Posted online: Dec 7th, 2011

By Grace McMonagle
reporter

A HARD-working community organisation from Donegal has been awarded the prestigious 2011 Ulster Bank Sir George Quigley Award.
Inver Community Project – a local community action group in Inver – were named co-winners at a ceremony held at Ulster Bank in Dublin along with the Klawitter Theatre Group, from Bray, Co. Wicklow.
The award of €10,000 will be shared by the two organisations enabling them to both complete the projects they put forward in their application.
The Inver Community Project aims to create a community garden that they hope will lead to the development of a farmers market in Inver.
Bernadine McCole, Administrator and Project Co-ordinator of the Inver Community Project told the Donegal Post: “We are delighted that our dream of establishing an organic garden at our Centre is one step closer to being realised! Thanks to the funding received from the Sir George Quigley Award, three local interdenominational schools will work alongside a professional gardener and other community volunteers to build an organic garden that will eventually be used by the Centre to provide lunch for Senior Groups.
“As we are close to the Atlantic Ocean, we are able to use seaweed to increase the fertility of the soil. The project will begin in early March 2012 when the seaweed will be harvested and brought to the site. The students begin sifting, sowing and weeding in April and continue working over the summer months to provide crops that will be in September and October.”
The award aims to support community groups and charities in their ambition to achieve long-term sustainability.