Community Renewal Scotland

We then went on a mini tour meeting Sandra Millar, Sandra Seaton, Corrine Griffiths and Linda McCrudden at the Bingham Community Centre where they were busy making sandwiches for the kids. I managed to have a good chat about the work they are doing and their plans for the future even with over 20 kids running around. They also organise the Bingham & District 50 Plus Project which tries to address issues of isolation for older people – I am hoping to get down to visit that later in the month.

From there we went to Magdalene Community Centre and met Rab Hogg Jnr and Susan Ferguson who are doing a power of work with young people in the area. Their youth strategy project involves a year-long programme with local kids, building team-working skills and encouraging self-belief. This leads to an outward bound week away that gives confidence and skills. They also run regular drop-in sessions.

We ended up in the magnificent Magdalene Community Garden which is only a year old but full of fresh produce. Liz McMahon showed me round plots bursting with beetroot, potatoes, sprouts and much more. I then chatted to Lisa Goddard, Jodie Crozier and Krystal McMahon about how much the garden has made a difference to the area, the sense of community and improved the space which was just a patch of grass before. I even got to try the strawberries!