Green-fingered young people dig in for nature

Sporting trowels and spades, the enthusiastic 19 to 30-year-olds, from Live Life Well-Being Centre and Social Enterprises, got stuck into their task close to Ballymacash Sports Academy at Rushmore Drive.

An educational and environmental health and wellbeing project, the new shrubs are an addition to an existing wooded area, planted by the Housing Executive, where local people take walks and enjoy nature and fresh air.

Pocket forests are small areas of native plants grown near urban spaces, created by communities to improve biodiversity, soil, climate resilience and natural habitats.

The Lisburn planting is part of the annual tree and hedge programme carried out by the Housing Executive’s ground maintenance team.

Ballymacash Community Crafts Group members are also taking part in the project.

Philip Reain-Adair, director of services, Live Life Well-Being Centre, said: “We provide a range of activities that stimulate and help vulnerable young people develop their life skills. This type of project is perfect for us.

“We received almost £8,000 from Living Places Living Spaces – The National Lottery Community Fund to help turn the area into a community forest and to create bio-diversity.

“Ballymacash Sports Academy are keen to promote their facility as a welcoming place for the whole community and we have three community allotments and a polytunnel at the side of the academy,” he explained.

“There is a buffer woodland between the allotments and houses, which is owned by the Housing Executive.

“The Housing Executive has agreed that we can use the land which is secured by a perimeter fence and our young people helped plant 30 or 40 saplings there.

“As well as putting in hedging such as hawthorn and beech, we have ordered bat boxes and hedgehog houses,” Philip added.

“Once the growing season starts, the young people are here up to three times a week to help look after the site, planting and weeding.

“Various community groups have helped but the Housing Executive is the key partner. They own the land and have done all the hard work clearing the site and trimming the trees.

“It started as a simple idea but has grown into something much bigger and much better which will improve bio-diversity and improve the mental health and wellbeing of everyone who uses the space.”

Housing Executive grounds services manager Malachy Brennan said he was delighted that the young people were so keen to get involved.

“We hope this type of project will provide them with a safe place where they can enjoy nature and give them hours of enjoyment and fulfilment.

“I could see from their smiling faces that they were thrilled to be doing something positive and practical to improve the area around them.

“The young people can take pride in being involved and they will be able to watch the trees and hedges grow and thrive year on year.

“It’s also an excellent opportunity to improve the local surroundings, creating a pleasant environment for them and the rest of the community to enjoy.”

Des Marley, the Housing Executive's Area Manager for Lisburn and Castlereagh, said: “We are very pleased to support this very important and meaningful work.

“Projects such as this provide an opportunity to raise community awareness about the importance of environmental conservation.

“Our ongoing planting projects provide much fun for the young people involved and have been very successful in delivering positive outcomes for local communities.”

The hedges were planted with the help of the Housing Executive’s contractors ID Verde.

For more information visit www.nihe.gov.uk