13 Year Old Can of Irn Bru Excavated at Govanhill Spring Clean
Find out more about the big Govanhill Spring Clean that happened last Saturday, as well as what events are coming up this weekend...
The sun made an unexpected but welcome appearance last Saturday morning, just as volunteers arrived at Al-Farooq mosque to get suited up for the big Govanhill Spring Clean. We spent a few hours together, following our maps and picking up litter as we made our way to the rubbish drop-off points. It was a genuinely fun experience and everyone got the chance to chat away to each other, get to know some new neighbours, and enjoy a community meal afterwards.
The Govanhill Spring Clean is to be the first of many monthly litter picks organised in collaboration with Govanhill residents, local businesses and charitable organisations based in the area. I’m looking forward to taking part in the next one, especially during the summer months when the weather is on our side. It was such uplifting to see so many smiling faces and passersby praising the efforts of the volunteers, there was a really community spirit that day.
It’s always a nice feeling, going home knowing you contributed to your community and helped improve the streets, even if it is a small act of resistance. As Co-organiser Yousuf Faisal said: “We are the custodians of our community.”
In this weeks newsletter we wanted to share with you what happened during the Govanhill Spring Clean and hopefully we will inspire you to join us next time. But let’s see what’s happening in Govanhill in the first week of May.
Devon
Govanhill Spring Clean: ‘We Are the Custodians of Our Community’
On Saturday 27 April a group of community organisations, local businesses and volunteers took to the streets of Govanhill for an organised clean-up. The Govanhill Spring Clean was the first of many community-led litter-picks in the area. Their message: ‘we are the custodians of our own community.’
Words by Devon McCole | Photos by Ian McLellan
More than 100 people gathered at the Al-Farooq Community and Education Centre early on Saturday morning for the Govanhill Spring Clean. It was suchh a turn-out that the organisers ran short of litter-pickers. But thankfully more than a few people brought their own.
A community-led initiative, the clean-up was a collaboration between organisations including Greater Govanhill, charities like Surfers Against Sewage, Govanhill Housing Association and Al-Farooq Community Centre.
Co-organiser of the litter pick, Yousuf Faisal, said: “We are the custodians of our own communities and we want to protect our environment. A big part of the litter pick also is to prevent plastics and waste going into our rivers and ensure our neighbourhood stays clean as well.”
Residents also joined to help out with the clean-up. As to why they were there, one resident, Wendy, told Greater Govanhill: “I live on Dixon Avenue. I saw this was happening and I thought it was important to get involved. I think too often we just moan about the streets being dirty and actually I wanted to participate and encourage my child and his friend to take part.”
The event took place on April 27, 2024, starting at 10:30 am at the Al-Farooq Education and Community Centre on Dixon Avenue in Govanhill. The day began with a briefing, followed by teams heading out for a litter-pick. Participants then reconvened at the Al-Farooq Community Centre for a meal and refreshments at 12:15 pm, with food kindly being provided by MILK Café, Transylvania Coffee & Shop and Crema Coffee.
We spent no more than a few hours outside dawning high-vis overcoats, gloved-up and armed with litter-pickers. The teams picked along their marked routes, filling black bags and chatting along the way. The bags were then left at the designated collection zones marked on their maps by a red dot, ready for pick-up.
“Litter picking may not address the systemic issues that cause the build up of litter in our communities…but it is an opportunity to bring folk together who care about making a difference. We’re hoping that this will provide a chance not only make an immediate improvement to our local environment, but also build momentum to tackle some of the bigger issues we face.”
Volunteer and co-organiser, Karen Palmer, said: “A few of us began to do litter picks on Saturday mornings. We weren’t really getting anywhere, the rubbish would build back up again come the next week, so wanted to try do something bigger to try and generate more awareness.”
Ahead of the community clean-up Greater Govanhill said: “Litter picking may not address the systemic issues that cause the build up of litter in our communities, or underfunding of our cleansing services, but it is an opportunity to bring folk together who care about making a difference. We’re hoping that this will provide a chance not only make an immediate improvement to our local environment, but also build momentum to tackle some of the bigger issues we face.”
This event will expand to become a monthly clean-up. Dates are still TBC but talks on the next one are on-going. To be kept informed sign up here.
May Day in Govanhill: Celebrate in Queen’s Park Recs this Sunday with Melting Pot.
Optimo (Espacio) have joined forces with Melting Pot once again to descend upon the Queen’s Park Recreation Ground This Sunday 5 May to celebrate the May Day bank holiday with a bang, bringing together a weekend of incredible DJs and live music for the Queen's Park Spring Weekender '24!
Joining the legendary Glaswegian party starters are none other than Bronx Art-Funk Legends - ESG for a UK Exclusive appearance, joined by bona fide Dub Reggae legend Aba Shanti-I, local hero & NTS resident Ribeka. Plus a super rare back-to-back session from stage hosts Optimo (Espacio) and man of the moment, Joy Orbison!
It is always wonderful to have an opportunity to dance under the glorious Southside Sun, and the wonderful folks over at Melting Pot & Optimo (Espacio) have very kindly provided a limited number of HALF PRICE Sunday Tickets for our glorious Govanhill community via the link here.
Next issue of Greater Govanhill coming soon…👀
Here in the community newsroom we are ready to send Issue 14 of our magazine to the printing press. The issue, focussing on Community Activism & Social Action, will hit local stores and community hubs in the next couple of weeks.
As always, watch this space to find out what’s happening in your area, from the release of our latest issue to the date of the next big community clean-up!
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