Free growboxes to help people grow their own

nergia has partnered with not-for-profit social enterprise GIY, to give away 1,000 large GROWBoxes to people across the nation to Get Ireland Growing and help power a more sustainable future.

As well as the herb and vegetable seeds, the GROWBox also includes a bag of Irish Wildflower Beebombs which help re-create bee habitats and are vital to help the threatened species survive.

As we have all been cooped up in the safety of our homes, there has been a positive trend emerge with the rise of gardening. There is no better way to understand and re-connect meaningfully with your food than by growing some of it yourself. Food growing is the ultimate food masterclass that leads to food empathy and is a lever to a healthier and happier, more sustainable world.

Energia has partnered with GIY for the fourth year through its Get Ireland Growing campaign and the partnership aims to make it easy for people to do something sustainable by growing their own food. The GROWBoxes are designed for all living situations whether you are in an apartment or have a garden, everyone can still grow herbs and vegetables. All people need to do is fill out a simple registration form before June 19th at getirelandgrowing.ie to go in the draw for one of the 1,000 free GROWBoxes and Energia and GIY will help support the seed growing journey with an array of tips and tricks.

Commenting on the Get Ireland Growing initiative, Marketing Acquisition & Sponsorship Manager at Energia, Amy O’Shaughnessy said: “We are passionate about helping Ireland become a more sustainable country and know more people are increasingly interested in trying to live a more sustainable life but are not always sure how to do so. The GROWBox gives you everything you need to start growing your own vegetables at home. Given our current difficult circumstances, it’s also an easy and fun activity to promote mental and physical wellbeing, even if you don’t naturally have green fingers.

We’re all here to learn and grow together and if we can encourage Irish people to start sowing and growing, that’s another step in the right direction for a more sustainable future for all of us.”

Mick Kelly, Founder of GIY, said: “Growing even a small amount of your own food can have a profound impact and inspire healthier and more sustainable food choices. As we are coming into summer it’s the perfect time to start planting some of our favourite vegetables and we’re thrilled to be partnering with Energia again to help Get Ireland Growing. We’re looking forward to helping you all at home with our many tips and tricks and seeing the beautiful crops you produce this season.”

Bestselling Irish cookbook author Susan Jane White says: “For me, food has always been such a huge part of who I am. In Ireland, we seem to be going through a ‘foodie’ craze however sometimes we don’t appreciate where the food has come from and the true nutritional benefits. As an advocate for delicious, veggie-packed meals, I’ve found involving my two boys Benjamin (10) and Marty (8) in the garden has given them responsibility and excitement through a beautiful role reversal where they get to teach me all about their plants. There is no better time than now to learn about self-sufficiency and growing your own.”

The Get Ireland Growing GROWBox contains all you need to get growing straight away. It’s got loads of seeds, pots and a compost block with easy-to-digest resources to make it all straight-forward. Contents include: 5 x seed packs: beetroot, carrot, peas, mixed oriental greens and basil, 1 x hessian bag of Irish Wildflower Beebombs (15/bag), Compost, Fibre seed trays, Rice husk pots, Get Ireland Growing tips and recipe cards

Energia Get Ireland Growing was first launched in 2016 to promote community food growing projects nationwide. Through this initiative, Energia has supported 257 community groups with grants totalling €220,000. The recipients include schools, NGOs and Not for Profits, community gardens and allotment groups, GIY groups, hospitals, crèches, direct provision centres and men’s sheds all across the country.

Let’s Get Ireland Growing with Energia, click www.getirelandgrowing.ie to register and enter the draw for your FREE GROWBox.

For further information visit the Get Ireland Growing website at www.getirelandgrowing.ie and share your seed growing pictures across social using #GetIrelandGrowing, and follow the Get Ireland Growing campaign through @EnergiaGIG on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.