Farrans Volunteers With Ravine NI

Farrans has taken part in a volunteer day at Ravine NI, to give back to the local community.

To date, Farrans has supported Ravine by providing over 100 hours of volunteering, a donation of an old shipping container to scale their business providing them with a shop front to sell their veg and flowers from, two days of groundwork and 40 tonnes of aggregate.

On the day, volunteers planted bulbs in the outdoor vegetable plots, worked in the polytunnel and reconstructed pathways around the nature reserve. The site cabin which Farrans donated and painted last year will soon have a living wall.


Claire McGarrity, Assistant Submission Manager at Farrans, said: "It was a lovely chance to get away from the desk and out into the fresh air at Ravine. The organisation is led by passionate, committed people and the site’s potential to make a positive impact shines through as soon as you arrive. I spoke to one of the young people who attends for a few hours every week and it was clear to see that he got a lot from the natural surroundings. For me, it was a pleasure to spend the day in a location that is a real hidden gem in Belfast, doing something that feels worthwhile. I’d highly recommend it to anyone who has the chance to volunteer."

Ravine is a conservation project where young people with mental health challenges can gain work experience with specialists in horticulture, helping to promote and conserve wildlife and natural habitats on the site. The project has two social enterprises including the Market Garden which sells the crops and plants grown on site to local communities and businesses.