WITHOUT the parents, children, local volunteers and grass-roots organisations, Ruchill Community Garden would not exist.

The L-shaped space at the back of the community centre used to be a dull, concrete space, empty apart from a handful of bins.

Now local families - whose dedication was recognised with an Evening Times Streets Ahead award earlier this year - garden and socialise here, and they have big plans for the future.

Thanks to a £2000 award from our community campaign, those plans will soon become a reality.

ANN FOTHERINGHAM reports.

UNSUSPECTING passers-by could be forgiven for not giving Ruchill Community Centre a second glance.

That's a shame, because the red breeze-block building, perched on a busy main road, hides a little gem of a community garden.

Tucked behind the municipal exterior lies an oasis of horticultural activity, where neighbours and friends come together to grow food and flowers, and hold community events.

Around 100 people turned out to support a recent winter festival, and summer get-togethers are always popular.

It's all down to the hard work of Little Roots of Ruchill, supported by CHIP - the Child Inclusion Partnership.

CHIP is a partnership between Stepping Stones for Families and Barnardo's, encouraging families in the north of the city to think about what's going on in their communities, speak out about it and get involved in helping to change it.

Kieran Renshaw, of CHIP, explains: "Little Roots is an amazing project, helping families to make valuable connections.

"This big, empty space is now a proper garden, allowing people not just to grow their own food and eat more healthily, but also to get to know each other."

The families also fundraised and designed a 'child-friendly' gate to make the space even safer for the young children who use it.

Their efforts were recognised in the Evening Times Streets Ahead awards earlier this year, when the group took the Best Community Garden title.

Kirstie Burr, who visits the garden along with her children , Isaac 9, Joseph 8, Iona 6 and Daniel 2, says the support of the Evening Times Streets Ahead campaign has been vital to the success of the project.

"We are extremely grateful for the funding, as it will help us take our plans on to the next level," says Kirstie.

"We really want to bring our beautiful garden out into the open and extend it around the front of the community centre, with benches, hanging baskets and plants."

The group is also working closely with the centre's advisory committee on giving the front of the centre a facelift. Part of the facade includes tiles designed by the young people of Ruchill around 20 years ago, and the group hopes these can also be retained and repaired.

"Many of the advisory committee are dedicated residents of Ruchill who have seen what it was in the past and we hope to inspire them with our drive, commitment and vision to be a place where people are proud to live," adds Kirstie.

"Ruchill has sometimes had a reputation in the past, but it has never really had its own identity and we hope to change that.

"Our families love the garden, it's a great place to spend time in and by growing our own food we are also helping each other and ourselves."

She adds: "Now we want it to become even more of a welcoming, community hub that appeals to all ages, from schoolkids to the older generation."

Longterm plans also include an allotment, but Kirstie explains they are taking things one step at a time.

"It will be a challenge but we are up for it," she smiles. "The Streets Ahead grant from the Evening Times will open lots of doors for us."

Sherifay Dwokunle and her children Real, 8, Scott, 7 and five-year-old Mary, love spending time in the garden.

"We grow carrots, garlic, onions, spinach and strawberries and everyone helps each other out," says Sherifay.

"It's a good place."

Joseph Birr, who is eight, sums it up.

"Our garden is colourful and full of life," he beams.

And he has a good idea for the redevelopment plans.

"As well as more plants and benches, I think we should spend the money on a giant sign," he says. "The sign should read 'WELCOME TO RUCHILL' in big letters. That's what we want to say to everyone."