Learning in Ireland: Building Roots of Support Together

In July 2025, members of Traustur Kjarni and Krísuvík had the privilege of spending an inspiring week in Ireland with our project partners at Slí Eile, joined by our colleagues from BijBram in the Netherlands. The visit was part of our Roots for Support Erasmus+ project, which connects mental health and social care farms across Europe through peer learning and shared exploration.

A Warm Welcome at Slí Eile

From the moment we arrived, we were met with a deep sense of hospitality and belonging. Slí Eile, Ireland’s only residential mental health farm, creates a community where people recovering from mental health challenges can rebuild structure, confidence, and connection through everyday life.

Throughout the week, we had the opportunity to explore Slí Eile’s peer support model, which centers on lived experience, empowerment, and co-production. We witnessed how tenants, staff, and volunteers work side by side — creating a shared sense of purpose and inclusion.

A Week of Learning and Connection

Our days were filled with hands-on experiences and meaningful conversations. Some of the highlights included:

1. Therapeutic horticulture workshops at Munster Technological University (MTU), exploring how nature-based activities support recovery and self-expression

.🏡 Learning visits to local community and mental health organizations, including:

1. Cork Alliance, supporting individuals returning to the community after imprisonment,
2. Solace Café, a safe evening space for people in distress,
3. North Star Project, focusing on addiction recovery and inclusion,
4. Shine, an advocacy organization promoting mental health rights,
5. First Step, helping people reintegrate through work and training opportunities.

Each visit offered a new perspective on how communities in Ireland are building more humane, person-centered responses to mental health and social challenges.

💬 Conversations with staff, tenants, volunteers, and board members reminded us how powerful it is when services are grounded in empathy, mutuality, and trust.

Reflections

This week reinforced our belief that peer support and community living are essential pillars of recovery. At Slí Eile, we saw how people are supported not just to heal, but to participate — to take ownership of their journey, contribute their strengths, and be seen as valued members of the community.

We return to Iceland and the Netherlands inspired by the Slí Eile model and full of ideas for deepening peer support on our own care farms and projects.

🌱 Funded by Erasmus+

This visit took place within the framework of the Roots for Support project, co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union, and supported by the Icelandic National Agency (Landskrifstofa Erasmus+).