Glasgow Times

WE LAUNCH OUR 2018 HUNT FOR THOSE WHO MAKE

- By ANN FOTHERINGH­AM

THE SEARCH is on to find our Streets Ahead stars for 2018. It is time to say thank you to everyone who has gone the extra mile for their community.

Hosted by Glasgow City Council at the People’s Palace Winter Gardens and supported by our other partners Scottish Fire and Rescue, City Building and City Charitable Trust, the Streets Ahead awards celebrate all the hardworkin­g groups and individual­s brightenin­g up their neighbourh­oods.

Our campaign, now in its seventh year, continues to go from strength to strength, with more groups than ever before backing our efforts to improve Glasgow, one street at a time.

The ceremony will be on June 19, and we want to hear who you think should be there.

One of last year’s big winners was Hayburn Play Park Associatio­n, which triumphed in the Best Clean Up Campaign category.

Formed by a group of Partickhil­l residents keen to revamp their neglected local park, the associatio­n transforme­d the space into a green space which has become the heart of the community.

As well as an amphitheat­re, play park, willow maze, boules area and bike track, the park includes a football pitch and orchard, and it brings old and young together for a raft of community activities.

Chairperso­n Shireen Taylor explains: “Since winning our Streets Ahead award, we have had a very busy 12 months.

“It’s been nice, now that the major works are all done, to concentrat­e on the communityo­riented events and activities as that’s what it’s all been about.”

As well as planting days and seasonal events, the associatio­n has organised arts workshops and community get-togethers.

“We’re hoping to run a befriendin­g project with local care homes and to work with the local second- ary school on environmen­tal awareness and citizenshi­p,” says Shireen.

“There is a lot of work to do – the willow maze grows like crazy, for example, and we have to keep on top of litter and planting and so on, but it’s great to see the space become a community hub.”

She adds: “Winning a Streets Ahead award meant a great deal to us. I think there are a lot of assumption­s about a space like ours – that it’s all done by the council, or it just somehow happens. The awards helped show there is a body of local people behind it, who invest a lot of time and effort into it, and that was really good for us.”

To nominate yourself or someone else, visit the dedicated awards website at newsquests­cotlandeve­nts.com/streetsahe­ad

You can also email lyndsay.

 ??  ?? Youngsters from Hayburn Park Associatio­n, one of our winners last year, out and about in the green spaces they helped to create
Youngsters from Hayburn Park Associatio­n, one of our winners last year, out and about in the green spaces they helped to create
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