Kilcranny House Environmental Programmes

The Kilcranny House environmental programme is funded by Creating Common Ground, The Ulster Wildlife Trust (Landfill Tax), Coleraine Borough Council and Bombardier.

The main aim of Kilcranny House is to help heal the divisions that continue to exist within our society by addressing particular issues at a community level and also to address the divisions between people and the earth.  To that end we have a strong environmental ethos, encouraging both staff and visitors to raise their environmental awareness through recycling and waste management. Visiting groups of all ages are provided with challenging programmes on environmental issues.  Staff at Kilcranny House devise and deliver programmes aimed at meeting the needs of each group. Kilcranny House serves the local community of Coleraine Borough providing programmes and/or facilities for schools, youth groups, community groups and other interest groups such as Age Concern, adults with learning and/or other disabilities.

Community Allotment/Healing Garden Scheme. 

This scheme enables identified disadvantaged and new TSN groups in the local community to have their own space to grow organic fruit and vegetables and to manage it themselves.  Interest in developing this project began in 2001 when some user groups and a number of local community groups expressed interest in developing allotments and a sensory garden in unused ground at Kilcranny.  After consultation between staff, committee and interest groups, it was agreed that this type of project would enhance the existing services at Kilcranny in terms of the environmental and healing aspects of our work as well as directly engaging local people in capacity raising and providing skills training.

The aim is to provide allotments in a peaceful, healing environment where people build up their self esteem and work together in a project in which they are actively involved and included.  Self-confidence is developed through sharing knowledge, practise of existing social and work skills and acquiring new skills in gardening.  Employing organic principles also encourages an appreciation of the environment and our place in it.  The Healing Garden will comprise walkways and seating areas edged with specific plants known to have therapeutic properties.  Raised beds are an important feature for those with mobility problems.   A mini-habitat/wildlife pond provides a focal point for the garden.  Educational programmes centred on organic gardening and permaculture techniques play a major role in this project.

Environmental Project Worker, Joan Hunter, oversees the development of the project with a focus group made up of representatives of the user groups (Active Age/Age Concern, The Blind Centre, Compass Advocacy for adults with learning disabilities, a mental health organisation and Ballysally Primary school which falls within the top 25%most deprived wards against multi Deprivation Indices [Noble].  Other representatives include those who are recognised as having expertise in relevant areas of the project. 

Environmental regeneration

This project aims to develop awareness of environmental issues by actively involving local disadvantaged groups in creating and maintaining their own community allotment and healing garden.  Educational programmes centred on Organic gardening techniques and small-scale household waste management techniques will be provided and organic principles employed on a practical level. 

Neighbourhood renewal

This project supports community regeneration by providing local access to training and skills programmes in organic gardening and waste management.  It also raises the capacity of local people to participate in the community.  The project will encourage self-esteem, promoting and developing skills and interaction with each other working together as a team.  The project is also being developed as a partnership with other organisations that have expressed an interest and commitment to the project.

Community diversity

This project will help raise awareneness of community diversity.  The project is an extension of the Kilcranny ‘s already established role of providing a safe and neutral space for local people to discuss issues of cultural diversity.  The project will also help to reduce feelings of marginalisation and exclusion.  The project will also provide equality of opportunity to all individuals and groups by providing adequate access and sensory facilities.

Benefits of the Project

1 It is recognised that gardening is therapeutic and aids mental and physical well-being.  This project will provide this through the combination of physical activity, the therapeutic properties of the Healing Garden, involvement in decision making in the allotments and creating opportunities to improve well-being through education on growing organic vegetables and fruit to improve diet.

2 User groups recognised Kilcranny’s unique potential to provide an integrated healing environment and this project promotes the environmental ethos of Kilcranny House and its role in healing in the community.

3 The project’s strength is that it enables a wide range of interest groups to design and manage the community Allotment.  The groups will be actively involved in the planning, design and monitoring of the project and it will then be handed over to them to manage themselves. 

It is intended that the project be managed and maintained by the user groups beyond the life of the funding obtained by Kilcranny House.  The whole purpose of the project was to set up the Community Allotment in partnership with identified user groups, to oversee its development and provide advice and appropriate training to the groups to enable them to eventually manage the allotments themselves.