It’s no exaggeration when people who know local hero Susan Wilson best call her “superwoman.”

As a Community Champion at Tesco Parkhead, Susan has helped raise money and awareness for charities and community groups across the city’s East End for the past eight years.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the grassroots work Susan does alongside her ‘day’ job.

A former hairdresser, Susan also turned her hand to community gardening, a passion handed down from her mum, Jan, herself an award-winning community champion.

With the ongoing joke that she runs on Duracell batteries, Susan downed tools for the afternoon to give the Evening Times a tour of the Reidvale Community Allotment... on what was the hottest day of the year so far.

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“Susan is like superwoman, so she is,” says Caroline Cryans. “She just never stops.”

Caroline’s son Jordan, 24, is one of the young volunteers who joined Susan’s Allotment Angels via Glasgow charity, the Include Me 2 Club.

Suzie and Jordan met at the charity’s Monday night club in Dennistoun, where young people and adults with additional support needs can enjoy live music nights and meet new friends.

“If Jordan is not here or at his club he’d be sitting in his room on his PlayStation,” says Caroline. “He comes home and says 'look at this cabbage.' I laugh, but before coming here, he thought fruit and veg was grown in Tesco.”

Thanks to what he’s learned from Susan, Jordan will be putting his green fingers to good use when he joins the City Works Programme at City of Glasgow College in August.

Include Me Too Chairperson and Co-Founder, Paul Mcilvenny, has seen the positive impact to people in the area. He says: "The Allotment Angels project which is part of Include Me 2 Club has been a fantastic success driven by Susan.

"The project has brought so many benefits to the members, learning new skills, making new friends and connecting with their local community."

Paul adds: "The achievements of the group and transformation of the space has been unbelievable, the energy and effort of team of volunteers, members and local helpers has been so beneficial to everyone involved." 

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Adam Green, 27, is Susan’s sidekick at the allotment, having joined her from day one of its transformation.

In one year, the space, which started as a large patch of weeds and overgrown grass, has grown into into a magical little dear green place.

Despite facing challenges in his reading and writing, nothing holds Adam back at the allotment. With a spade in his hand, he jokes to Susan, “I love it when you work me hard.”

He not kidding either, and as head gardener Adam is out in all weathers planting, digging and painting furniture for the garden.

Proof of all that good work has lead to Adam being awarded a Level 5 achievement from the RHS School Gardening Awards just this week.

Looking on with pride, Susan points to some of the fantastic, colourful parts of the garden.

“That’s the nursery plot,” she says. “This is the mint garden and over there we’re building a wee outdoor library and a bug hotel.”

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With strong links across the community, everything in the allotment has been donated by local firms, such as AS Scaffolding and Jewsons.

Acknowledging the contribution given, Paul adds: "A massive thank you to all the local supporters and businesses who have donated time and materials. Your generosity has been much appreciated and welcomed by such a great cause." 

Whether it’s flowers, vegetables or the confidence of the young Allotment Angels, everywhere you look there’s something special growing in this beautiful East End garden, thanks to local hero Susan Wilson.