REAL LIFE Crisis boosts
Crew leader insists virus has brought people together
Poverty in Ferguslie Park is being challenged in ways previously not thought possible as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, community leaders have said.
Terry McTernan, whose Darkwood Crew has delivered thousands of food parcels to the hungry and companionship to the lonely, says grassroots organisations have in the past six months had a bigger impact on the community than years of quangos and outside interventions.
Renowned as the most deprived community in Scotland for a generation, Ferguslie Park is now, according to Terry, finding its own solution to problems that blight the lives of many of residents.
He is now – at the start of Challenge Poverty Week 2020 – challenging authorities to invest in the Darkwood Crew and other local organisations which have demonstrated their capabilities throughout the recent crisis.
Terry, 40, told the Express these groups have kickstarted a meaningful transformation of Ferguslie Park, explaining their success has, in large part, been down to the fact they are local and know the struggles facing families in the area.
Terry himself was made homeless aged 15, while other members of the Darkwood Crew have been diagnosed with depression and been isolated from their wider community.
He said: “Today marks the beginning of Challenge Poverty Week in Scotland, but many of us don’t imagine what it feels like not to be able to eat decent food, or the constant pressure that comes from worrying about every single household bill.
“That feeling that you’re going under is one I’ve known all too well.
“For five months last year I was unemployed and reliant on Universal Credit, which provides barely enough to get by. I struggled to cover my energy meters, feed myself properly and pay for the internet connection anyone needs now to take part in society. I had to borrow from friends.
“This is why it is hugely important to us that our attempts to combat food insecurity, fuel poverty and isolation and loneliness in our community are done with dignity and respect at its core.”
Now employed as a covid response worker with the Tannahill Centre, Terry has driven forward the Darkwood Crew, a team of local volunteers who worked on environmental projects before the pandemic struck.
They have in the past six months delivered