The Castlewellan Road outside Newcastle has brightened up its look for the summer thanks to the hard work of residents and young people who have been working on an inter-generational project by setting up and displaying colourful planters along the road for this summer.
The entrance to the Greenhill YMCA will be awash with colour as their two old boat features have been transformed into colourful flower arrangements. The project which is being managed by the Ark Community Gardens in Newcastle has kept the adults busy painting and preparing the barrels while the young people have picked and planted the flowers.
Chairman of the Newry, Mourne and Down Policing and Community Safety Partnership (PCSP), Councillor Mickey Larkin said: “This is an exciting programme, which not only provides lots of fun, but is also an educational experience. The young people have been learning about and experiencing the life cycle of vegetables while becoming involved in the planting, harvesting, cooking and eventually eating their own home grown produce. This is a fantastic programme that is helping people in our district come together to enhance the local area.”
The Programme is part an environmental scheme being funded by the Newry Mourne and Down Policing and Community Safety Partnership (PCSP) and will link with Newry Mourne and Down District Council’s application for the ‘Britain in Bloom Campaign’. This is a nationwide community gardening campaign to transform communities, towns and villages throughout the United Kingdom.
The initiative is being supported by other agencies such as the PSNI, Newry Mourne and Down District Council, YMCA, Youth Service, County Down Rural Community Network, Ark Community Gardens and Castlewellan Road Community Groups who are all working in partnership to deliver the programme.
If you would like any further information on the scheme or any other PCSP Projects please call 02844610840.
