Who we are
Thriving Places (TP) in Glasgow was set up as a ten-year strategy to be delivered in 10 areas in Glasgow. In Drumchapel TP started in October 2016 and on completion of ten years, was scheduled to terminate in 2026. Each TP was organised differently, according to the needs of each area and had an anchor organisation, which in the case of Drumchapel was Cernach Housing Association. In Drumchapel, to become more visible, TP opted to have a presence in the Drumchapel Shopping Centre and after an initial six-month experience in a shop front, was invited to establish a presence in the local charity shop. From May 2018 until July 2023, TP worked from a space in the Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland charity shop in the shopping Centre, which served as a drop-in for any resident in Drumchapel, and beyond.
G15 Thriving Places
Due to recent budget cuts experienced by several organisations across Glasgow, and information from GCC that it could only guarantee funding for Thriving Places for the year 2023-24, we had to decide on the future of Thriving Places. As a result, after consultation with current funders, the anchor organisation, and several other organisations and residents in Drumchapel, TP in Drumchapel opted to recreate itself as G15TP, in the form of a Third Sector organisation.
Who we are today…G15 Thriving Places
Working For Our Community
G15 Thriving Places is a new community-based organisation in Drumchapel legally structured as a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO). We are a collective of three community development workers with a small board comprised of people who live and work in Drumchapel. Continuing with our daily drop-in service, which we started in the Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland charity shop in the shopping centre, we now attend to the public at the Drumchapel Community Centre. We are open to the public and engage with an average of 20-25 individual people per week who come to us for support on a wide range of issues ranging from housing, benefits, to CV compilation. We also engage with, and at times support, different community groups and due to our links with most organisations in Drumchapel, when we cannot support people directly, we signpost to other organisations who can help.
In terms of community work, now as G15 Thriving Places, we continue with many of the activities supported, promoted, or delivered by Drumchapel Thriving Places. As during the past 7 years, we continue to work with a variety of themes and issues, and, as much as possible, work in partnership with other relevant organisations.
Our Plans for the Future…3 Year Strategic Community Development Plan
Based on an analysis of the global context within which we find ourselves and reflecting on our past 7 years’ experience of working in the community we have prepared a three-year Strategic Community Development Plan. Our Plan is rooted in the following four overarching themes:
- Climate Justice, which understands climate change as affecting the poorest countries of the world more seriously, due to the plundering of the richer countries during the past two centuries. In Drumchapel we will strive to create awareness around this issue and engage in some activities which will contribute to making Drumchapel a more sustainable place to live and work.
- Poverty unfortunately must be included as a theme, due to many years of austerity which has forced several families into poverty. Not only is poverty an economic issue but it has further repercussions in the lives of many people in Drumchapel, reflected in low educational attainment, high drug and alcohol misuse, loneliness and isolation and a general feeling of disenfranchisement, as verifies in our research. We will support and promote activities that help the community challenge poverty in all these aspects, working in partnership with the many organisations active in Drumchapel.
- Displacement due also to war, has seen many people having to flee their countries of origin in search of a safer and better life and some have come to settle in Drumchapel. They are the New Scots, originally asylum seekers and refugees, who require support to settle in the area and become part of the multicultural community which is now Drumchapel. We will continue to engage with the New Scots both individually and collectively to help them become active citizens in Scottish society.
- Community-building is our fourth theme and is the basis of all our activities as a collective of community development workers. Faced with the promotion of a growing individualistic model of society we challenge this model by bringing people together, supporting community groups and initiatives, collectivising, which also helps to break down isolation, loneliness and the disenfranchisement felt by many. Through our activities we will contribute towards building a more democratic and participatory society based on the values of care, solidarity, and social justice.
Meet the community connectors:
Community Connector
Tracy
Tracy is our “local lassie”, born and bred in Drumchapel! Tracy started volunteering in Drumchapel at an early age and since then has continued to engage in a wide range of community activities. Tracy combines all her volunteering and her work experience of the past 7 years in Drumchapel Thriving Places with her studies concluded at the University of Glasgow and is now a fully-fledged community development worker at G15 Thriving Places, always open to sharing and learning with her other two fellow workers.
Community Connector
Michelle
Michelle came to Drumchapel as a student on her student placement and since then has never looked back! Michelle has a wealth of experience as a community activist in Garthamlock, in the East end of Glasgow, and combines this experience with her studies concluded at the University of Glasgow. Michelle is now an active member of our G15 Thriving Places collective, sharing her knowledge, experience, and skills with her two other colleagues.
Community Connector
Ted
Ted, constantly remined that he is the oldest of the three community development workers in our collective, came to Drumchapel in 2016, employed as the community connector. Ted has Glasgow-wide and international experience of community development work as well as research and teaching experience in community development at university. Ted completes the trio of community development workers at G15 Thriving Places, always open to learning with the other two “younger” fellow workers.
Our Board:
We have a board of 4 members. Three are Drumchapel residents and the fourth member works in Drumchapel.
Board member
Helen
Helen is a member of Drumchapel Community Council and has lived in Drumchapel for most of her 75 years of life. Helen is passionate about Drumchapel and has recently taken on a leading role in caring for the Community Council plot at the Growchapel allotment. Helen is firm in defending the people of Drumchapel and does not hod back when she has to defend her community.
Board member
Chris
Chris works at Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland (CHSS) and is based in Drumchapel. Chris has always been close to Thriving Places, also due to Thriving Places having had a base in the CHSS charity shop in the local shopping centre. Like Helen, Chris is involved also in the Growchapel project as well as organising health activities looking after the people of Drumchapel.
Board member
Kanwal
Kanwal, is an active participant of Friendship House, an organisation which supports asylum seekers and refugees. Kanwal is originally from Pakistan and has made her home in Drumchapel as a New Scot. Kanwal is known also for her cooking skills which is a powerful tool in bringing people together, building community in the process. Kanwal cares for the people of Drumchapel and through her cooking skills also helps challenge loneliness and isolation fo many of the New Scots, and older Scots, who live in Drumchapel.
Board member
Liam
Liam, born and bred in Drumchapel, is a member of G15 Youth project. Liam engages in a wide range of volunteering activities with young people but has broadened out his volunteering to help with Men Matter. Liam is the youngest member of the board but has plenty of community “youth experience” to keep us all on our feet!
If you would like to get involved in our project our would like more information plese get in touch.
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