GIY's GROW HQ

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Who are GIY?
GIY is an emerging global community of people who grow their own food which started in Ireland. When people grow their own they gain a deeper understanding of food called ‘food empathy’ which is a lever to a healthier lifestyle. The GIY movement brings people together to inspire and support them to grow food. Founded in Ireland in 2009 by author Michael Kelly, there are 50,000 people and 800 projects involved, supported by the GIY foundation, which runs awareness programmes and events.

What is GROW HQ?
GROW HQ is a national food education centre by GIY, which will help people to live healthier and more sustainable lives by inspiring and supporting them to grow their own food. GROW HQ will be a GIY training centre, cookery school, café, farm shop and training gardens.

Where will it be?
The location of GROW HQ makes it a truly groundbreaking project. It will be located on a high-profile 3-acre site at Ardkeen in Waterford city, donated by Waterford City Council. The site is opposite Waterford Regional Hospital therefore presents an incredible opportunity to create a highly visible, unique urban growing centre that promotes wellbeing through food. Our neighbours are pretty much all of the big multinational food retailers and fast food outlets - so it's also a great opportunity to show people there can be a different, local approach to buying and consuming food, right where they do their food shopping.

GROW HQ will create a wellbeing legacy for generations of Irish people and teach our children where their food comes from. It will also create approximately 25 jobs, reskill local unemployed and impact 400,000 people in its first five years.

We aim to open GROW HQ in July 2015, but we've a massive fundraising job to do, and we need your help! As part of the fundraising campaign we are hoping to raise €20,000 from the GIY and fundit communities. We hope the project (and our rewards) will be of interest to anyone who is passionate about the potential of food to change the world! Don't forget we don't get a penny of this funding unless we reach our goal of €20,000 so please invest as much as you can, and encourage others to do the same!

A key part of our rewards offering is our groundbreaking grow/cook book called 'GROW, COOK, EAT' which we are self-publishing in October this year. The full colour, hardback book features comprehensive advice on growing your own food throughout the year (written by GIY founder Michael Kelly), and seasonal recipes from a veritable who's-who of the culinary world, including celeb chefs like Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall (from River Cottage), Dylan McGrath, Donal Skehan, Rachel Allen, Clodagh McKenna and Neven Maguire (all of whom have contributed their recipes to the book to help us fundraise for GROW HQ).