Capturing individuality in a collective effort

ONWARDS AND UPWARDS FOR KERRY COMMUNITY AWARDS WINNERS

IT was a day of celebration for the Kerry Social Farming Project as participants reflected on a fifth year of success at their annual meeting in The Brehon, Killarney, last Wednesday.

Winners of last year’s Kerry Community Awards, the project has been running since 2013 and has a massively positive effect on the people involved.

The voluntary project aims to provide opportunities for people with disabilities to learn new skills on farms around south Kerry. It gives an opportunity for people with disabilities to work on local farms for a few hours a week to help develop crucial skills.

“They become part of the ‘Farm Family’ and the farmers working with them are great help,” says Irene Kavanagh of The Kerry Social Farming Project.

Irene has praise for everyone involved in the project and says that Wednesday’s meeting was an opportunity to discuss the huge strides the project has witnessed, particularly within the last year.

“We currently cater to over 36 people with disabilities and there are 13 farms and two community gardens that volunteer within the project,” Irene told The Kerryman.

These farmers and all of their families were present on Wednesday to see just how much the project has helped change lives.

The event was also a chance to explain how beneficial the project is and how crucial it is that people with disabilities all over Kerry should be able to access these opportunities.

Junior Minister Brendan Griffin was present on the evening to lend his support and to talk to those gathered about how it needs to continue and expand.

“The best part of the night was definitely when a framed photo of people out on the farm was presented to the project,” says Irene, adding: “It was just very sweet and really represented what we are trying to achieve here”.

“The Brehon was great and despite the bad weather we had a great turnout.”

Irene said that the volunteers got positive feedback from the farmers involved and added that the next chapter for the project will be to expand into North Kerry.

Meanwhile, details of the 2018 Kerry Community Awards are on page 25.

ABOVE: Participants on The Kerry Social Farming Project, last year’s winner of The Kerry Community Awards, gathered in The Brehon, Killarney on Wednesday where they met with Junior Minister Brendan Griffin and were presented with framed photos highlighting...

Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport Brendan Griffin presents Tim Heffernan with a framed photo of his work on The Kerry Social Farming Project.

Minister Griffin presents Pat O’Connor with a framed photo.

Minister Griffin presents Brendan O’Sullivan with a framed photo