An innovative cross-community initiative in a rural Louth town is helping people take care of their gardens as they get older.
The Ardee Garden Care & Repair project brings together a number of local groups like Ardee Tidy Towns, Dee Hub, An Garda Síochána, Louth County Council and Age Friendly Louth to provide free gardening services to older and vulnerable people living in their own homes.
It’s thought to be the first of its kind in Ireland, and last February the project won the Best Green Sustainable Initiative award for Louth County Council at the Community and Council Awards, organised by the Local Authority Members Association (LAMA). It was also shortlisted for the National Age Friendly Recognition and Achievement Awards.
Big demand
Now in its second year of operation, this successful partnership sees volunteers from Ardee Tidy Towns look after over 20 gardens in the town by doing small gardening tasks like weeding and grass cutting on a fortnightly basis.
“They do fantastic work. As a matter of fact, they were here today, and they did a major clean-up. They trimmed my hedges, cut my grass and did all the weeding,” Tony Malone tells Irish Country Living from the Sliabh Breagh estate where he and two other neighbours avail of the service.
After noticing the new programme on Facebook last year, Tony contacted Dee Hub, a community resource hub in the town that looks after the administration and promotion of the project, to see if he could apply, and he’s very happy he did and qualifed for the scheme.
“I tell you what: I appreciate what they do immensely because I used to love the gardening myself, but then I developed COPD and I’m on oxygen, so I’m not able to get out to it now.
Ardee Garden Care & Repair project is made up of members of Ardee Tidy Towns, Louth County Council, Louth Older People's Council and Age Friendly Louth. The group is pictured with Sliabh Breagh residents Tony Malone and Margaret Sheridan who avail of garden care help from volunteers from Ardee Tidy Towns. \ Justin Lynch
“Sitting in looking out at the hedges and grass growing up was annoying me, to be honest with you,” he points out. “We are blessed to have it. I would class it as a fantastic and needed service,” Tony adds, thanking the team of volunteers for all their hard work.
With more people living at home longer, the service is very much in demand and could be rolled out in other areas of the country, according to Joe Grogan, chairperson of Louth Older People’s Council (OPC).
The need for a garden care service was first identified by OPC member Mary Dunne back in 2023. Her idea was later discussed at an OPC meeting, and it was agreed that it aligned with the Louth Age Friendly Strategy, which aims to develop initiatives to support an age-friendly society.
By doing simple garden tasks or maintenance, OPC members identified the impact that could have on the ability of seniors to be safe, happy and content in their own homes.
Age Friendly programme manager Sinead McVerry thought it was an idea that they could progress, and with Joe Grogan, they recruited the other community partners to bring it to fruition.
“We took it from there. We had lots of meetings. We banged our heads against a wall a few times, but we got it up and running,” Joe explains, thanking all of the organisations who have come on board and sit on a monitoring committee that meets every six weeks or so.
The group were fortunate to get €5,000 funding from Ardee Municipal District to enable them to buy lawnmowers and gardening equipment for the volunteers in Ardee Tidy Towns, who carry out the work. Age Friendly Louth also contributed €1,500 towards the pilot project, which they help to oversee with Louth OPC.
Members of Ardee Tidy Towns, Louth County Council, Louth Older People’s Council and volunteers with residents Tony Malone and Margaret
Sheridan who avail of help from Ardee Garden Care & Repair Project.
Excellent feedback
“We have 22 gardens on our books,” Joe explains. “They [householders] think it’s excellent; they are all thrilled with it. At the moment we just don’t have enough volunteers, and there are some people waiting to come on the scheme.”
He’s hopeful with new volunteers they will be able to take on extra gardens in Ardee in the near future. Replicating and rolling out this scheme to other areas of mid-Louth is also a priority in the next year or so.
Down the line, Joe hopes that the committee may be able to source more funding or get other organisations, like a community employment scheme, involved in the years ahead.
“It’s a good project. We didn’t think it would take off as well. We weren’t able to keep up with it in the finish. It’s very much needed,” stresses Joe.
In operation for 40 years, Ardee Tidy Towns has a proud history of linking in with and working with other local organisations, and Mavis Kelly says they are delighted to be part of this scheme.
“It’s great; you feel like you’re giving something back a little bit. Some of the people [using the service] would have been involved in Tidy Towns years ago, so they know the work and are very appreciative. It’s good to be able to do it,” Mavis comments.
What’s lovely too, she adds, is the social aspect of the service, where many of the older people will come out for a chat as the volunteers work. Each volunteer is only allowed to work in the garden and is not permitted to enter the home of the older person.
She pays tribute to Paul Ward and his small team who do the majority of the gardening work on the ground at homes located within the Ardee town boundary, assisted at various times by other members of the group.
Mavis says she would love to see new people come on board as volunteers to allow them to do more work as part of the Ardee Garden Care & Repair scheme in the future.
“Collaboration can work well,” Mavis concludes, and this age-friendly initiative is certainly proof of that.
To find out about the scheme, call Dee Hub on 087 4831042 and for more resources see agefriendlyireland.ie
.
An innovative cross-community initiative in a rural Louth town is helping people take care of their gardens as they get older.
The Ardee Garden Care & Repair project brings together a number of local groups like Ardee Tidy Towns, Dee Hub, An Garda Síochána, Louth County Council and Age Friendly Louth to provide free gardening services to older and vulnerable people living in their own homes.
It’s thought to be the first of its kind in Ireland, and last February the project won the Best Green Sustainable Initiative award for Louth County Council at the Community and Council Awards, organised by the Local Authority Members Association (LAMA). It was also shortlisted for the National Age Friendly Recognition and Achievement Awards.
Big demand
Now in its second year of operation, this successful partnership sees volunteers from Ardee Tidy Towns look after over 20 gardens in the town by doing small gardening tasks like weeding and grass cutting on a fortnightly basis.
“They do fantastic work. As a matter of fact, they were here today, and they did a major clean-up. They trimmed my hedges, cut my grass and did all the weeding,” Tony Malone tells Irish Country Living from the Sliabh Breagh estate where he and two other neighbours avail of the service.
After noticing the new programme on Facebook last year, Tony contacted Dee Hub, a community resource hub in the town that looks after the administration and promotion of the project, to see if he could apply, and he’s very happy he did and qualifed for the scheme.
“I tell you what: I appreciate what they do immensely because I used to love the gardening myself, but then I developed COPD and I’m on oxygen, so I’m not able to get out to it now.
Ardee Garden Care & Repair project is made up of members of Ardee Tidy Towns, Louth County Council, Louth Older People's Council and Age Friendly Louth. The group is pictured with Sliabh Breagh residents Tony Malone and Margaret Sheridan who avail of garden care help from volunteers from Ardee Tidy Towns. \ Justin Lynch
“Sitting in looking out at the hedges and grass growing up was annoying me, to be honest with you,” he points out. “We are blessed to have it. I would class it as a fantastic and needed service,” Tony adds, thanking the team of volunteers for all their hard work.
With more people living at home longer, the service is very much in demand and could be rolled out in other areas of the country, according to Joe Grogan, chairperson of Louth Older People’s Council (OPC).
The need for a garden care service was first identified by OPC member Mary Dunne back in 2023. Her idea was later discussed at an OPC meeting, and it was agreed that it aligned with the Louth Age Friendly Strategy, which aims to develop initiatives to support an age-friendly society.
By doing simple garden tasks or maintenance, OPC members identified the impact that could have on the ability of seniors to be safe, happy and content in their own homes.
Age Friendly programme manager Sinead McVerry thought it was an idea that they could progress, and with Joe Grogan, they recruited the other community partners to bring it to fruition.
“We took it from there. We had lots of meetings. We banged our heads against a wall a few times, but we got it up and running,” Joe explains, thanking all of the organisations who have come on board and sit on a monitoring committee that meets every six weeks or so.
The group were fortunate to get €5,000 funding from Ardee Municipal District to enable them to buy lawnmowers and gardening equipment for the volunteers in Ardee Tidy Towns, who carry out the work. Age Friendly Louth also contributed €1,500 towards the pilot project, which they help to oversee with Louth OPC.
Members of Ardee Tidy Towns, Louth County Council, Louth Older People’s Council and volunteers with residents Tony Malone and Margaret
Sheridan who avail of help from Ardee Garden Care & Repair Project.
Excellent feedback
“We have 22 gardens on our books,” Joe explains. “They [householders] think it’s excellent; they are all thrilled with it. At the moment we just don’t have enough volunteers, and there are some people waiting to come on the scheme.”
He’s hopeful with new volunteers they will be able to take on extra gardens in Ardee in the near future. Replicating and rolling out this scheme to other areas of mid-Louth is also a priority in the next year or so.
Down the line, Joe hopes that the committee may be able to source more funding or get other organisations, like a community employment scheme, involved in the years ahead.
“It’s a good project. We didn’t think it would take off as well. We weren’t able to keep up with it in the finish. It’s very much needed,” stresses Joe.
In operation for 40 years, Ardee Tidy Towns has a proud history of linking in with and working with other local organisations, and Mavis Kelly says they are delighted to be part of this scheme.
“It’s great; you feel like you’re giving something back a little bit. Some of the people [using the service] would have been involved in Tidy Towns years ago, so they know the work and are very appreciative. It’s good to be able to do it,” Mavis comments.
What’s lovely too, she adds, is the social aspect of the service, where many of the older people will come out for a chat as the volunteers work. Each volunteer is only allowed to work in the garden and is not permitted to enter the home of the older person.
She pays tribute to Paul Ward and his small team who do the majority of the gardening work on the ground at homes located within the Ardee town boundary, assisted at various times by other members of the group.
Mavis says she would love to see new people come on board as volunteers to allow them to do more work as part of the Ardee Garden Care & Repair scheme in the future.
“Collaboration can work well,” Mavis concludes, and this age-friendly initiative is certainly proof of that.
To find out about the scheme, call Dee Hub on 087 4831042 and for more resources see agefriendlyireland.ie
.
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