Mid Ulster Council

Mid Ulster District Council investment for 2023/24 provided funding for 7 community groups through the Live Here Love Here Small Grants Scheme:

Desertcreatives redesigned an unused grass area to transform it into a community garden meeting space. The garden welcomes general visitors and for those who take part in activities at Desertcreat activities. Funding was used for perennial and wildlife friendly plants, fruit bushes and planters

Killyman Community Playgroup created a planting/growing/ pollinating area for the children to use on a daily basis during outdoor play. Funding provided an area that enables children to grow a mixture of pollinating plants and vegetables and be engaged in learning about growing, looking after and eating their own food. They can also learn about planting and growing flowers which will benefit pollinators in their local area.

The Loup Women’s Group built a number of small raised beds near the community orchard area in The Loup. The beds are planted with a variety of annual and perennial wildflowers as well as a number of pollinator shrubs and perennials. The women will built raised beds with the guidance of a staff member of TCV teaching basic woodwork skills and tool use. Skills included how to sow and look after a wildflower area and how to maintain perennial and shrub beds. The project enhanced the local area both aesthetically and environmentally. The group learnt new skills, improving their health and well-being by being part of a group and in turn improving their local space.

Friends of Little Woods project has made a substantial contribution to the ecological value of Catherine’s  wood. Funding enabled access to a wet woodland area that transformed the underused space. Habitats and increasing access to visitors. All ability access now enables visitors to enjoy and learn about the area.

St. John's Primary School Kingsisland project involved practical demonstration and involvement of school children and the wider community. The project has become an important part of our curriculum, integrated into the ‘World Around Us’. Improvements were made to an outdoor learning and perennial plants, fruit bushes and fruit trees were purchased. A bug area was created and is extremely popular with the number and variety of pollinators increasing. An intergenerational project that improves biodiversity, and offers sanctuary and respite for students, staff and visitors to our school.

Dungannon Swifts Charitable Trust planted silver birch trees alongside Stangmore Terrace, an area which sees relatively heavy traffic. The trees are good at removing carbon and other pollutants from the atmosphere. The project improves the environmental health of the area and benefits the local community.

Loughshore Community Services planted pollinators around the local area. This added to the beauty of the village, increased community pride and involvement and made the area more attractive to visitors.