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GLOBAL ACTION PLAN
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SUMMER 2012 Date 17/05/2012
Welcome to the new Global Action Plan Newsletter. Over the past few months we have been busy redesigning our newsletter to bring you a new look with fresh new content. We welcome any feedback or comments you have to help us improve your reading experience. 2012 has been a busy and rewarding year so far, during which time we launched new programmes and events, and we also continued to coordinate long-standing programmes in the community.
National Spring Clean During the month of April GAP promoted National Spring Clean month with local adults and young people in the community through educational workshops and community clean-ups. BRYR worked with GAP to promote the activities, including carrying out a litterpick and showcasing photos from the litterpick and from other workshops to highlight National Spring Clean. Ballymun Tidy Towns and local residents, supported by the IKEA environmental team had a community clean-up day around IKEA on April 24th.
LIFT Youth Arts Festival The Youth Environmental Network participants designed and created a giant educational jigsaw puzzle about Fairtrade Bananas called ‘Banana World’ for LIFT. They used reclaimed wood from the Rediscovery Centre, and showcased the work at the opening of the LIFT festival. This will be used as an environmental educational resource for future workshops, and highlights the importance of using reclaimed materials where possible in art and environmental projects.
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Biodiversity Day Event in the Muck and Magic Community Garden in Coultry on Tuesday May 22nd 1pm-6pm. Open to adults and children, and activities include planting, demonstrations, youth games and much more! Tidy Towns clean-ups May 21st National Volunteer Week Clean Up, meet St Joseph’s Music Room 5.30pm May 29th Termon Courts 6pm May 30th Santry CrossPainting of hoardings 4pm June 8th St Joseph’s N.S. 9am-11am More Clean Ups to be confirmed check Ballymun tidy towns Facebook Page for updates or follow us on twitter @BallymuntidyT
Bike Week Event GAP will host a Family Cycle Funday in Poppintree Park June 21st 4pm-6.30pm Cycle Treasure Hunt, Smoothie Bike, Cycle Safety, Cycle Maintenance & much much more!
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Environmental Competitions Local schools and youth groups have been working on cleaning, planting and other environmental projects for the Beautiful Spaces competition, which will be judged in June. The theme for the 2012 Calendar Competition is Youth Environmental Action, so remember to take photos of all your eco-projects!
Park Stewardship Programme Two park stewardship programmes with Virgin Mary Girls NS and Gaelscoil Bhaile Munna and Coultry Park are completed and have been very successful. We have linked with parents, local residents, DCC parks staff and litter collection, local Gardai and the Ballymun Tidy Towns committee. Well done to all the pupils for their hard work and enthusiasm!
Youth Environmental Network YEN have been busy promoting eco-actions through a Fairtrade Fortnight workshop and during the Ballymun LIFT Youth Arts Festival. A group from the Ballymun Jobcentre joined YEN to create a Biodiversity Habitat in the Lighthouse youth garden behind the RECO. YEN were also shortlisted for the Eco Unesco Young Environmentalist awards!
Youth Events GAP facilitated an eco-fashion youth event in the RECO during LIFT making jewellery from reclaimed materials and screenprinting onto Fairtrade organic cotton bags. During National Spring Clean month in April GAP ran two workshops and carried out a litterpick around the RECO to highlight the importance of keeping our spaces clean and green!
Youth Environmental Network The YEN participants will be traveling to Oslo as part of a Leargas funded Transnational Youth Initiative with GAP Norway in August. The trip will allow the local young people to take part in an environmental youth exchange and to allow them to share skills and learn from their peers in Norway and with a group from Madagascar. This is an amazing opportunity for the participants to learn, and to bring back new skills and enthusiasm to the Ballymun community! Youth Events Four GAP youth events will take place in Ballymun parks this July in partnership with the BRYR youth centre. The events will include activities such as nature trails, educational environmental games and planting. Please contact us for further information. Youth Environmental Competitions The deadline for the Beautiful Spaces competition is the 1st of June. This is open to all youth groups and schools in Ballymun and the theme is ‘Youth Environmental Action.’ Please post or email photos and submissions to GAP, or ask for a submission form if you require one. Amazing work was completed for the 2011 competition and we are excited about this year’s entries! The winners will be awarded at the Ballymun Tidy Towns awards in September.
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The Muck & Magic Community garden in Coultry garden’s continues to grow, and meet on Monday mornings & Wednesday afternoon to continue developing the garden site. On May 22nd the Ballymun Garden club will host a day of garden workshops and activities in the garden to mark International Biodiversity day. The event will be attended by the Lord Mayor of Dublin Cllr. Andrew Montague.
Highlights ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ The GAP Home gardening program has kicked off with teams in Poppintree, Shangan & Coultry. The gardeners learn some garden theory and then work together in each others garden’s, creating new flower beds, tidying, rejuvenating garden spaces, and composting garden waste. It’s fun and informal and a great way to work together to create beautiful garden spaces. Some places still available.
• Solas (women's development group) and the Ballyrunners will renovate and create a community garden to the rear of the Holy Spirit church. The project kicked off in April. The group meet on Wednesdays 11am-2 pm. The garden will include a vegetable growing area, composting area and soft fruit area. • St Margaret’s Traveller women are undertaking plant propagation training & a planting project on Carton Road, Poppintree. They will also be involved in planting up the entrance to the traveller site in June.
★The Ballymun Garden Club host their monthly meetings in the Muck & Magic community garden site on the first Wednesday of each month at 6pm. The garden club welcomes new club members. ★ The Muck & Magic Community gardeners meet on site in Coultry Garden’s on Monday 10.30am -1 pm Wednesday 6-7.30pm - all welcome. ★GAP’s Home gardening program has kicked off so if you together with neighbours or friends would like to tackle your garden, learn how to garden in a sustainable and organic way, then give us a call. Places are limited.
• Glor Na Gael in Coultry will host a biodiversity event for the parents & children of the creche, which will be hosted in the Muck & Magic community garden on 17th May. • A rustic fence making workshop will be held in the Muck & Magic community garden on Tuesday 1-6 pm May 22nd. • As part of heritage week in August GAP will host a heritage seed event in the new Virgin Mary community garden off Shangan road.
For more information on any of the GAP gardening programs please contact the GAP Gardening co-ordinator on 01-8625846.
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Green Living Programme Parents of St Josephs Schools have Completed a GLP. They have done amazing work in the schools’ garden, planting over 100 summer bulbs, a large mixed herb bed, and lots of sunflowers seeds. This group have made big changes around the school. They have placed a bottle in each toilet to reduce the use of water saving on average 260 litres daily. Shangan Mens Centre have become involved in the Muck and Magic garden, planting bulbs and fruit trees. They will volunteer in the garden once a month as a group.
Highlights Ballymun Tidy Towns have hit the ground running and the committee are full of great ideas for this years’ competition. If you are interested in being involved with Ballymun Tidy Towns please contact (01) 862 5846
Smarter Travel 21st June will see GAP host a Family Cycle Funday in Poppintree Park as part of National Bike Week. There will also be other activities running for European Mobility Week in September.
Ballymun Market
Heritage Week During 2012 GAP will host events to celebrate National Heritage week (18-26 August) with a focus on fostering an appreciation of biodiversity. Keep a look out for upcoming events!
Global Action Plan Ltd acknowledges the support of all our funders.
Global Action Plan Ireland gapireland Global Action Plan Ltd 13 Balbutcher Lane, Ballymun, Dublin 11 T: 01 8625846 F: 01 8620989 Email: info@globalactionplan.ie Website: www.globalactionplan.ie
Registered in Ireland / Number: 6366806R / Charity Number: CHY 15448
During 2011 the Ballymun market moved to an indoor location (Ballymun Shopping Centre). This has proved to be a very positive move where the project has gone from strength to strength giving a much needed focus to Ballymun Town Centre while offering choice and variety to local shoppers. The Market operates every Thursday from 9am - 3.30pm. Ballymun Fair Trade committee are working with three Womens groups to create Fair Trade quilts which will be showcased during Fair Trade Forthnight 2013