Hundreds of people have responded to a food drive held in Castlemilk, as some of the area’s most talented performers prepare to take to the stage for a spectacular talent show.
Organised by local women Bridget Crossan and Cath Milligan in response to the cost-of-living crisis, Cmilk’s Got Talent on Saturday is a celebration of the Southside community’s resilience in the face of spiralling energy and food bills.
Donations have been pouring in to the Enough is Enough Food Drive, and Bridget and Cath are now hoping to fundraise to provide a "share and care" food solidarity service on a regular basis.
Watch our exclusive video here.
Dancer Bethany Donaghy and singer Dani Jackson are both appearing at the event at Castlemilk Youth Complex.
Bethany, a former Glasgow Times Community Champions winner, set up her own dance school at the age of 19.
Driven by a desire to show her teachers and fellow pupils the considerable health and wellbeing benefits of dance, the teenager changed people’s perceptions and persuaded her teachers to add dance to the curriculum.
Bethany, now 23, became the first pupil at Castlemilk High to achieve a Higher Dance qualification, losing only one mark in her final exam.
As a result, the school became known for its dance excellence and it still offers National 5 and Higher dance courses to pupils.
“I started dancing at the age of six. It was my nana who put me into weekly dance classes because I visited her on the weekends,” she explains.
“My dream was always to have my very own dance school with my name on the building.”
BD Dance has been a “steep learning curve” for Bethany, she admits.
“There isn't actually much help out there for young people starting a business and a lot of it requires making mistakes and learning as you go,” she says.
“The dance community is so competitive - some teachers are kind and supportive while many are the opposite.
“I have learned many lessons along the way, and it has been exhausting and stressful at times but I wouldn't change any of it for the world. Seeing the end result with the groups you have spent so many hours working with - there is no better feeling.”
Bethany’s young team of dancers are now a National level competition squad, who last year were one of only teams representing Scotland in the national finals of Can You Dance?
“We had to fundraise to go to Liverpool for the event, something other dance schools in more affluent areas perhaps don’t have to worry about,” she adds.
“Being from Castlemilk doesn’t hold us back. In fact, it only adds to what we can offer. Castlemilk has heaps of talent - we’re a community, living here is like having a big family and we help out each other when we can.
“From the beginning, I had many people question whether I had any clue what I was doing but with the help of my amazing community I think I can say - I am good enough."
Dani Jackson will be singing at Cmilk’s Got Talent, and she says it’s a chance to “give something back” to the community.
“Singing for me was always a passion but a hobby. I never really thought I could do it professionally because I struggled with confidence,” she says.
“I qualified as a beautician when I left school, and now I’m training to be a teacher. But singing was always there in the background and I had finally got the confidence to give it a go and then Covid came along, and put a spanner in the works.
“I sing everything - Patsy Cline, Radiohead, you name it. I just love music. I can’t wait for Cmilk’s Got Talent. I’m not much of a public speaker but give me a microphone and a guitar and I’ll sing all night.”
Dani, 32, who has two daughters - Lexi, eight, and Rosie, who is two-and-a-half - adds: “Music is a way of expressing yourself, and kids here in Castlemilk don’t always get that opportunity, so I’d love to be able to teach singing or music, and give something back to my community.
“The cost of living crisis has made life tough for many, many people. This event is about saying to people - you’re not going through this alone. Bridget and Cath are amazing for organising it, they are inspirational.”
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here