Representatives of all the main political parties mingled with church and community figures, in splendid spring sunshine in the Sperrins, for the official opening of Maghera Community Walled Garden.
For two men in particular, it was a moment to savour. The project – to restore and develop an old walled garden next to the Rectory in Maghera – was originally conceived by Archdeacon Ven. Robert Miller, about a decade ago, while he was rector of the parish. His successor, the Rev. Captain Isaac Hanna, has seen the idea through to near completion, in partnership with Magherafelt District Council and the North West Region Cross Border Group (NWRCBG).
Mr Hanna, who hails from the fishing village of Kilkeel, acknowledged the critical support of funders and the Council, and praised the efforts of his predecessor in the Rectory. “Without the funders, we would probably have presided over the demise of the old walled garden. But Robert ‘hooked’ them and I ‘landed’ the project.
“As a parish, this is our contribution to the Diocesan vision for ‘Transforming Community, Radiating Christ’. In partnership with the Council, we’re both trying to transform the community – working together on a project that is of mutual benefit and meets community needs. For a lot of people, the garden will be an oasis where they can connect with God in a spiritual way, as they enjoy His creation.”
Mr Hanna says there is considerable evidence of the therapeutic effects of local community garden and allotment projects, which give people an opportunity to take responsibility for their own health and well being. The Maghera Community Walled Garden will have an area for producing fruit and vegetables (including for a food bank run by the Maghera Parish Caring Association), a plot for growing flowers and space for community art; but the Rector says the garden will evolve and grow. “It’s still a work in progress,” he points out. “You’re never finished with a garden. Now that the infrastructure is there, the challenge will be how to develop it further.”
The Maghera Walled Garden’s location, on land owned by the Church, should also help promote reconciliation in the area. “It’s a cross-community project,” Mr Hanna says, “sitting on an interface. I hope it’ll be a practical way of ‘creating community’ and getting people interacting with one another. It was encouraging to see all the main political parties represented at the official opening, and being so enthusiastic about the project.”
Archdeacon Miller is delighted to see the project coming to fruition. “The parish has taken a piece of land and transformed it to land on which to build peace. The original vision was for a green breathing space in Maghera – a space that would be at the heart of the community. As Christians we believe life began in a garden. Eden was where things perfectly reflected God's purposes. My hope is that this community walled garden will help to do the same. I warmly welcome its opening and congratulate the Rector and his team in delivering it.”
The newly restored garden has been delivered under the NWRCBG’s North West Healthy Living, Community Gardens & Allotments Programme, which is funded under the European Union's INTERREG IVA Cross-border programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body. The Programme tackles health inequalities in the North West region through an integrated healthy living intervention programme, which addresses the impact of social and economic disadvantage.