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Ruchill and Possilpark
Ruchill and Possilpark are two neighbouring areas in the North of Glasgow which have been a Thriving Place since 2014. The map in locality plan shows the areas which lie within Ruchill and Possilpark Thriving Place. The Sighthill Transformational Regeneration Area sits to the east of Ruchill and Possilpark Thriving Place, part of this development is in the Thriving Place boundaries, the area that was formerly Sighthill Park. This will create new housing and economic development.
Locality Plan
Our community plan is the Locality Plan for Ruchill and Possilpark. It is one of the ways that we will be trying to tackle inequalities. Our community plan has been produced by people who live or work in Ruchill and Possilpark. It tells the story of the area so far and sets out how together local people, organisations and services can make changes that local people would like to see over the next ten years, it sets out what we hope to achieve together. Our plan describes different ways you can get involved in achieving change in Ruchill and Possilpark.
2020/21 Update
The focus of Thriving Places in Ruchill and Possilpark was adapted in 2020/2021 to adapt to the Covid-19 pandemic. Principally, there was a need to work with partners to help disperse emergency food and activity packs across local communities, particularly to very vulnerable, shielded people.
The Community Connector worked with various community-based organisations and groups that needed support over the year. This included Young Peoples Futures, North United Communities, Queens Cross Housing, Maryhill Community Central Halls and NG Homes. The Community Connector also helped support community-based organisations and groups in the neighbouring Lambhill, Milton and Cadder Thriving Place, as the Community Connector there was on maternity leave.
The direct, ground-level support included:
- Food and activity and mental health and wellbeing packs
- Finances and funding applications
- Transport and deliveries to homes
- Ideas of best way to combat mental health issues
- Reducing duplication
- Reducing the impact on the local community as partners worked together
- Equipment and facilities
- Knowledge and understanding of what worked and what do not
- Covid-19 safety vital information
- Connectivity to IT equipment
- Energy support and financial advice
During the lockdown the Community Connector helped produce an emergency support information leaflet, which was delivered around the Canal ward and shared on social media. Social media was also used extensively through the year to share information on courses, advice, food, Covid-19 information and any other information that local organisations requested to be shared.
Community-based organisations and groups and local people were encouraged to join Zoom sessions and Teams sessions, which also enabled them to work towards progressing the locality plan. However, progress on most outcomes within the locality plan were affected by the pandemic.
The Community Connector supported the work of a Festive Group to run Christmas events in line the Covid-19 restrictions for local communities in Ruchill and Possilpark. This work was supported by a variety of services, organisations and local people. The Festive Group produced activity packs, craft packs, health and well-being pack and food parcels and also managed a Santa visit through some of the local streets of Ruchill and Possilpark.
The Community Connector provided capacity building support to a number of local organisations and groups. This included the Possilpark Peoples Trust, the Grove Christian Community Trust, Canal Youth Forum, local Parent Councils, North Glasgow Baby Food Bank and Roots of Ruchill. This work focused on strengthening committee skills and the recruitment and retention of volunteers, for example, and was delivered either online or outside using social distancing.
Social distanced engagement also continued with the BME Community over the year. For example, the local Afghan community were supported by the Community Connector in the Hamiltonhill community growing space. When the restrictions allowed for social distanced, outdoors interaction, the local Chinese community held Tai Chi sessions in a local park, which was supported and promoted by the Community Connector.
Local environmental projects were supported by Thriving Places over the year too. The Community Connector arranged for three areas across the Canal area to have wildflower bomb days with different groups including North Glasgow Community Food Initiative, Roots of Ruchill and Hawthorn Community Group. This was to increase the number of wildflowers in the area and thus improve biodiversity.
Community groups were also supported to make more use of local spaces in the built-up environment. For example, with support, the Hawthorn Community Group successfully raised over £50,000 to enhance the Park and Play Space. The local school campus was also supported to enhance the children and families education on environmental issues.
2019/20 Update
The Community Connector, Brian Land, is employed by ng homes. Over the year Brian worked with a wide range of people and organisations across Ruchill and Possilpark. He supported local people to be able to take part in different forums and groups and help them shape what activities take place in local centres and organisations.
An activity guide and community directory for the local area was produced to let local people know what was on locally. This provided up-to-date, accessible information on community life and services in a range of formats for local people. The guide covered activities, organisations and services across the whole Canal ward, not just Ruchill and Possilpark. The activity guide was made available online through Facebook and Twitter and physical copies were available at community noticeboards and community centres. Local services used the activity guide to signpost local people, for example GP's used the activity guide to encourage their patients to become actively involved in community life.
Brian helped to set up and/or support a number of community groups in the local area. For example, the 'Breaky club' was set up with help of funding from the Spirit of Possilpark and Ruchill Committee and ng homes and took place in the Grove. Around 15 to 20 people came along every week between May 2019 and March 2020. Local people were given advice and support with various issues in a friendly environment and they gave very positive feedback on their experiences. Some local people have accessed activities enabling them to become involved in community life, which has improved their quality of life.
The Community Networking Breakfast also ran monthly in Saracen House with around 60 to 100 people from local communities and organisations. The focus of the breakfast is to share information and signpost people to local services and activities.
Several local environmental projects received support from Thriving Places. For example, Brian helped Roots of Ruchill to work with Hawthorn Action Group, Glasgow Afghan United and Hamiltonhill Community Group to ensure that quality spaces for play, sports and growing were developed across the area. Local people were also encouraged and supported to attend meetings with developers and local housing associations, to be able to share their ideas on community spaces.
As a result, the community was active in developing growing spaces. For instance, Back Garden, a project based near Saracen Street, worked with local families to develop food growing, cookery and active play. Until the lockdown in March 2020, the project and local people were working together to find other sites to develop.
There were also several community-based responses to crime and antisocial behaviour within the local area. For example, partners from Glasgow Life, Police Scotland, ng homes and local youth organisations worked with young people in Possilpoint Community Centre and Kelvingrove Park to help reduce antisocial behaviour. It was agreed by everyone involved that more work would need to be done regularly if there was to be a long-term impact.
Local primary schools were a key focus of Thriving Places over the year. Parent Councils for the Keppoch and Benview campuses contacted Ruchill and Possilpark Thriving Place to try and improve safe routes to and from primary school for pupils. Local meetings took place and fly-tipping was removed from school routes. Parents are still actively involved in leading on the work. Also, Friends of Possilpark worked with a local artist to help local pupils create a more welcoming entrance for Benview Campus.
Local people had identified food insecurity as a serious issue and as a result a baby foodbank was set up. Local parents came together and arranged collections of baby foods and other necessities for struggling families.
Employability was also a key theme for Thriving Places in 2019/20. For example, local people were able to access services with translators at Possilpoint for employment advice and support or they could go to Possobilities, which offered blanket support and tailored support for people with disabilities. In addition, Glasgow Council for the Voluntary Sector (GCVS) worked with Thriving Places to provide social enterprise training for local African, Chinese and Afghan communities. Support for local social enterprise was also provided by UnLtd.
Thriving Places helped attract funding for the Saracen Street Business Improvement District. Funding from Scottish Government and Glasgow City Council was awarded to improve shop fronts and street furniture in the area. The involvement of local communities in the project was supported by the Community Connector. Work is ongoing on the new community centre by the Possilpark Peoples Trust, which also received funding from Scottish Government and Glasgow City Council.
2018/19 Update
A new Community Connector, Brian Land, was appointed this year.
This year, key work programmes for locality partners in Ruchill and Possilpark included improving the localities shopping streets through a Business Improvement District (BID) programme and food insecurity.
The BID programme was progressed as part of the locality's Economy group, with support from ng homes and a number of local businesses. As part of this project, Streetscape developed some visuals during the year of Saracen Street, with lollypop trees with better lighting. Partners also awarded a small grant to improve Millennium Space and Bandstand.
Partners also provided funding support to an event looking at food insecurity, and explored the impact of universal credit on the area as well as the availability of welfare rights officers locally.
Canal was selected as on the four areas in the city to pilot Participatory Budgeting during 2018/19. The theme for Canal, which takes in Ruchill and Possilpark, was income and employment deprivation.
Ruchill and Possilpark Steering Group Papers
2019
2018
Development Group Notes
2019
Young People and Families Group
How You Can Get Involved
If you would like to get involved or for further information on Ruchill/Possilpark Thriving Place, please contact your Community Connector at ng homes: mycommunity@nghomes.net
Further Information
The locality plan for Ruchill and Possilpark can be found here: 
Ruchill Possilpark Locality Plan [1Mb]
Places Thematic Group - Draft Action Plan September 2019: September 2019 [96kb]
Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/tpruchillandpossil/
Information on this webpage is provided by Ruchill and Possilpark Thriving Places steering group, and may not necessarily reflect the views of Glasgow Community Planning Partnership.