Private school bid to take over public playing grounds
AN independent school in Glasgow’s West End is looking to transform a public playing field by securing a lease from the city council.
Kelvinside Academy wants to rent part of the Kirklee Playing Fields, currently part of Cleveden Secondary School infrastructure, and improve their condition by developing a modern synthetic pitch with floodlights and a new pavilion or changing room.
The report is asking members to grant permission to begin negotiation with the school on the potential lease.
A value is not available at this stage but if successful Kelvinside Academy will invest a large amount of money into converting the ground from red blaes into a synthetic surface.
The school is asking the local authority to release Kirklee from its current lease on the basis that it is not a well-used sports facility. The council has also been approached by the academy regarding the possibility of developing a new changing pavilion.
The project would be funded by Kelvinside Academy and provide access to the local community and pupils from Cleveden Secondary school to retain a fair and proportionate level of access to the improved facilities.
A report submitted to the council states that while part of the Cleveden School estate, the playing fields are located approximately 1km from the school so due to their relative remoteness and the nature of the playing surface, the playing fields are underutilised in comparison to other council facilities.
The site, which is 3.7 acres, includes two full size red blaes pitches with associated fencing, together with a single storey changing pavilion. Neither pitch benefits from floodlighting.
This Thursday, councillors will be asked to approve in principle the off market letting of part of Kirklee Playing Fields to Kelvinside Academy. A final decision will be made in due course.
ACITY cookery teacher has won a prestigious national writing prize. Sumayya Usmani, who runs Kaleyard, Glasgow’s first non-profit social enterprise cook school, is the recipient of Scottish Book Trust’s Next Chapter Award 2021.
Originally from Pakistan, Sumayya spent her early childhood on merchant navy vessels, and reading and cooking with her mother acted as an escape from life on the ships.
After practising law for 12 years in Karachi and London, she turned to writing in the hope of inspiring others through “personal and human stories of food, culture and history”.
Sumayya, who has published two cookbooks on Pakistani cuisine, is currently working on a food memoir, Andaza, about her life growing up on the sea and in Pakistan, around food and women.
The book is set against the backdrop of political unrest and challenges of the country during the 1980s, from times of Zia-ul-Haq to Benazir Bhutto.
Sumayya, who lives in Clarkston, said: “I’m honoured to win this award and thank Scottish Book Trust for this incredible opportunity.
“Winning has not only given me confidence in my writing but also reinforced my belief that it’s never too late to follow your dreams. This award will act as a stepping stone to a lifelong career as a narrative writer.”
Sumayya set up Kaleyard in Toryglen to help end social isolation through a range of initiatives encouraging the community to cook and eat together.
She has worked with a number of city schools, including gin Castlemilk and Corpus Christi Primary and all the profits from masterclasses and events are re-invested into providing classes for the socially isolated, children and the disadvantaged.
Previous winners of the Next Chapter Award include fellow Glasgow authors Gail Honeyman, bestseller author of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and Ryan O’Connor, whose debut novel The Voids will be published in 2022.
The Next Chapter Award will provide Sumayya with a £2000 bursary and nine months of mentoring and online training, with the aim of developing her collection to publication standard.
Marc Lambert, chief executive of Scottish Book Trust, said: “The Next Chapter Award supports writers aged over 40 because we recognise that it is never too late to pick up a pen and write that dream novel. Congratulations to Sumayya from all of us at Scottish Book Trust ... we hope it inspires others to write about their own experiences.”
It’s never too late to follow your dreams