THE sky is often brewing up a storm in Scotland, but it takes more than that to dim the spirits of a gardener at the busiest time of the year.

When you love what you do, the weather is always set fair.

Anne Bertram is one of the lucky ones.

She gets to spend several days a week at Parklea Association Branching Out Ltd (PABO), a large garden in about an acre-and-a-half of parkland on the edge of Port Glasgow.

Groups get vital funding awards THE Gannett Foundation awards are an ideal way to fund important community projects. The charity, the charitable arm of Newsquest, the parent company of the Evening Times and its sister newspapers, The Herald and Sunday Herald, has given away £200,000 to community groups throughout the UK in the spring round of the awards. Each April and October, grants are distributed to fund projects for groups improving life in their own areas. The Foundation supports projects that take a creative approach to issues such as education and neighbourhood improvements, economic development, youth development and community problem solving. It also backs assistance to disadvantaged people and environmental conservation efforts. Groups must be registered charities. Salaries and running costs are not funded, neither are uniformed groups such as Scouts and Guides, pre and after-school groups - except for children with special and complex needs. Look out in September for information on the next round of applications for grants from the Gannett Foundation. Apart from Port Glasgow-based Parklea, five other Scottish charities are benefiting from cash grants from the Foundation with a total of £24,285 coming to Scotland. They are: Aberlour Child Care Trust, which has been awarded a Gannett grant of £1500 for its Pollok Young Persons Project, one of 46 such projects throughout Scotland. Giant Productions Ltd, the Glasgow based children's arts development charity, has been awarded £6027 to develop its work providing creative adventures for youngsters. Caithness Riding for the Disabled has been awarded £9000. The Rock Trust, an Edinburgh charity which works with the young homeless, has been given a grant of £2000. Wisecraft, based in Blairgowrie, has been given £758 to develop its arts and craft work.

It's a peaceful, idyllic setting on the south bank of the Clyde with views towards Ben Lomond on the north and the Argyll hills to the west.

The area is being regenerated and PABO provides a training and working environment for adults with a range of disabilities, learning difficulties and mental health issues.

"Port Glasgow doesn't have a good reputation," admits co-ordinator Sharon Gemmell (35), who comes from the town.

"But a lot of changes for the better are taking place here and we are fortunate to be able to tap into European funding, specifically for Port Glasgow and Clydebank."

PABO has covered a lot of ground. It started out 11 years ago with premises in L-shaped steel shipping containers, but thanks to European funding of £100,000 a few years back, it was able move up in the world by buying two timber cabins. There has also been help from social work and the local community and social regeneration funding, as well as trusts.

"We came here with nothing and we have developed what we have from scratch to provide a service to a number of different groups," Gemmell says.

What is evident to anyone who knows people who come here is whether they are blessed with green fingers or not, they grow in happiness.

It's a place of hope for those those whose choices in life might be limited.

And thanks to a £5,000 grant from the Gannett Foundation, the charity arm of the company which owns the Evening Times, PABO will be able to develop the garden and make it more accessible to everyone - workers and members.

"We are delighted," says Gemmell. "It means we can start work on new pathways, raised beds and a children's garden/educational area."

ANNE (53), from Port Glasgow, has a learning disability and has been one of the regulars for years now.

She would be here every day if she could be. Her domain is the greenhouse where at this time of year she is busy sowing seeds, pricking out seedlings and potting plants.

"Anne is a very sociable person and loves it here," says Gemmell. "She has also taken part in training courses."

Eighteen-year-old David Robb, of Port Glasgow, who has slight Asperger's Syndrome, volunteers at Parklea for two days a week and is close to finishing a horticulture training course.

He too gets a lot out of the training.

Robb will probably move on to the next level of training and for someone like him, PABO is looking at options for a future in work.

Over the years, Gemmell and the other workers and volunteers with PABO have watched as people develop skills they had no idea they had and at the same time grow in confidence and self-esteem.

"They may come in quiet, but they become confident and chatty and have fun. You can see the difference."

They are learning to be part of a team, meeting and inter-acting with new people and building relationships. If there are literacy and numeracy issues, these are addressed and there is also computer training.

At the moment, there are four people taking SQV training, three unemployed youngsters taking part in the New Deal training for work scheme and nine people for social and therapuetic reasons.

The range of disabilities is wide. "With some, it might be a small issue of not being able to deal with busy places," explains Gemmell, "but they are able to achieve and learn here. Some might require more support and assistance but need the social side."

There are two types of placements - social and therapeutic and training where clients take their SVQs and can expect to move into the working world, although Gemmell says councils need to take greater responsibility by offering jobs and support.

"Because people have a learning disability, certain environments may not be suitable for them and Parklea can offer a place where they can achieve and develop at their own pace before moving into further education or other training," Gemmell says.

"It's not everybody's type of work, but the people who come here become very comfortable and and mix easily.

"They are able to develop at a pace they are happy with in a supportive environment and it helps them integrate more in the outside world."

AT THIS time of year, everyone is busy, growing annual bedding plants from seeds and selling them on to locals.

People bring in hanging baskets and planters to be filled.They also have vegetable and fruit gardens and fresh produce is used in the cafe. They are also thinking of developing a vegetable box scheme and getting involved with ground maintenance and garden tidying in local areas.

"Parklea," Gemmell says," is also very a social place with groups coming in for a cup of tea in the cafe and we are keen to encourage visitors."