Tallaght Rehabilitation Project launch garden project

TALLAGHT Rehabilitation Project launched their new 20-week Horticulture and Garden Project in Kiltalown House last week which will allow the participants at the centre to grow and use their own vegetables.

The Garden Project, which is a collaboration with TASP (Tallaght Addiction Support Project), was launched on the grounds of Kiltalown House and is the first time that the organisation is running the initiative.

The Garden Project is funded by The National Lottery and is part of TRP’s Mental Health Programme in addition to the Nutritional education and Life Skills benefits.

Peter Henry, Community Employment Assistant Supervisor, told The Echo: “It is a 20-week initiative and the people that come to the project are involved in it.

“There is going to be polytunnels created so we can grow and use our own vegetables.

“It will be great from a therapeutic point of view also as well as teaching life skills and that type of thing.”

The project was launched with an introduction to the participants, with them officially starting in the garden last week.

“They enjoyed it and got stuck in,” said Peter.

“They realised that they enjoy gardening a lot more than they thought they would.

“One of our maintenance gardeners here, Patrick, he is going to make a diary as well every week of what was planted and the developments to have at the end.

“We are hoping to use the vegetables here on site and it is also something that future participants at TRP will be able to utilise again.

“Once it is set up it will be ongoing and groups next year will have the advantage of this and just maintain it, giving them life-skills that they can use in the community.”