GLENROTHES MSP CELEBRATES GROWING AUCHMUTY PROJECT

Published date : 23 Jul 2018

GLENROTHES MSP CELEBRATES GROWING AUCHMUTY PROJECT

The town’s MSP Jenny Gilruth, paid visit to the new community garden project in Auchmuty, which has been supported by a £175,657 grant from the Big Lottery Fund Scotland’s ‘Our Place’ programme.

The project is being delivered by SAMH, the Scottish association for mental health and aims to develop green spaces throughout Auchmuty.

Volunteers at the project plan to residents of all ages involved with gardening projects, placing a strong focus on the transfer of skills and experience of older people to our younger generations.

By doing so the charity hopes it can reach out hundreds of Auchmuty residents in its bid to tackle isolation and loneliness among older residents while increasing the skills and employability of young people.

Jenny Gilruth MSP lodged a motion to the Scottish Parliament to raise awareness of the new project, a copy of which was presented to the project’s volunteers this week. Commenting after the visit, Ms Gilruth said:

“I was delighted to visit the Growing Auchmuty project, it was a real privilege to meet with the volunteers and to find out more about what plans they have for developing the community garden.

“This project not only encourages younger Auchmuty residents to try their hand at gardening, it also helps to tackle loneliness and isolation which impacts on some of the most vulnerable people in our communities’.

Senior Project Co-ordinator at Growing Auchmuty Robin Paris said:

“We were delighted to welcome Jenny Gilruth to Growing Auchmuty.

“SAMH offers a range of therapeutic projects which provide volunteers with practical benefits, as well as improving the mental wellbeing of those who take part.

“We look forward to seeing Growing Auchmuty continue to prosper and be a valuable support to our volunteers in their recovery journey.”

Jenny Gilruth MSP presented Robin Paris and the project volunteers with a copy of her parliamentary motion, which is noted below.

Motion Number: S5M-09906 – Title: Funding Awarded to SAMH

That the Parliament congratulates SAMH on being awarded £175,657.52 by the Big Lottery Fund Scotland’s Our Place Programme, which will be used to develop green spaces in the Auchmuty area of Glenrothes by using gardening and growing as a vehicle for volunteering, developing skills and bringing the community together; understands that the activities will have a strong intergenerational focus in which older people will share their experiences with young people, and believes that 450 people in the Auchmuty area will benefit from this reducing isolation among older people and increasing the skills and employability of children and young people.

ENDS

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