Togher Community Garden: Lord Mayor’s Community and Voluntary Awards shine a spotlight on local heroes

“THE community garden movement is getting stronger and stronger,” said Togher Community Garden co-ordinator Maria Young.

Winners of the Community Development and Continuing Education Award at last year’s Lord Mayor’s Community and Voluntary Awards, the collaborative group says there has been “an explosion” of interest in community gardens since the pandemic.

Founded in 2021, Togher Community Garden, at Clashduv Park, is a communal space where people share their love for gardening, healthy eating, and community spirit.

“We felt absolutely great,” said Ms Young, detailing the group’s experience at City Hall for the Lord Mayor’s awards ceremony. 

“It was a lovely surprise to get the award. We didn’t ever do anything specifically to win an award, but it’s great our work is being recognised.”

Sponsored by The Echo, the awards are presented to one overall winner and five category winners.

“It’s fitting that education was in the title of our award, because of the nature of what we do,” said Ms Young. 

“I’m not a horticulturist, but it’s very informed and educational. I’m a big believer in learning by doing with your hands and empowering people that way.”

Immerse

With 60 members aged six to 82 years, 18 raised planting beds, an enclosed polytunnel, and a newly developed pond, the Togher garden is open to the community for people to immerse in nature.

The group has increased habitation at the garden, promoted biodiversity by planting 400 trees, and developed a hand-dug pond, to encourage a once-plentiful population of frogs to repopulate.

“What we’re currently trying to do in the garden isn’t just to grow food, but it’s to increase habitat,” said Ms Young. 

“The biodiversity of the area has certainly gone up, but it’s only now that we’re getting a baseline for what species are out here.

“From listening to older members of the group, 40 years ago you could hear the croaking of frogs everywhere, but now I couldn’t tell you the last time I saw one. We’d love them to come back.”

Healthy eating

Prior to the award last May, the community garden hosted healthy eating events for children to improve their relationship with food, including a four-week cookery course and a child-friendly cookbook.

“We did a four-week course for children with two camping stoves,” said Ms Young.

“One day, we made pizza with them, we had an Italian lady from Naples come in and she showed us all how to make it. It was great.

“The course was so successful because the kids went home and started taking photographs of what they cooked for their parents. That’s what it was all about: Getting children to fall in love, really, with growing food and using the contents of the garden to make something tangible.”

Ahead of this year’s nominees for the awards, Ms Young said: “For anyone out there who’s been nominated, it’s a lovely night, and if you get the award, it’s just a great feeling of recognition.”

The deadline for applications is March 15. Nominations can be made at  https://bit.ly/LMAWARDS24.