Providing a helping hand to Scotland’s crucial green space

Comment Julie Procter

Do you despair when you hear on the news that we are raising a nation of couch-potato kids, with children today spending just over four hours a week playing outside?

Do you feel sad when you read in the papers that two-fifths of older people say the television is their main company? Or do you do something about it? Earlier this year retailer Tesco announced its flagship Bags of Help initiative – which sees grants funded by the sales of carrier bags being awarded to community groups and projects – had reached 10,000 such organisations across the UK. In Scotland alone, more than 1,400 Scottish community groups have benefited from £5.5 million. In the same week we published the Third State of Scotland’s Greenspace report. It confirms that we are truly a green nation; with green space making up more than half of urban land area. More than 90 per cent of people said it’s important to have green space in their area, but depressingly four in ten thought the quality of theirs locally had declined in the last five years. Just viewing green space for a few minutes reduces stress and lowers blood pressure and you are more likely to know your neighbour if you live in a neighbourhood with such an area. Green spaces really are our natural health service, our children’s outdoor classrooms, and our towns’ green lungs.

Since 2015, Greenspace Scotland and Groundwork have been working with Tesco to deliver the Bags of Help community programme. Tesco customers get the chance to vote for three different groups every time they shop using the blue token given to them at checkouts. Every other month, when votes are collected, three groups in each of Tesco’s regions will be awarded funding of £1,000 - £4,000. Many of the Bags of Help community projects are in outdoor spaces. In Cumnock, the Netherthird Community Garden hosted a music festival bringing together young and older people to enjoy the garden and make new friends, for example.

And if you’re feeling inspired, you could apply for a Bags of Help grant for a project to improve your community. With 225 Scottish projects receiving a share of £500,000 every two months, what will you do to bring a daily dose of Vitamin G to your town or village? Julie Procter is chief executive of Greenspace Scotland