THE Evening Times Streets Ahead campaign continues to inspire communities across Glasgow.

As we prepare to launch for a fifth, fantastic year later in the summer, we caught up with some Glasgow Housing Association tenants who are sowing the seeds of strong and healthy neighbourhoods.

Community gardens and allotments are helping tenants of GHA, Cube Housing Association and Loretto Housing Association - which are all part of Wheatley Group - get out into the fresh air and lead healthier lives.

And as well as eating nutritious food, gardens and allotments are helping bring people together and creating a real sense of community.

Tenants of the high-rise blocks in Sandyhills in the north east of Glasgow are leading the way. They grow healthy, tasty vegetables on their community allotments and with the help of a former top chef who lives in the blocks, tenants share the food they grow by cooking free hearty soup every week for residents.

Margaret Reidford, chairwoman of the Sandyhills High Flats Tenants’ Association, said: “It can be very isolated in the high-rise blocks, and there are many different nationalities here. It’s important to get out and meet people.

“We arrange barbecues for residents to help people mix. One of our tenants is a former chef at Gleneagles and he makes free soup every week.

“It makes for a community that works together and helps each other.”

GHA tenants in Germiston and Royston use their local allotments to grow potatoes, onions, strawberries and more..

Chris Main, from Mull Street, said: “I really enjoy getting out in the fresh air. It’s a good way of getting people talking to each other.”

A new community garden in Knightswood will become a focal point for local residents - and help commemorate the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

The garden, in Kirkton Avenue, will be home to new trees and shrubs and new benches will be installed. The design will also include tulips planted in the shape of the 2014 Commonwealth Games logo.

Work on the project, which was funded with the help of GHA’s South Area Committee, has just started.

On the Wyndford estate in Glasgow’s Maryhill, Cube tenants are digging deep to learn all about gardening.

Tenants there have already built a compost bin and installed raised beds and are now growing everything from beetroot, carrots and tomatoes, to bluebells and daffodils.

They have also had training in horticulture, gardening and wildlife.

Cube tenant Derek Laverie, of Wyndford Road, said: “The garden is a really positive thing and I’m glad I’m involved.

“It gives me something positive to do and is good for my confidence.”

Loretto Housing tenants in Barmulloch are hoping to transform their backcourts by setting up a community garden.

Residents of Quarrywood Avenue in Glasgow have set up a group - called the Barmulloch Initiatives Group - and their first project is the community garden.

They visited the community garden in Sandyhills, Glasgow, run by tenants of Loretto’s sister organisation, GHA, for some advice.

Now they can’t wait to get started on their own garden in Barmulloch.

Tenant Joe McNeil, 57, said: “The garden will give us something to work on over the summer and will be a good motivation for us.

“We hope to grow daffodils, tulips, carrots and potatoes, among other things.

“It’s good to get people out into the fresh air and encourage healthy eating.”

Captions:

Sandyhills 1

GHA tenants Margaret Reidford and Greg McGregor.

Sandyhills 2, Sandyhills 3, Sandyhills 4

Niamh McNab, Mackenzie Ferrie and Freya McNab at the Sandyhills allotments

Kirkton

Tenants John Scott-Colman and Robert Smith with GHA’s Cormac Quinn.

Loretto

Loretto tenants Brenda Simpson, Marie Murphy, Marianna McGhee, Joe McNeil and Michael Miller with staff members Marie Farrell and Roseann Wilson.