question was asked of whether planning permission had been sought for the proposal.

Mr Stanley Smith said the group had spent two years looking for a suitable site in the town. They could not find anything within the bypass.

Ms Ingelbach said the next step would be to talk to Tipperary Co Council about planning, and Transport Infrastructure Ireland about parking and the junction.

Hosting the meeting, Kathleen O’Meara said the purpose last week was to inform people about The Growing Place and gauge feedback on the proposal. A report on the discussion that took place was to be made available on The Growing Place website, where another questionnaire was planned in order to gain further feedback.

Thanking all for their attendance, Ms O’Meara encouraged people to visit thegrowingplace.ie and also the project’s Facebook and Instagram pages.