NINE-year-old Sam Lynch has had a problem with his strawberries.

"I think the slugs got them," he says, ruefully, before brightening up.

"But the grapes are

really good..."

Grapes in Shettleston? Sam's gran, Margaret

Gracie, laughs.

"I know - we planted them thinking, this is

Scotland, this will never work," she smiles.

"But it did and we have had a pretty good harvest, with lots more to come."

Sam and his gran are regulars at the Smelly Welly Club, which runs after school and at weekends at the Shettleston Community Growing Project.

"It was Sam who got me into it," says Margaret.

"It's a great place. All the kids love it."

The project, working in partnership with Shettleston Housing Association, began when a group of neighbours got together to grow their own food, to save money and improve their diets.

Gradually, the numbers increased and with grants from the Climate Challenge Fund, National Lottery Awards for All, the Scottish Government's People in Communities Fund, Glasgow City Council and Radio Clyde's Cash for Kids, the volunteers turned a derelict site into a community resource.

There is a mini-orchard, full of plum, pear and

apple-trees; a potting shed; composting area; 54

individual plots (there is a waiting list); and a

polytunnel, which is

currently home to some spectacular squashes and ripe tomatoes.

There is also a wildflower area and beehives, plus a sensory garden, sheltered picnic area for rainy days and a community garden where the project holds fun days and events.

More than 300 people turned out to the last one in the summer.

The Smelly Welly Club is a children's gardening project, with more than 20 regular members, mainly from the local St Paul's and Wellshot Primaries.

It teaches children about gardening and healthy eating, and they help with planting, weeding and painting.

"I'm weeding!" declares five-year-old Declan Murphy. "It's fun. The Smelly Welly Club teaches you a lot and I like coming here."

Lennon Campbell, who is eight, is helping to paint a mural.

"It's all about the four seasons, see?" he says.

"Flowers in spring, bees in summer, and then we're going to do the leaves falling off the trees in autumn and snow in the winter."

Ten-year-old Ben Samuels loved the Smelly Welly Club so much he asked for a plot for Christmas.

"He grew this amazing marrow, and we made a ratatouille out of it," says his mum, Mary-Anne.

"He said it was the best dinner he had ever had."

Mary-Anne and her husband Alex are now regulars at the project, thanks to Ben, and Alex is on the waiting list for his own gardening plot.

"It's made us think about the food we eat and we do have a healthier diet," adds Mary-Anne, whose daughters - Alexs, 12, Shannon, 16 and Samantha, 19 - also help out.

Volunteer Jim McGrory agrees. "Cooking food you have grown yourself is the best feeling in the world," he says.

"It's great to see young children, teenagers and older people working together."

Project manager Marion Bate agrees.

"People are always sharing ideas and recipes - someone popped in with a gooseberry cake the other day, which was lovely, and we handed in a bunch of mint to one of our neighbours because she was spending a fortune on it in the shops," she smiles.

"There is lots of what I'd call 'traditional' stuff being grown, so people are making stews and soups with things like potatoes, carrots and turnips. But we also have more 'modern' veg, like peppers and chillies, so it's a real mix.

"As well as the individual plots, we all share the communal ones. It's great - every day you come down here, something else has grown just a little bit more.

"It's brought the whole community together. It is amazing what people have achieved here."

The £3500 grant from Streets Ahead will provide a purpose-built shed and tools for the Smelly Welly Club.

"We're in desperate need of more space, so the shed will be fantastic," says Marion. "We're really grateful to Streets Ahead. It's a fantastic campaign."

STREETS Ahead is back for a third year, supporting community projects all over Glasgow.

Since thelaunch of this year's awards last week, we have been inundated with queries and requests for support - so keep them coming.

Whether it's organising local clean-ups or road safety campaigns, planting and weeding, turning gap sites into thriving green spaces everyone can enjoy, or putting up hanging baskets in your street, we want to hear what you are doing to improve your street and your local community.

With the support of our partners, Clean Glasgow, City Charitable Trust, Glasgow Housing Association, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and ScotRail, we want to help you improve your street, park, play area or school for the benefit of

the whole

community.

Get in touch by emailing streetsahead@heraldandtimes.co.uk or by calling 0141 302 6555.

You can find out more about our campaign on our website www.eveningtimes.co.uk