One of the local children enjoy the art classes in the summer camp. courtesy of Triona Sweeney
Bath Avenue and District Residents Association (BADRA) has had a busy July with the task of landscaping their local area.
They have put down a number of ‘planters’ around Bath Avenue and Sandymount to lift the appeal of the visual aesthetics in the local area.Planters are sets of flowers in pots and placed on streets with design in mind.
BADRA have undertaken these activities for a number of years as part of their efforts to win the Dublin Southeast Area gardening awards. They have done so on a number of occasions, although not this year. Indeed they have also gone on to compete in the larger competition for the Dublin area.
This year, the plant varieties which have been used are geraniums, petunia and sophinia. They are planted in such a way that local people, as well as BADRA, are able to maintain them. They appear at the entrances to various parts of Sandymount in an effort to preserve the natural beauty of the area according to Joe McCann of BADRA. It made a “noticeable difference to the aesthetic quality of the area,” according to McCann.
In addition to this, BADRA are running a number of summer camps for the local children in the area. These include activities such as gaelic football and hurling, activities with Sportsco, a local fitness centre, as well as more artistic pursuits such as an art school and creative hair studio.
BADRA hosts a number of events throughout the year. They are aided in these efforts by support from the Aviva stadium.
According to McCann, BADRA’s reasons for having diversity in their camps became clear. “We cater for a different dynamic, namely social inclusion.” It was important to offer children a chance to play sports, however giving them a chance to partake in “something creative” was also key in order to motivate them.
It was also central to BARDA’s efforts to involve local people, of all ages, in their endeavours and activities to help foster a sense of a local community in Sandymount. McCann explained it was to “get people involved, even just once a week, to stimulate them to get involved in the community,” which is a strong passion of McCann’s and of BADRA’s in general.
by Kevin McSharry
