Communities Benefit from the Neighbourwood Scheme

Above: Shane McEntee, TD, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine re-opened the Neighbourwood Scheme, a forestry support scheme to assist communities to create their own ‘close-to-home’ woodland amenities.

Communities in seven counties will benefit from grants under the Neighbourwood Scheme. It is operated by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and is an exciting package that supports the develop-ment of ‘close-to-home’ woodland amenities for local people, designed and managed through partnerships involving local communities and local authori-ties.

Neighbourwoods provide communities with a natural wooded setting to visit and enjoy on a regular basis - for walking, relaxing, exercising and for ex-cursions with family and friends. Neighbourwoods also promote health and well-being, represent an ideal educa-tional resource for the young – and not so young – people to learn about the environment, and add immensely to the local environment, landscape and wild-life.

Funding can be provided to Local Au-thorities and other groups to improve existing woodlands, to develop new woodland areas and to install suitable recreational facilities such as paths, signage and educational facilities. Ide-ally, sites proposed under the scheme should be located in or near a centre of population, including a village or town, with good linkage to other recreational and natural amenities. This will maxi-mise the social, recreational and edu-cational benefits of the neighbourwood as it develop s as part of the local land-scape.

Source: HortiTrends News Room

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