Garden open day designed to promote inclusion and diversity

A GLOBAL Garden with a particular emphasis on social inclusion and integration is set to welcome new families through an open day on Saturday.

The Clondalkin Global Garden was established 10 years ago with the aim of building a community and promoting interaction through the medium of gardening.

Through horticulture and organic gardening, volunteers and members spend much of their time maintaining garden beds, planting vegetables and other jobs focused around interaction.

The open day, which will see the Mayor of South Dublin County Council, Cllr Emma Murphy, unveil the new Clondalkin Global Garden sign, will take place on Saturday, August 27 from 11am.

“The Clondalkin Global Garden is a community garden with a particular emphasis on integration, inclusion and support for migrants,” Anthony Duffy, secretary and member with the Global Garden, tells The Echo.

“We’re supporting people living in the Red Cow and Maldron hotels at the moment.

“We’re providing a space for migrants and refugees who are coming looking for meaningful work and to make friends.”

At present, there are 20 paid members of the Global Garden, while around 15 volunteers give up their time to help maintain the garden.

The group comes together three times a week, on Monday, Thursday and Saturday, with the vision of promoting a garden full with rich diversity, a place for growing and inclusion, and a meeting space for creativity, all in harmony with nature.

Located at the St John’s entrance of Corkagh Park, the Global Garden open day will start at 11am with music and conversation before Cllr Murphy unveils the sign at noon.

Supported by South Dublin County Council and South Dublin County Partnership, the open day will end with tours, a picnic and storytelling between 1pm and 3pm.

All children attending the open day must be accompanied by an adult and supervised at all times.

Visit the Global Garden Clondalkin Facebook page for updates and information, or contact Anthony Duffy on 087 718 2583 or Kenneth Mtetwa on 089 963 5385.