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

 

Now groups keen to show off their green credentials can enter a national awards campaign.

The Scottish Government's Greener Together Awards, which celebrate organisations who make a difference in their area, are looking for nominations.

It's a perfect fit with Streets Ahead, as Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Environment Richard Lochhead, explains.

"The Evening Times' Streets Ahead campaign is great because it focuses on improving local areas, and encouraging people to be greener and cleaner, and to work together towards happier and healthier communities," he says.

"The Greener Together Awards is a great initiative, recognising the hard work of community groups and organisations across Scotland for their environmentally friendly activities, working together to make Scotland a cleaner, greener place to live."

The Greener Together campaign is looking for nominations from groups and projects directly related to greener home energy or travel, local in-season food, reducing or avoiding food waste, or increasing recycling.

Projects should also show the positive effects of the project on the community and the local environment.

The award winners are chosen by judges representing a range of initiatives, including Zero Waste Scotland and the Energy Saving Trust.

The closing date for entries is Thursday, April 2.

One of last year's winners, South Seeds in Glasgow, was recognised for its efforts in tackling fuel poverty and providing community spaces for food growing.

Its community gardens and raised beds in attract hundreds of volunteers, keen to learn how to grow and harvest their own food.

Project officer Louis Kitchen explains: "South Seeds started off because a group of local residents wanted to make things better in the local area.

"They knocked on doors and brought people together, started planting, and created some really beautiful garden spaces for the whole community to enjoy."

Louis, from Strathbungo, started as a volunteer and is now helping to run the project, which has big plans for the future.

"Our sites, across Govanhill, Crosshill, Queen's Park, Strathbungo and Pollokshields East, range from small ones, with just a couple of raised beds, to large gardens in which we hold community events," he says.

"We have just taken on a site at The Croft, on the edge of Queen's Park recreational area, where we plan to provide growing sessions on between 10 to 20 raised beds, and already there has been a lot of interest."

Local people have until March 23 to register interest in taking on a plot at The Croft.

Project manager Lucy Gillie says: "South Seeds started because local people were really passionate about improving things in their community for the benefit of everyone.

"Most residents in this are alive in Victorian tenements, with little or no garden space so this has really inspired people to get involved."

Nominations for the Greener Together Community Awards can be submitted online on www.greenerscotland.org/why-live-greener/greener-communities.

Alternatively, email your entry directly to greener@stripecommunications.com.

For more information on Streets Ahead, the Evening Times community campaign backed by Clean Glasgow, Glasgow Housing Association, City Charitable Trust, ScotRail and Scottish Fire and Rescue, visit www.eveningtimes.co.uk