Hard work pays off as new community garden opens

An unused piece of land in Bargeddie has been turned into an amazing new community garden thanks to the hard work of local volunteers.

- MICHAEL PRINGLE

It features an open-air classroom, 10 raised beds, and a polytunnel for growing fruits and vegetables all year round.

The new garden was officially opened at the end of April, and delivered by St Kevin’s Primary School Parent Council in partnership with Bargeddie Primary and The Safety Zone.

The project received funding from the UK Government, North Lanarkshire Council, and SafeDeposit Scotland, and community benefits support in the form of materials and labour from local businesses including Tarmac, Viridor, Keir Construction, and Clarkson’s Van Hire in Baillieston.

Project partners ran a competition to name the garden, inviting children from both schools to draw a picture of a garden and suggest a name.

Cara Creighton a P6 pupil at Bargeddie Primary came up with “The Friendship Garden”; her artwork was also used in the design of the new sign.