BELVILLE Community Garden Trust has been awarded nearly £150,000 from The National Lottery Community Fund.
The community garden in Greenock’s East End works to support people’s mental health by getting them out of isolation and into community-based work outdoors.
It supports people to improve their fitness, health and wellbeing, as well as tackle food poverty by offering community growing session and classes in food preparation and cooking.
Michelle Markey (56) started volunteering at Belville six years ago. She said: “Belville has been a lifeline for me. I have Generalised Anxiety Disorder and, before I came here, I was so paranoid and frightened of what people thought of me.
“I had lost a lot of friends due to always letting them down and not being able to go to birthday parties or weddings and have become alienated from my family.
“The garden club gave me a sense of purpose; something and somewhere to go every Monday and feel relaxed and at ease. I found myself enjoying it so much I wanted to go out the house; I had a purpose. Belville Community Garden has given me a new life.”
Sally Clough, manager, Belville Community Garden, said: “We are delighted to be supported by The National Lottery Community Fund as we launch our new project ‘Groundworks for Growth’ with lots of exciting developments ahead over the next three years.
“This is very much a community-led project with lots of opportunity for everyone to get involved and help shape the future of the garden.”
