Overview of the Pocket Project's Progress and Impact
Thanks to the generous funding, the Pocket Project has successfully transitioned from an idea into a thriving initiative making a tangible difference in our community. Here’s how the support has helped and the milestones we’ve achieved so far:
Getting Started
The funding has been instrumental in laying the foundation for the project. It allowed us to:
1. Establish Resources: Procure essential materials, tools, and infrastructure to get the project running.
2. Build a Team: Recruit and train a dedicated group of volunteers and staff who are passionate about the project’s goals.
3. Launch Operations: Develop a streamlined process to deliver our services and engage effectively with the community.
Impact in the Community
We are planning to:
• Foster Engagement: Hosting community events or workshops, which have collectively attracted participants.
Community Feedback
The response has been overwhelmingly positive. Testimonials highlight how the Pocket Project has:
• Inspired hope and confidence.
• Provided practical tools for personal and professional growth.
• Created a stronger sense of community and belonging.
Looking Ahead
• Engage with local schools: We plan to invite primary and secondary schools to get involved in the pocket forest initiative, to learn about indigenous Irish trees and shrubs and to physically help us take care of the plants.

On 10th December we undertook planting our pocket forest! We planted 92 trees and shrubs.

On 26th Sept 2024, we undertook the soil sampling and preparation for planting our pocket forest with Pocket Forests.

Action plan:

Timeline: Project will start 29/02/2024. The team will meet once a week for two hours. The topsoil was ordered on 21/02/2024.  tree and shrubs decided on 22/02/2024.

Budget: We will spend the money on soil, shrubs, trees. If any other materials are needed, we will recycle materials we have.

Impact: The group of 7 people that are taking part in the project is a social horticulture group in our centre who use planting and gardening to improve physical and mental health, as well as communication and thinking skills. This project will build on this goal while also spreading the knowledge of native trees and shrubs. The pocket forest it will be open to the community to use and spent time in. The names of the native trees and shrubs will be shown in the pocket forest to ensure the community know the names. Local schools will also have access if they would like to use it.

Location: Site was identified, and all permissions given on the 21/02/2023