VIDEO: We're so glad to be here!

IT'S all go at The Gladiator Programme. After being crowned the city's top team earlier this month at the Glasgow Community Champion Awards, the fun-loving Garrowhill-based project is building on that success with a book and video.

Founder and chief executive Alex Richardson has written a Shrek-type adventure story blending the history of Glasgow with a fun, fictional battle of good over evil set in the areas surrounding Easterhouse.

The Gladiator Programme promotes healthy, active lifestyles at schools and leisure facilities across the city, and is just one example of the type of brilliant projects and great leaders we're hoping to uncover as we resume the search today in the Greater Easterhouse area.

Former champion weightlifter Alex, 49, said: "To get a big award like that and be recognised by your own people was absolutely fantastic. It leaps to other things, with the book and DVD expanding the awareness of The Gladiator Programme. The stories are set in heritage sites, so they send out a message about these wonderful sites in the middle of so-called housing schemes."

The Evening Times has again teamed up with Strathclyde Police, Strathclyde Fire & Rescue, Glasgow Community Planning Partnership and Glasgow City Council to honour the people who are making our city champion.

We're beginning our search in the Greater Easterhouse, Shettleston and Baillieston areas, looking for examples of individuals, groups, charities, public service workers and remarkable young people who make their neighbourhoods proud.

We want readers to tell us about their local heroes by nominating their community champions.

There are six award categories: Individual, Team, Public Service Individual, Public Service Team, Young Community Champion and Senior Community Champion.

The deadline for entries in this area is Friday, November 6, and everyone is welcome to the award ceremony at The Bridge, Westerhouse Road, Easterhouse, on Monday, November 24, to see their East End champions crowned.

The Gladiator Programme became the first recipient of the Team Award when it picked up the gong last November. Since then, its 7ft mascot, Gladigator, has welcomed wife Gladysgator and kids Agi and Tator, the Agitators, who have a starring role in the book, Gladigator & The Legend of Auchinlea, and promotional DVD, to be launched at Borders at The Fort on November 10.

Agi and Tator are played by two of Alex's children, Alex, eight, and Daniel, nine.

The main aim of The Gladiator Programme is to encourage nursery, primary and secondary school pupils to gain a life-long passion for physical activity. The programme is more than 90% self-funded through service agreements with organisations such as the NHS, which pays for the Gladiator team to teach oral health in schools.

Another major aim is breaking down territorial boundaries. Youngsters are bused from all over Greater Easterhouse to its sports HQ at Auchinlea Road where they can forge friendships. The charity also aims to open a 5500 sq ft indoor play area in the East End.

The Gladiator Programme won the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service in 2005.

The key to its success, says Alex, lies in the popularity of its mascot. He said: "There are a massive number of initiatives out there aimed at kids, but when adults try to deliver them, they're pretty boring to kids.

"If you've got Gladigator delivering that message in a fun, singing, dancing way, it's completely different.

"When Gladigator tells kids to do something, they do it."

CASE STUDY: PLAYBUSTERS

Margaret Layden, right, and her Playbusters team at their base in the Gallowgate

PLAYBUSTERS is another East End initiative that's providing fun activities for children ... while not forgetting the older generation.

Stepping through the doors of its tardis-like base in the Gallowgate, the Parkhead play project offers families a host of activities such as art classes, guitar lessons and greeting card making.

Aiming to bring families, children and the wider community together in a safe and friendly environment, one of Playbusters' most popular classes to date has been its Spanish language programme, which allows everyone from tiny tots to grandparents to learn together. In 2007, the programme was named one of three Scottish winners of the European Award for Languages.

The project recently benefited from a Big Lottery Fund grant of almost £300,287 to expand its Connecting Generations scheme, founded in June 2006 to bridge the generation gap through sports and arts projects, healthy eating and digital technology lessons.

Founded in 2002 and now operating seven days a week, Playbusters is used by around 300 people every week, operates outreach activities in local community centres and libraries, and recently established a woman's group and community allotment.

Project manager Margaret Layden, a former housing officer, said: "We'll definitely be increasing the number of people with whom we work.

"The great thing about getting the award is that is going to allow us to take it out to the wider East End and really working right across areas.

"The Connecting Generations programme helps take away some of the social isolation felt by some older people.

"The younger ones teach older people how to use mobile phones and computers, while the older ones teach them things like how to knit."

HOW TO ENTER

DO you know someone who deserves to be nominated as a Community Champion? Call 0141 302 7319 for an entry form.

You can request a form by post by writing to: Glasgow Community Champion Awards, Evening Times, 200 Renfield Street, Glasgow, G2 3QB. Online applications are available by visiting www.eveningtimes.co.uk

Forms will also be available over the coming weeks from local police and fire stations, council offices and libraries.

We are beginning our search for community champions in the Baillieston, Shettleston and Greater Easterhouse areas. Any nominations received for outside these areas will be kept on file until the relevant month.