Welcome to GIY. The health of our people and our planet are the most pressing global issues, but there is an intention/action gap and people feel overwhelmed to the point of inaction. Food is an area where people can take actions that have immediate sustainability and health impacts, and growing some of your own food is a simple, compelling way to develop a deeper understanding and connection with food which in GIY we call ‘food empathy’. Globally, the network of GIY groups and projects are making a huge difference in their communities. Why not join or start a GIY group or project in your community, school or workplace?
Michael Kelly, Founder of GIY.
The Idea
GIY is all about encouraging people to give food growing a try and believes that growing our own gives us a better understanding of food.
At the heart of the movement are local GIYers getting together in GIY groups or creating GIY projects in their communities to share their knowledge and develop new ideas, building awareness for a sustainable and healthy ...
“My involvement in GIY has really helped me in both my physical and mental wellbeing. It has also helped me connect with the local community and I’ve loved helping other people growing their own food!”
Shane Maher, GIY Dundrum
What you can do
You can start your own GIY Group and bring people in your community together to grow their own food, find out all you need to know in our 5 step guide or you can join your local group, find your nearest one here.
GIY are delighted to announce the launch of Community Classrooms 2020, a new campaign aimed at partnerships between community groups and primary schools who have access to a new, developing or established community/school garden.
Supported by the Tomar Trust, the Community Classrooms initiative aims to establish, support and fund a network of 30 community gardens around Ireland over the next three years that directly engage with primary schools and provide outdoor, living classrooms for pupils, staff and community members.
Each successful Community Classroom will receive:
Development fund of €3,500 to build and run a Community Classroom
School garden growing plan and associated curriculum resources
Applications are now open and will close on Fri 27 March 2020. But before you apply please read the application criteria to ensure you meet the requirements.
Hello GIYers,
If you have a spare moment, Kay is carrying out some research on community gardens as part of her NUI Galway degree. The survey is about participation in community education, specifically in community gardens and is completely anonymous. If you are interested in taking the short survey you can click the link below and any questions can be directed to [email protected]
