In partnership with Shettleston Housing Association and Glasgow City Council, our community group has transformed derelict land into a thriving community garden with individual and communal growing spaces for fruit and vegetables which are available for local residents, community groups and schools in Shettleston and surrounding area. We provide a range of opportunities for volunteering and arrange community events through which we are bringing people in our community closer together. We also run a childrens club called The Smelly Welly Club where we teach local young people how to grow, nurture, harvest and cook healthy meals from the fresh fruit and vegetables that they grow. We also take our young people on trips throughout the school holidays to see parts of this beautiful country that they might not normally get to experience.

The project operates within the East End of Glasgow, an area that unfortunately scores highly in all the indicators of deprivation, most notably, generational unemployment, low income, poor diet and poor physical and mental health. SCGP aims to address these issues by encouraging people to eat healthily, to get out into the fresh air, to take part in exercise, to learn new skills and to meet and interact with other people. The site is fully accessible for people with physical disabilities.

As well as the obvious benefits of growing our own food, members and volunteers have the opportunity to make new friends and contribute to the local community. There is a sense of learning and fun with different generations working together with a common purpose. As an example, teachers from two local primary schools have written a Food Miles Pack to teach children about the environmental cost of transporting food and the importance of growing, eating or buying local seasonal produce.