Time to go green
Remembrance Garden set to be a reality
Neighbourhoods in Cambuslang will be awash with plants and flowers as community groups take part in the Greening Cambuslang project.
Eight community groups in the town have been successful in securing a total of £11,000 in the first round of awards from the Greening Cambuslang Fund.
Set up by Cambuslang Community Council in October 2016, the Greening Cambuslang Fund administers a £59,000 Scottish Government grant for environmental initiatives in the area.
This week a number of projects have been given the go ahead including an outdoor play space at Caledonia Centre, an outdoor learning area at Cambuslang Out of School Care and a hilltop park bench at Holmhills Park.
The group behind the much longed for Cambuslang Remembrance Garden secured funding for landscaping works and a memorial wall and an outdoor garden will also be created at Kirkhill Tennis Club.
The Nurture Educational and Cultural Society will receive funding for planters and trees for Trinity Church gardens and St Bride’s nursery will get cash for a children’s garden, waterfall and mud kitchen.
Finally, Universal Connections will use the funding for a garden and growing project for young people.
The eight projects secured the funding after winning support from the public in a voting poll on Facebook. Thousands of people took part in voting for their favourite projects, with some getting hundreds of Facebook likes within a day.
Jan Taylor, of Healthy n Happy Community Development Trust raised awareness of the Greening Cambuslang Fund and supported local groups in developing their ideas.
She said: “We have had a fantastic response from the community. We had applications from clubs, nurseries and schools, as well as from groups of residents who had never applied for funding before, but wanted to do something to improve their neighbourhood.
“They put forward ideas for new gardens, hanging baskets, planters and outdoor seating, and gardening projects for young and old.”
The second stage of funding is now open and has been limited to the neighbourhoods of Whitlawburn, Eastfield, Silverbanks, Central Cambuslang and Caledonian Circuit.
People can again vote for their favourite projects in these areas via Cambuslang Community Council’s Facebook page.
The Greening Cambuslang project finishes on March 27 with a celebration and presentation event Tollpitch Pavilion, from 5.30pm until 7pm. Residents are invited along to and enjoy activities such as arts and crafts and glitter tattoos as well as refreshments
John Bachtler, treasurer of Cambuslang Community Council, who coordinated the Scottish Government funding bid said: “The success of the Greening Cambuslang project is down to the all the local community and neighbourhood groups who have made a huge effort to develop imaginative projects.”