A Glasgow community project is providing space to support locals during lockdown, including access for children in wheelchairs.
The Bee Café and Herb Hotel have been set up by local community members near Yorkhill Park to provide activities and space for children and those
The Bee Café and Herb Hotel have been set up by local community members near Yorkhill Park to provide activities and space for children and those who do not have gardens.
Local kids have helped paint stones and signs and people have provided herbs and soil for the Herb Café. The area is being used for kids to learn about the different types of insects and for locals to come and enjoy the park as well as socialise in a time when many are remaining indoors.
The Centurion Way and Yorkhill Park Community group began as a way to look after residents during lockdown.
Mary Redmon, a 46-year-old artist who helped organise the community project, said that charity has received fantastic feedback so far. In a community consultation, the project received 82 per cent support.
She said: “It’s this idea that the community can choose our outdoor space to come together to fulfil everyone’s needs. Some people maybe live on their own and don’t have families but if they can come out to their community, sit on a bench and chat to people, especially in lockdown, it could help with feelings of isolation.
“There is a lot more traffic through the park and we have definitely noticed people enjoying using the Bee Café and Herb Hotel. We can’t go to the usual places we went to before, so we are trying to keep things interesting.
“We have had great feedback. There was one guy who said it was great, a neighbour that I never met before. His mum came to visit and they went to the Herb Hotel and it was really fun and interesting.
“It is something for people to engage in and something to do when things are difficult and we need something happy.”
Mary said she wants to push ahead in the future with bigger projects such as disabled access play equipment and is hoping to obtain £10,000 in funding at some point to secure this equipment, as well as a seating area.
She said: “At the moment we have six or seven kids in wheelchairs with nothing for them at the park. When we made the Herb Hotel and Bee Café, we put them by the path so they could have wheelchair access. It has been really appreciated by some of the children in wheelchairs now the parents can take them outside.”
Sandra White, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, said: “Having originally started out as an idea to bring the local community together, particularly youngsters during Covid19, by utilising the Play Park not only for play but nature and education too.
“I think the concept of making this facility wheelchair friendly is a fantastic idea and I’m more than happy to give my support and contact Ministers in the Scottish Government to see what help can be made available.“
A spokesman for the council said: “We are interested to find out more about the group’s hopes for the community and look forward to seeing detailed plans from them.
“We routinely work with community groups all across the city and we will engage with members of the Bee Café to see how we can devise a scheme that benefits the Yorkhill community.”
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