Denmilne group in help plea to clean community

Residents around the Denmilne area near Easterhouse formed a committee as the country went into a nationwide lockdown last year.

The group, made up of seven householders, felt fly-tipping, graffiti and general overgrowth had turned the area into a “tip”.

For years, the area was maintained by factors, however, when that fell by the wayside - coupled with a revolving door of tenants moving in and out of a number of properties - problems began to arise.

Neighbours who formed the Denmilne Community Action Group from left, Marion Macarron, Tricia Gowans, Councillor Maureen Blake, Donna Magill of Thriving Place and Dennis Docherty, Chair STY..Pic Gordon Terris Herald & Times..5/5/21.

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Now, the group are asking local businesses to get involved with the plans - which include roughcasting, roof work and new doors.

Dennis Docherty, chair of the Denmilne Community Action Group, said: “During the first lockdown we decided we were going to stop moaning and do something about it.

“Nothing was really happening. The back courts were not being maintained, open spaces were not being maintained and we were feeling a bit sorry for ourselves.

“Glasgow City Council didn’t own the land so, it wasn’t up to them. We decided to stop feeling sorry for ourselves and to get up and do it ourselves.”

He added: “We’re in this for the long-haul, but there’s something we can’t do ourselves.

“We would love local businesses to get in touch - or maybe send their apprentices down here as a training base - to help us out because we’ve got big plans.”

Denmilne area prior to the group

The group initially contacted their local councillor Maureen Burke individually around nine years ago and were advised to set up a committee, however, the newly formed pals didn’t know each back then.

The community champions also developed a youth committee with five keen youngsters who are helping out with the clean-up.

Marion McCarron, the group’s kids co-ordinator, said some of the issues residents were experiencing, such as vandalism, stemmed from bored teenagers in the area.

However, by engaging with the youths, the committee has noticed a steady decline in incidents.

She added: “The children didn’t have anything to do - there was nothing for them in the area.

“We started speaking to the older children and that really helped, but the young children starting coming out to work with us and were loving it.

“It’s their future and if they keep this up they will grow up to respect the place, which I think is great. They’re not bad kids - they just had nothing to do.”

Thus far, the group has removed fly-tipped rubbish, cut overgrown lawns and jet washed graffiti.

However, they are nowhere near complete and insist this a “long-term” project.

Neighbours who formed the Denmilne Community Action Group from left, Marion Macarron, Tricia Gowans, Councillor Maureen Blake, Donna Magill of Thriving Place and Dennis Docherty, Chair STY..Pic Gordon Terris Herald & Times..5/5/21.

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Cllr Burke said: “They’ve been getting help from a to of different groups, such as the council.

“It’s been a journey for them and it’s become a lot bigger than what we all thought.

“One of the first things they said to me was they wanted to make their place a better place to live and get it back to what it was before, but they’ve done better than that.”

She added: “It’s a truly incredible transformation.”

To help, contact the group’s social media.