Dún na Sí granted funding for sensory garden upgrade
As part of a national drive to promote local green spaces, biodiversity and community connections, Dún na Si Amenity & Heritage Park in Moate has been awarded funding from the AXA Parks Fund to enhance their sensory garden.
The sensory garden project is one of 84 such projects being undertaken by community groups across the country with funding totalling €900,000 from AXA.
The funding has been warmly welcomed by Karen Nugent, Manager at Dún na Sí who said the enhancement of the sensory garden will “not only deliver benefits for the local community now, but will help ensure the survival of our local biodiversity to be enjoyed for generations to come.”
Ms. Nugent said the funding will be used to replace the current raised bed in the sensory garden which have started to decay and collapse. The new beds will be made using recycled products from an Irish supplier which are sustainable and environmentally friendly.
“Upgrading the beds will make the garden easier to maintain and ensure accessibility for the less abled” she said, adding that it is also planned to plant a range of new pollinator plants which will attract butterflies and bees. “This will ultimately enhance the sensory experience in the garden.”
The Dún na Sí Manager described local green spaces as “vital assets which should be protected, promoted and supported” and said it is the intention of the Park to continue to encourage community engagement and participation by involving students, teachers and SNA’s from the ASD (autistic) unit, TY students from Moate Community School, service workers from St. Hilda’s Services in Moate along with volunteers from the local Men’s Shed in the upgrading and maintenance of the sensory garden.
Director of Marketing at AXA, Antoinette McDonald, said the aim of the AXA Parks Fund is to help local communities “to thrive by empowering them with the resources they need to bring projects to life.” She paid tribute to the many small local groups who continue to “work tirelessly” to deliver meaningful projects in their local communities, and said the funding announcement would “become alive over the coming months” as the community projects take shape and brighten up the countryside for next Spring and Summer.
Denise Charlton, Chief Executive of The Community Foundation of Ireland , who administer the funding on behalf of AXA Parks, said the funding granted to 84 projects, including Dun na Sí, aligns with their commitment to Sustainable Futures for all, and equips local communities with the “tools they need to make change in their own areas.”