Made in Easterhouse Summer 2021 Newspaper by Platform Glasgow

made in easterhouse summer 2021 FREE

READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH ELAINE C SMITH ----- CATCH UP ON LOCAL NEWS ----- FIND OUT WHAT’S ON THIS SUMMER ----

We need to feel some summer sun, more than ever. Since Platform has not been able to send out our ‘What’s On’ guide in a while, we thought we would try a new way to tell you about what we’ve been up to and what is coming up over the summer months. Made In Easterhouse is jam packed with updates on our activity sessions and features on local partners, residents and artists that we are working with as well as ideas to help keep you creative. Although Platform’s building has been closed since March 2020, we have still been busy. We were able to host most of our classes and workshops online at no cost to participants. We were delighted to once again be supported by Glasgow City Council’s Children’s Holiday Food Fund which allowed us to provide free food takeaways from The Bridge car park over the school holidays. You can read more about how we made that happen on the next page.

The past year has been a roller-coaster, so many ups and downs! Living with all that uncertainty made some of us look for stability in unexpected places. Did you take up a new routine or interest that helped to keep you motivated? After being firmly in the ‘walking, not running’ camp I was surprised to find myself a late convert to the joys of accelerating round my local park. I really hope I can maintain it – weather permitting! We were delighted to catch up with actress Elaine C Smith, where she tells us about her lockdown experience on page 10. The photographers and filmmakers Colin Tennant and Saskia Coulson will be sharing archive images from 2017 exhibition Paint it Red - a portrait of Easterhouse (pages 16-18) and touching on an exciting new project taking place over the summer months. Many of you have already been sharing your thoughts every few weeks through our Mail Art booklet, which is sent to residents in north east Glasgow with a free stamped address envelope and an invitation to contribute to the next edition. Enjoy a few submissions on page 23.

Photo credit: Coulson & Tennant

Isn’t it great that summer is almost here?

Hello and Welcome

Given ‘staycations’ will be on the cards for many this year, Platform has been thinking about how we can provide some safe creative fun over the summer holidays. Like many of you we are turning to our gardens and back greens for inspiration! Look out for Platform’s ‘Fun Fridays’ which, weather permitting, will take place on our patch of green every Friday at The Bridge during the school holidays. And last but not certainly least I am delighted to share that Platform celebrates a special birthday this year - we are 15 years old! Check out page 7 to read a bit about our journey. Keep sharing all your wonderful drawings, sculptures, poems, craft and general creative amazingness with us through our social media – you can find us @platformglasgow Remember stay safe, stay creative. Jenny Crowe Arts Manager Platform

Platform The Bridge 1000 Westerhouse Road Glasgow, G34 9JW platform-online.co.uk  info@platform-online.co.uk  0141 276 9696 (opt 1 for Box Office)  Follow us on social media:

Sprog Rock 2020 Photo credit: Jassy Earl

@platformglasgow

Please note all content is correct at time of print. Please check ahead if attending an event(s) in the instance that details have changed. Platform is programmed and managed by Glasgow East Arts Company (GEAC). Reg. No. 245379, SCO34201. made in easterhouse

Supporting the local community in the east end of Glasgow has never felt more important and needed than over the past year. Through funding from the Children’s Holiday Food Programme, Platform is delighted to be running a free food takeaway during school holidays, providing healthy food bags from The Bridge Car Park to local families – most recently during the Easter break, with the summer holidays next on the list. Offering free creative packs for families has also been an important part of the programme, gifting art activities and materials to be taken away and enjoyed at home. Local resident Mary Higgins, who works at Platform and helps lead the programme said: “We are proud to help support our local community during such tough times. It has been good seeing so many friendly faces and the feedback we’ve received, and the high numbers of those attending, has shown it is a very welcome service. “Collecting food from the takeaway has also provided an added opportunity for people to get out of the house and although social distancing is firmly in place, it’s great for everyone to see friendly faces and share a quick hello”.

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Prior to March 2020, Platform ran regular free school holiday breakfast and lunch clubs in The Bridge Café Bar and since summer 2020, with restrictions on access to the building, the offering was quickly adapted to a takeaway service. Thousands of food bags have been given away since then.

VISIT US THIS SUMMER

Photo credit: Coulson & Tennant

FREE FOOD AND FRIENDLY FACES AT THE BRIDGE

“ THE FOOD BAGS ARE REALLY GOOD AND I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO USING my ART PACK”

Mum Angela, who lives locally and attends with her children, said: “The takeaway and activity packs have been brilliant – a great help. To be able to have a ‘treat’ for the kids every day has been amazing, one less thing to think about”.

The food programme will continue to run during the school holidays until at least February 2022. This includes the summer holidays, October break and February 2022 school holiday. Visit our website for dates and times.

SARAH (AGE 9)

FOOD BANKS AND SERVICES If you are looking for information on food banks, Urban Roots (urbanroots.org.uk/freefood) offer handy resources and contact information. Glasgow Helps also lists food services – visit page 26 for details.

Photo credit: Coulson & Tennant

SALUTOGENESIS TO YOU! Local resident Ian Monteague shares his memories of growing up in Easterhouse [ Salutogenesis: that which supports human well-being ]

“My Easterhouse story began in the bitter winter of 1959 aged 8. Truth is it felt a bit like being sent to live in exile. Life, had for me, begun in a single end in Glasgow’s Gorbals in 1951 - five of us in one room and an outside toilet.

Unrest, gangs and sensationalist reporting in the press led to our scheme becoming infamous throughout the UK and parts of Europe - many local people felt the need to disguise where they lived when applying for jobs.

Glasgow was beginning to undergo a redevelopment of the city’s slum housing and folk were being rehoused in one of four new housing schemes. My mother was told to visit the housing office to ballot for which flat would eventually become ours and this was done by the random choosing of a rent book.

I was moved recently by a quote from a New York priest who visited Glasgow. He said ‘The world we need is one where compassion stands in awe at the burdens the poor have to carry, rather than stands in judgement at the way they carry them’. Our own authorities were sleepwalking through our plight. During the early 1960’s there was much part-time primary education due to teacher and accommodation shortages.

A two-bedroom flat with sitting room, kitchen and inside bathroom was ours and despite not being able to afford floor coverings nor furniture and beds for each room, it felt like a dream come true! My 60 year adventure of travelling ‘Easterhouse’s River of Life’ (sinking down, bobbing up, floating, coasting & thrashing around) had well and truly begun. In many ways it was a bit disorientating: far from our old life, jobs, family, friends and safety …it was facing the unknown.

“My 60 year adventure of travelling ‘Easterhouse’s River of Life’ had well and truly begun”

My school was Bishoploch Primary School which was, at one point, Europe’s largest primary school with several annexes. Three secondary schools opened: Westwood, St Leonard’s and Lochend and provided some community space and activities – the latter which was not always to the liking of teenagers as youth clubs came later. There were also many success stories. With great encouragement and support I myself went on to teach at Eastbank, Lochend and St Leonard’s. Local churches working together were, and remain, at the forefront of supporting our communities: providing halls and personal support and really are organisations for all ages. Above all they were able to articulate peoples’ cases in trying to improve their situation – this could be a slow process and by the mid 60’s onwards much in the scheme began to deteriorate. However, as is often the case individuals and groups began to mobilise and create an agenda for improvement.

But newness brings hope and excitement so, for most people (especially children) the early days were good. Then, the reality of living kicked in. Rents were many times more than the cost folk had been used to and together with food, heating, clothing and travel costs many found themselves in dire straits. Too many had to face the ignominy of a warrant sale where household goods were put on the pavement to be sold off to pay debts. Many became adept at pretending not to be home when the rent or debt collector called. Heating and furnishing houses to fulfil the dream of cosy homes was challenging and was only possible with the arrival of warehousemen who would sell various household items on ‘tic’ (credit) and ‘Provy’ cheques for school uniforms and Christmas. These were often at exorbitant interest rates. Regrettably, after four or five years, the dream began to fade for many who longed to be back in their ‘auld’ place where there were cinemas, shops, access to town, relatives and more jobs. By this time Greater Easterhouse had an estimated 60,000 people trying to make a life for their families in an often culturally barren environment.

Booker Prize Winner and Glasgow based novel Shuggie Bain - portraying a similar scene to the image (right) of Ian’s sister Lynda in the backcourt in the 1950s/60s. Photo credit: Coulson & Tennant

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Ian as a boy in 1963/4 Photo credit: Coulson & Tennant

My own community activity began purely by accident! Housing management had always been very contentious and local councillors had persuaded corporation officials to attend a public meeting and answer questions on all unresolved issues. Unfortunately, most of these ran at fever pitch and generally disintegrated before officials could be pinned down. Even as a 15-year old I noticed this and that it seemed to suit officials at the time! The minute a local person became understandably frustrated, council officials sometimes let themselves off the hook by saying ‘Madam/Sir I don’t have to listen to someone speaking to me like that’. Job done and meeting dissolved! However, despite rampant nerves I decided to go to the next meeting, plan a question and try and keep everyone calm until satisfactory answers came. It worked! Just as we were getting to the point of disintegration, I stood with my hand up and the chair said ‘Let the boy have the last question’. At this point the meeting fell silent. I put the key questions forward and the meeting burst into applause - questions had to be answered. I was hooked and decided that I would commit to Easterhouse, doing my best to help improve the place where I was growing up. Things began to move with local people galvanising to make Easterhouse a better place. The first transformational agenda was devised when all local organisations came together as the Easterhouse Community Development Committee.

“With hope there is always tomorrow. Try it, it works” made in easterhouse

In 1967 the committee formed a wish list, which included a shopping centre, library, health centre, police station and many other services and amenities. Much of the list was achieved. Being part of Easterhouse’s history in the making, I’ve had the great privilege of being around during our major steps forward, and have realised, with hope there is always a tomorrow. Try it, it works. On writing this piece I have taken out most of the things I’ve been and still am involved in or may have influenced during the past 50 years. These were only possible with others. We still have lots of stuff to do; there are grounds for optimism and solutions. And now to reflect. What a great community Easterhouse has grown into with so many unsung heroes who have given so much time and effort to create the kind of society we want to live in. Easterhouse’s approach reminds me of a great quote from Martin Luther King when asked ‘What do you really want? King answered simply ‘My dignity’.”

A well known face in the local area, Ian Monteague still lives in the east end and is involved in a number of charities and social enterprises. These include Provan Hall Trust, Seven Lochs Partnership, FARESHARE Trust and FARE Scotland.

a catch up with our taking part friends Our Taking Part programme has been running online and as much as we are missing in person meet ups, like many others, we’ve made the most of good old Zoom! Some of our members have learned to play musical instruments, put on live performances and created art gallery openings – all online! We’ve delivered hundreds of sessions, welcomed many new faces and enjoyed keeping in weekly contact with folks. Read how you can join our Taking Part programme on page 13 or visit the Platform website for more information.

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marlene Platform Singers Choir Being able to go on Zoom with the choir has been a positive thing for me. I’ve felt like part of a community. Being online isn’t as difficult as I imagined, and I’d say to anyone thinking of joining to give it a try.

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HOLLY GUITAR LESSONS Before lockdown I attended a few lessons in person and I was lucky enough to get my own guitar for Christmas. I can play a few chords and have been doing some single string tunes. I’ve been listening to different types of music and for the parts with guitars.

”

All Photographs: Coulson & Tennant 5

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KAYLA NU GEN ART GROUP I like that Nu Gen lets me show my style and inspires me to make and create art. I have been keeping creative at home with the inspiration we are given each week.

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Gillian Art Factory art group

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made in easterhouse

Lab Station has been fun. It’s been good to have new activities to keep me busy and around other people. I’m not bored anymore and I’m looking forward to seeing everyone in real life when we can meet up.

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Art Factory gives me a chance to explore myself in a safe space. I’ve made new friends and I have had many opportunities to gain new experiences and confidence. One word to describe my experience is INSPIRING.

Maggie Lab Station performance group

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EWAN PLATFORM YOUNG COMPANY PERFORMANCE GROUP Platform Young Company has been good to meet up with fellow creatives and friends during these troubling times. It feels nice to connect and laugh. If someone wanted to join but was unsure, I’d say take the risk and make the leap!

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Brenda Clack and Yak knitting group Platform is a great place to socialise and learn new skills but most of all it’s about being made welcome – to me it’s ‘the best thing since sliced breid’.

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Liam Creation Station performance group Being part of the group has inspired me to be more creative. I created a sock puppet named Shirley - she is now my alter-ego at Creation Station! I’ve been making outfits for her and invented a cast of characters and stories which have featured in a couple of story books.

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US!

Platform first opened to the public in 2006 and we have celebrated each five-year anniversary that has followed.

This year we turn 15 and we are proud to have been part of our beloved Easterhouse community for so long. Bringing performance, art and music to The Bridge, alongside family festivals, taking part classes, food programmes and community outreach, we’ve made sure those years have counted. Platform Summer Festival. Photo credit: Iain McLean

Built on an ‘in-between’ space, a void, between the swimming pool and college, The Bridge brought a brand new library, 210 seater theatre, dance studio, café and recording studios to the area. The space quickly became a much welcomed cultural hub in central Easterhouse, in which to take in a performance, have a swim or perhaps collect a book or two. Fast forward to 2011, celebrating five years of Platform, we had a party across The Bridge with live music, DJs and Polar Bears! We joined the National Theatre of Scotland, who were celebrating their own fifth birthday, as part of a nationwide broadcast of five-minute plays.

10th Birthday Epic Celebration Day. Photo credit: Euan Robertson

As we moved into double digits in 2016, we enlisted the help of some experts in what we could expect when moving from nine to ten years old. Our original ‘Class in Residence’ were Primary 5 pupils at Oakwood Primary School who were also turning ten and they gave us plenty of good advice whilst engaging with workshops and events throughout the year. Vanessa Thompson, Head Teacher at Oakwood Primary, said: “Being the Class in  Residence was a wonderfully unique opportunity for Oakwood pupils. The opportunities of games sessions, workshops & performances, involving music, dance, art & design as well as working and meeting with talented artists meant that our children grew to appreciate the power and joy from understanding the arts more creatively.” For our 10th birthday, we celebrated a decade of creative activity with a carnival parade through Easterhouse followed by live music, bungee trampolines and a Roller Disco at the venue in the summer. Did you come along and help celebrate with us?

P5 Oakwood Primary School 2016. Photo credit: Euan Robertson

At Platform, we aim to Engage People and Inspire Communities and brought our 10th birthday celebrations to a close with an EPIC Celebration Day in the winter. The event was led by the people, partnerships and art that featured throughout our first ten years and included the premiere of Geraldine Heaney’s film documenting the tenth year in the life of the building, a live performance of Malcolm Lindsay’s When We Grow Younger: written in collaboration with pupils from Sunnyside Primary and Rules of the Dancefloor, a joyful performance featuring stories gathered across the community about nights spent dancing and having fun.

5th Birthday Celebrations. Photo credit: Iain McLean

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We cannot wait to celebrate our fifteenth birthday with you all - stay tuned for details of activities and events later in the year!

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creativity for early years Play Café is Platform’s weekly creative offer for children aged 0-5 years and their adults.

Running weekly for over seven years, Play Café invites families to engage with a different music, visual art or performance activity every Wednesday. Play Café has hosted national and international touring performances and combines the activity with healthy snacks, drinks and lunch served with a friendly vibe.

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Whilst we’ve not been able to run Play Café due to the past year’s restrictions we have been sharing tips, ideas and suggestions of activities to try from home. These come from Play Café artists and our partners at Starcatchers with their Wee Inspirations project – which is full of activities to do with your wee ones. Check these out by visiting starcatchers.org.uk There really is no substitution for meeting up however, and we look forward to being able to bring back Play Café to the building when we can.

START-21 We are currently supporting some of thefamilies we work with to participate in Start-21, an international performance project about the experience of having a baby during the last twelve months and their hopes for the future. The project features contributions from families based in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Greece, Germany and Switzerland. Look out for more information on the Platform website and social media.

Play Café at Platform. Image taken prior to March 2020.

FUN IDEAS FOR WEE ONES TO TRY AT HOME During lockdown, artists Clare McGarry and Mona Keeling, both regular visitors to Play Café, shared some creative ideas for families…

Make your own Tuck Shop – great for helping contain those snack requests! Snip pictures from magazines or draw your child’s favourite snacks and give them all a price - for example, a banana 10 pence, raisins 5 pence etc. Put together a tub of real money and enjoy role playing as shop keeper and customer! Have a mermaid lagoon bath! Put interesting stones or jewels in the bath, pop on your swimming costumes/shorts and get in to explore! Create a magical atmosphere with music, bubbles, night light/torches you might have around the house. You could explore the feel of water balloons, a beach ball, hidden treasure or read a water related story. Make a play dough or pasta necklace/bracelet for yourself or as a gift. All you need are some tubes of pasta and some elastic/string. Paint the pasta to make the tubes more colourful. Put a surprise in an empty box and ask your wee one to close their eyes, shake, listen and touch inside the box to guess what is inside. You could use anything from bouncy balls, toys, scrunchy foil, socks, cotton wool – anything that makes a sound or is tactile. Start your own music band and get friends and family involved. Make a shaker with rice and a jar, find some pots and pans, wooden spoons etc. Basically, anything that makes a noise. Then all you have to do is think up a band name! Paddling pools aren’t just for sunny days! Fill up the paddling pool and get on the wellies and waterproofs (including the grown-ups) - it’s then time for a SPLASH! You could also pour a watering can of water over your child when they are under an umbrella - or vice versa! Create your own messy play. Set out some child friendly bowls or tubs for your wee ones to explore. Fill them with items from around the house different textures and shapes are good. Popular items are cooked spaghetti, jelly, porridge and anything tactile.

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the art of restoration A new community artwork celebrating the 500-year long history of Provan Hall has recently been installed in Auchinlea Park.

Artist Janie Nicoll said: “This was a fantastic project to be involved in, I worked with local groups to research and create images to do with the heritage of Provan Hall, including heraldry and historical figures, as well as the wildlife associated with the area.

The 30 metre long mural was created by digital artist Janie Nicoll using original works produced by the local community, including pupils from local primary schools and participants from Platform’s Saturday Art Club, Nu Gen and Art Factory groups.

“The mural features a wide range of styles and motifs but is unified by the themes and imagery of Provan Hall.”

Installation of the artwork marks the start of a multi-million pound restoration of Provan Hall, which is one of the oldest surviving buildings in Glasgow. Due to a unique partnership between Glasgow City Council, local community organisations and National Trust for Scotland, the building, which sits within Auchinlea Park, is set to become a unique new heritage visitor attraction.

Provan Hall has witnessed over 500 years of change in the surrounding landscape. The buildings are shrouded in mystery and many aspects of its history are still not known, including whether it is Glasgow’s oldest surviving building. This is one of the questions the restoration works might help answer. What is clear is that Provan Hall is an important part of Glasgow’s heritage, first as part of lands owned by the Bishops of Glasgow, then as home to wealthy families and gentleman farmers, and more recently as a hub for community activities.

“Provan Hall is an important part of Glasgow’s heritage” New mural at Auchinlea Park Photo credit: Stephen Hosey for Glasgow City Council

Following restoration, Provan Hall will become a unique setting for local people and visitors to learn about Glasgow’s medieval past. Provan Hall Community Management Trust – which brings together the Friends of Provan Hall, local community organisations and the council – will deliver a wide ranging programme of education activities and events. The newly restored building is set to open in early 2022.

CAN YOU HELP?

Please contact info@sevenlochs.org with any information.

Do you have any information, stories or old images of Provan Hall that you would like to share with us? Front L-R: Chair of the Seven Lochs Partnership & Trustee Cllr Maureen Burke, Chair of the Provan Hall Trust Ian Monteague, Artist Janie Nicoll Back L-R: Trustee James Dean, Trustee John Dempsey, Trustee Jenny Crowe

made in easterhouse

interview: Elaine C Smith One of Scotland’s best known actresses, and fellow East End resident, Elaine C Smith shares some thoughts … What has unexpectedly helped you to get through the last year?

What have you missed most about life before lockdown?

Believe it or not exercise! I used to see it as a necessary form of punishment, but it’s now become part of my life. I started off doing yoga - ‘30 days of Yoga with Adriene’ on You Tube, and it put a wee bit of structure in my day.

Connection, friends, a social life. Being creative.

I then realised that I needed something more aerobic and joyous to lift my spirits against all the negative news about the pandemic. Another pal Nicole, who is a TV makeup artist, is also a Zumba teacher - I used to go to her classes and they always cheered me up. As neither of us had work, she said she was thinking of doing a class on Zoom but wasn’t sure. She did and her first class had 53 women on board - she started doing 5/6 a week and it kept us all sane. Just seeing other women on the screen and saying hello and having a wee chat as well as a WhatsApp group have been great. We even did a night for breast cancer and raised a lot of money.   I’ve now done 105 classes since last May! I also do another with a pal Karen, who is a choreographer, and she also did a mum/ granny and kids class on a Friday lunchtime through lockdown - so I did that with my granddaughter, which was great! I do Nia yoga on a Sunday morning with another Karen who is in Burntisland. So, I see women on screen from all over the country and that keeps me connected in a way. I also walk every day doing at least 10k steps. I started to feel better and less exhausted (I’d been working non-stop for 20 years!) and decided to look at my diet too. I realised that one of the risk factors of Covid was being overweight and I was, so I had the time to deal with it. I’m three stone lighter and healthier but the biggest benefit was mentally as it gave me a type of structure and control which really helped. I’ve read 43 books and watched everything on Netflix too!

made in easterhouse

Is there anything positive that has come out of the last year that you would like to continue? Yes, I will never work at the level I was again. I realised how wonderful it was not to be rushing about from work to charity or corporate events or political events because I felt some compulsion to do it. ‘I have to’ being a phrase I used too often. I’m a people pleaser who wants to help but it was at the cost of my own self- I have learned how to say NO!! What is your hope for the year ahead? That the world learns from this on a personal and global level. We are nothing without each other and friendship and cooperation. We have seen the best and worst of humanity through all of this - I hope the best wins for a while at least. Poverty is at the root of all the things that are wrong in society…the rich get richer and the poor suffer…that has to change. A reset is so needed as the pandemic has shown what anyone with half an idea of life already knew.

“ I hope we can emerge better and kinder ” But where would we have been without the artists, the writers, the actors, directors, designers and all creatives who have produced everything we’ve watched or read during lockdown? From Corrie, Line of Duty and Two Doors Down to Netflix, iPlayer or Amazon Prime. People forget that football games, game shows and quiz shows are filmed by trained directors and camera crew too. All of it is art…it is vital!   What is the first thing you are going to do when restrictions lift?  Go for lunch with my sisters and pals!! Is there anything else you would like to add? I just think that this has been a really hard time for us all and that we are all going to emerge with a bit of PTSD. This has been a major shock for the world, and I hope we can emerge better and kinder.

Are you looking forward to a return of the arts industry?  Absolutely. Though for theatre it will be much more difficult and will take longer. I recently started filming again and it feels weird to be going back but it will be different. There will be testing and restrictions, but TV and film is a more controlled environment so is easier. The most important thing is that it has to be safe for artists and audiences.  How important do you feel that arts are in people’s lives? I don’t think people appreciate it when it is put as ‘The Arts’. That phrase has been hijacked by the middle classes for so long that it feels like art belongs to them and not us all – it excludes people. Working classes aren’t as inclined as much to go to the theatre (it can be expensive and exclusive at times) or art exhibitions - so they may think it is not for them.

explore with a sense of bishop loch Dress for whatever the weather, pack a picnic and enjoy a sensory adventure!

The Seven Loch’s Wetland Park is Scotland’s largest nature urban park and is rich in natural heritage. Bishop Loch is one of two ‘Sites of Special Scientific interest’ within the park, and a number of very rare birds have been spotted here, including marsh harrier, osprey and bittern. The woodland nature reserve at Bishop Loch is great for woodpeckers, water vole and roe deer. Artists Audrey O’Brien and Alice Dansey-Wright, along with Forest Ranger Eilidh Malcolm, worked closely with the local community, Abbey Court Residential Home and Lochend High School to explore their memories of the Loch and to create new experiences through multi-sensory walks and activities. The workshops inspired ‘A Sense of Bishop Loch Exploration Pack’ which is a guide packed full of creative ideas and innovative activities that will help you make the most of your travels around Bishop Loch and Easterhouse woodlands.

Artist Audrey said: “Throughout the project we were most interested in the senses of smell, taste and touch. If you go into an open and natural environment, there is just so much to see, so much to smell, so much to touch. “We’re usually on our way to somewhere, so we don’t give ourselves the time to really stop. By using the exploration pack, it really helps you focus and carve out proper time to explore your senses.” A printable version of the pack can be downloaded or viewed digitally by visiting sevenlochs.org A Sense of Bishop Loch is a project commissioned by the Seven Lochs Wetland Park and Forestry and Land Scotland in association with Platform.

Image credits: Audrey O’Brien and Alice Dansey-Wright

SEVEN LOCHS WETLAND PARK: A HISTORY SHAPED BY WATER A History Shaped By Water is an exciting new project exploring how the inland waters of Seven Lochs park has attracted and supported human subsistence and habitation for over 10,000 years! Led by Seven Lochs Wetland Park and supported by Historic Environment Scotland’s Coasts and Waters Fund, the project is working with community groups to explore five historic themes illustrated by heritage collections or archaeological sites discovered within the park. Keep up to date with the findings by following @sevenlochs or go to sevenlochs.org 11

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free summer workshops for teenagers PASSIONATE ABOUT THE PLANET?

Platform is excited to be running a new creative programme of free workshops for young people aged 12-18 years old, themed around nature, climate change and the environment.

INTERESTED IN CLIMATE CHANGE, fashion and art?

Ahead of the much-anticipated climate change conference, COP 26, in Glasgow this November, these are great for those who want to make a difference but don’t know where to start.

AGED BETWEEN 12 – 18?

The first round of workshops took place over the Easter holidays, and we are looking for teenagers to come and join us for our next run of workshops in early July. Sessions are super friendly, lots of fun and no experience is needed just enthusiasm!

"I don't really know how I feel about the climate crisis - just really mixed up" Bashful Radicals participant Bashful Radicals: A Quiet Rebellion

Seven Stitches: Textile Art Group

These workshops call on young people to consider the future of Planet Earth and use photography, painting, drawing and lots of other creative approaches to explore the climate crisis.

Join artist Zephyr Liddell’s textile art group for an exploration of textile craft techniques and new ways of making craft, design and clothes. Ideal for teenagers who are interested in Art, Design, Fashion and Textiles and wish to explore ways to create sustainably.

Join artists and workshop leaders Jassy Earl and Greer Pester to create unique artworks and develop new and attentive forms of activism. Sessions have been created to support young people to explore softer, quieter ways of connecting with nature and responding to big challenges.

As a response to COP26, Seven Lochs Wetland Park will be used as inspiration to create a collection of artworks using natural materials, fabrics and sewing techniques.

Photo credit: Genevieve Reeves

GET INVOLVED Further information on the workshops and dates will be shared on our website and social media shortly, however to find out more or register interest in taking part, email info@platform-online.co.uk or text / WhatsApp 07458 105 322. made in easterhouse

taking part at Platform

Actress Michelle Chantelle Hopewell Photo credit: Euan Robertson

Music lessons, performance groups, choir, art and knitting – we’ve got it covered! Our current Taking Part programme runs online until 26 June before taking a break for the summer holidays (Art Factory, Clack and Yak and Platform Singers will continue to run weekly). Our new season of classes will return on 6 September - visit our website for more information or email info@platform-online.co.uk to register interest. No previous experience is required, all are welcome and you can join at any time - or even come along for a taster session! Classes take place weekly and are FREE for those living in our Local Links postcode areas - see page 25 for full list.

PERFORMANCE

ART

Creation Station | Age 8 - 11yrs Lab Station | Age 12 - 16yrs Platform Young Company | Age 16 - 25yrs

Saturday Art Club | Age 4 - 11yrs

Our weekly drama workshops for children and young people interested in performance, fun and creativity! Sessions are designed to develop skills and confidence.

MUSIC Platform Singers Choir | Age 16yrs+ Led by a professional singer, our choir is friendly, fun & a good way to meet new people - there are also lots of health benefits. Join us for a social and a chat before singing starts!

Music Lessons | Age 5yrs+ Join us for workshops in Guitar, Fiddle and Drumming. Led by professional musicians, these classes are open to all levels of experience. Please note places are limited and priority given to those living in our Local Links area.

A weekly art activity emailed direct to your inbox every Saturday. Created by artists, these activities are fun and creative! Email Platform to get signed up.

Nu Gen | Age 11yrs+ Nu Gen challenges teenagers to make artwork - drawing, painting or sculpture inspired by their interests, identity and what it is like to be a teenager today.

Art Factory | Age 16yrs+ A relaxed and informal space for adults to get creative and inspired with activities and advice on various practices and techniques.

Clack and Yak | Age 16yrs+ A friendly group where you can join in with knitting, sewing or crocheting. Ideal if you need a helping hand with a tricky pattern!

Photo credit: Iain McLean

made in easterhouse

outdoor gigs for local schools and nurseries Last year we hit the road with the wonderful Sprog Rock, who put on gigs outside some of our local nurseries and schools. Comprised of musicians from across the city, the band make and perform songs especially for young audiences. Lots of fun was had by all! We are delighted to support more performances from Sprog Rock and are all set to visit school playgrounds across Easterhouse and the surrounding area in June.

Photo credit: Jassy Earl

If you would like more details or would be interested in the band paying your school a visit, please contact info@platform-online.co.uk

Join us for friday fun this summer

During the school summer holidays, we’ll be running Fun Fridays which, weather permitting, will take place every Friday on the grass at The Bridge. We’re planning on holding free creative workshops and inviting some special guests to do a turn. We shall be joined by Unicorns for a Dance Party, The Swings an exciting outdoor show, a brand new dance performance from Tony Mills and street theatre from Mischief La-Bas. Alongside these sessions we will continue to offer daily free food takeaways, Monday to Friday, across the summer holidays as well as providing creative packs. For more information on the above and what else is coming up during the summer holidays, keep up to date on our website and social media. Photo credit: Suzanne Heffron

made in easterhouse

GLASGOW INTERNATIONAL 2021: WALKER & BROMWICH

We found this image when searching our archive and would love to speak to the people in the photograph. Our contact details are on page 1.

In autumn 2019, Platform invited Zoe Walker & Neil Bromwich of art duo Walker and Bromwich to create an ambitious project for Glasgow International 2020, a renowned visual art festival of art that takes place across Glasgow every two years. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2020 festival was postponed and is now taking place from Friday 11 Sunday 27 June 2021, presenting both online and exhibitions in person. Walker & Bromwich are known internationally for their large-scale iconic sculptural works, participatory events and exhibitions that invite audiences to imagine better worlds. Their ambitious, expansive art works grow out of the locations they are made and situated in, finding a carefully crafted balance between past histories, present usage and future imaginings in order to understand and negotiate the intricacies of place.

ABOUT GLASGOW INTERNATIONAL

Glasgow International is the largest festival for contemporary visual art in Scotland, with over 60 admission free exhibitions, performances and events taking place over 18 days across Glasgow. For more information, visit the GI website for full 2021 listings: glasgowinternational.org

Their research led to the exploration of a locally iconic, public art commission The Old Easterhouse Mosaic, a large mural, created by a voluntary collective of people that attracted international interest to Easterhouse. At 240-feet long, the Easterhouse Mosaic was one of the largest handmade murals in Europe, well-loved locally and one of the most significant works of post-war public art commissioning. Unveiled in 1983 and widely celebrated, it nonetheless fell into disrepair and was de-commissioned in 2004. Supported by Glasgow International, Platform commissioned Walker & Bromwich to uncover the radical working-class history of this lost community artwork. They began by working with people from Platform’s Taking Part programme and local groups in a series of creative workshops, exploring the themes of the mosaic together - which included work, housing, education, socialism and ecology. Through their short film Recalled to Life, Walker & Bromwich will bring physical fragments of the mosaic ‘back-to-life’ through a poetic incantation. The film will be available to view online, both on Platform and GI websites, as part of the festival. 15

Photo credits: Walker & Bromwich

made in easterhouse

Paint it Red - a portrait of easterhouse Saskia Coulson and Colin Tennant are photographers and filmmakers who live in the East End of Glasgow. Their work is a mix of documentary and fine art and focus on people and the environment. Colin is a familiar face in the local area as he has already worked with Platform on several projects based in Easterhouse. They have been using an archive of their photographs as a starting point for a new project Platform has commissioned. Colin and Saskia said: “Many of these images featured over the next few pages were from our past projects, and it has been really interesting to reflect back at this snapshot of Easterhouse. Although they were taken a few years ago, it is striking that they are more relevant than ever before. “The empty streets and vacant spaces all seem like they could have been taken a few months ago. However, as we looked through the archive it was also refreshing to see photographs of people out on the streets and in each other’s company. It reminded us of how great it is to be with a supportive community.” As part of the new project, Colin and Saskia will be connecting - and re-connecting - with the many people who have been part of the Platform community over the years. They will be speaking to people about their hopes and ambitions for the future, as well as finding out how the past year has been for them. They are looking forward to hearing about past experiences and the resilience of the incredible Easterhouse community. We will be featuring their new work in the autumn issue of Made In Easterhouse.

made in easterhouse

Images left to right: Westerhouse Road / Gordon Aged 1 & 75 / Changing Landscape / Easterhouse Ink / 41 Bus / Wullie’s Allotment (best kept allotment in Wellhouse) / Terry’s Artist Studio, Wellhouse Allotments. All photographs are from the Paint it Red - a portrait of Easterhouse exhibition, 2017.

made in easterhouse

what’s on in the local area FREE WELLHOUSE AND PROVANHALL ACTIVITIES

GET ACTIVE EASTERHOUSE!

TAKING PART AT THE GLENBURN CENTRE

Connect Community Trust has lots of free activities on offer and there is something for all ages and interests. A great way to keep busy and learn a new skill.

Why not join in with a new free travel challenge initiative called Get Active Easterhouse, You can Do It! Residents in Easterhouse are being encouraged to download the BetterPoints app or collect a Get Active Passport and use it to convert walking, cycling and running activities into rewards.

Blow the cobwebs off those diaries and enjoy some activities at The Glenburn Centre, Easthall. Suitable for individuals and groups of all abilities, My Life, My Choice takes place 10am - 3pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and Glenburn Back on Track Cycling and Walking Programme will run on Thursdays between 11am - 1pm.

The Wellhouse Activity Programme takes place at Connect Centre, Wellhouse Crescent and the Provanhall Activity Programme runs at The Connie, Consiborough Road. There is everything from toddler groups, bingo, Tai Chi in the park and boot camp to boxing fitness, a men’s group, teens club, youth club and gymnastics. There is also cheerleading (it is never too late to start!), a sewing and knitting group, a breakfast club and a family group which includes cookery, kids activities and a family meal. Plus lots more! You can find all the details and days/times of classes on Facebook @connectcommunitytrust, Twitter @TrustConnect or call 0141 781 9918.

Taking part in this programme aims to boost activity levels and wellbeing, whilst contributing to Easterhouse as a whole by supporting local traders and making local charitable donations with points earned for active journeys. Download the free BetterPoints app from the App Store or Google Play or pick up a Get Active Passport from the Phoenix Centre, 5 Shandwick St, Easterhouse, G34 9DP. The initiative runs until Thursday 30 September 2021.

The Fun Homework Club is on 3.30pm - 5.15pm Monday to Thursdays (snack provided) and Youth Clubs takes place on the evenings of Monday (P1 to P7), Wednesdays (P 5 to S2), Fridays (S1+) and Saturday afternoons (Primary1+). For further details contact 07561692740, libby@eraglenburn.org.uk or via social media: Twitter - @ERAGLENBURN and Facebook - Easthall Residents Association - The Glenburn Centre.

WELLBEING GROUPS FOR TEENAGERS AT THE PAVILLION An opportunity to take control of your mental health! Are you aged 12-18 years old and looking to join a supportive group that promotes wellbeing whilst having fun? The Pavillion’s Peer Wellbeing Groups are running now for those looking to get involved in activities ranging from issue-based workshops to team building outings.  The girls group runs on Tuesdays and the boys group takes place on Thursdays - both between 6pm – 8pm. For more information visit pavillion.org or contact shauna@pavillionyouthcafe.co.uk The Glenburn Centre

Connect Community Trust

made in easterhouse

hello from donna mcgill COMMUNITY CONNECTOR aT THRIVING PLACES, EASTERHOUSE

“I grew up locally and am passionate about supporting local people to be all they can be and achieve all they want for the area in which they live. “If you live in Easterhouse, have an idea for something that would benefit your community and would like some information, signposting or support, please get in touch – I’d love to help! Find me on Facebook - Thriving Places Easterhouse, email donnamcgill@glasgowkelvin.ac.uk or call, during office hours, 07423 585605. “I’m involved with an amazing group of local residents, who decided to come together to improve things in their community. After raising concerns with local Councillor Maureen Burke, she advised them to form a group Denmilne Action Group - and become formally constituted, to allow for the application of much-needed funding. “So far Denmilne Action Group has delivered incredible work in cleaning and clearing litter, cutting down overgrown green spaces and power- washing car-park areas and walls. They organised a socially-distanced Christmas Fayre and at Easter distributed afternoon teas to local elderly residents and organised fun activities. “Going forward the group has ambitious plans, including the installation of welcome signage and regeneration of closes and buildings. They are keen to work with local organisations to achieve their goals and recently were delighted with a donation of a large storage container from FARE. “Promoting inclusion and bringing together the community - all ages, nationalities and cultures - to make positive changes is key to the work they do.” For more information visit Facebook @Neighbourhood Group - denmilnecommunityactiongroup

Would you like your organisation to be included in the next issue of Made In Easterhouse, which is due out this autumn? We would love to hear from you! Please email laura@platform-online.co.uk with details.

made in easterhouse

SPOTLIGHT ON OUR TAKING PART ARTISTS AND LEADERS At Platform we are lucky to work with so many fantastic and friendly people who run our Taking Part groups. We decided to catch up with them for a chat and some inspiration!

Alice | Saturday Art Club and Nu Gen “With these groups, we’ve focused on being creative at home, explored the idea of a ‘home studio’ and have taken inspiration from our daily walks and domestic life. Art is for everyone - there is no ‘right’ way to draw or be creative - the main thing is to get started and see what happens! “A few ideas to try – focusing on kitchen inspiration! Draw your weekly shop or the contents of your fruit bowl/snack cupboard. Can you make art with food? Try making something simple with dried goods such as lentils, pasta and rice. Take a look at the work of Manami Sasaki and Haneefah Adam.”

Joyce, Sandra & Mags | Clack and Yak

Geraldine | Creation Station

“If you are looking to start knitting, the best needles to use are size 3¼ mm (or size 10) or size 4mm (or size 8). Work with double wool and make sure your pattern is plain with no detail – a baby jumper is ideal.

“Creation Station is a fun, playful, creative group full of energy, humour and imagination. The group has run online over the past year but that hasn’t stopped us - we’ve made live shows, films, music videos, visual art, songs and we’ve been adding some new content onto our You Tube channel – Platform Glasgow.

“Keep a notepad beside you to jot down how many rows per section you have knitted – it will help keep you right. “As well as receiving advice and encouragement when you’re part of a group there is also a big social element to knitting. We’re always keen to welcome new faces”.

KNITTING GROUP | AGE 16YRS+

Photo credit: Jassy Earl

NU GEN ART GROUP | AGE 11YRS+ SATURDAY ART CLUB | AGE 4 -11YRS

“We love meeting new members, sharing our ideas and games and finding out what interests people have.”

PERFORMANCE GROUP | AGE 8-11YRS

Celine | Fiddle Lessons “Taking part in music has so many benefits. No prior experience is required and it’s just a case of bringing yourself and your fiddle along and you will be guaranteed a fun and enjoyable musical experience! “I feel that through the power of music and technology we have been able to maintain and strengthen the camaraderie that comes with learning and performing music together”.

Image taken pre-March 2020

MUSIC LESSONS | JUNIORS & ADULTS made in easterhouse

“Singing is fun and social and can also help with breathing techniques, improving posture, lowering stress levels and providing a bit of a work out! “10 minutes of singing a day can help clear sinuses, improve posture and release endorphins (happy hormones). If you feel stressed, sing or hum your favourite song – it will also help to calm and steady your breath!

Photo credit: Iain McLean

Rachel | Platform Singers Choir

“A few fun tips to cheer you up if needed: whisper beep bop to yourself and repeat until you are no longer sad, pinch your nose closed and say sneep snoop then boop-dee-doop in a really deep voice”.

SINGING GROUP | AGE 16YRS+

Paul Marsden | Art Factory

Eoin & Gudrun | Platform Young Company

“Our studio style drop-in art sessions are a relaxed space for adults to gather and meet. At the moment we are inspired by looking at an artist and their work - exploring themes, techniques and new ways of making art.

“Platform Young Company is for those who want to experiment with new ways of making and presenting performance.

“We also set a creative task each week to do at home and love seeing what people have been creating - there is always a chance to share what you have made”.

ART GROUP | AGE 16YRS+

“It’s a space where we’re constantly testing out new ideas, trying out different ways of doing things, and attempting - always - to make something that feels new and exciting to all of us. “Getting involved in a new group like this can often be a bit intimidating - but Platform Young Company really welcomes anyone who has an interest in working collaboratively on performance and who’s open to trying new things.”

PERFORMANCE GROUP | 16-25YRS

Jack | Lab Station “I want us all to look at each other, notice each strand of hair, each twitching eyebrow - now turn your camera off, we’re going to use the whiteboard to draw each of our faces from memory, you’ve got two minutes! “This is just one of the games we play at Lab Station. The best way to describe what we do, is creative game playing, it is scene creation, it’s becoming our own characters from random bits of clothing around the house, it’s working together to create short performances and importantly, it’s friends hanging together!”

PERFORMANCE GROUP | AGE 12-16YRS made in easterhouse

3500 COPIES LATER… OUR MAIL ART PROJECT GOES FROM STRENGtH to STRENGTH Platform’s Mail Art project started as a way to keep in touch with those unable or uninterested in meeting online. A year on and twenty-two issues of our newsletter have been compiled, printed and posted out to homes across the city and beyond. So far almost 3500 envelopes have been stuffed with copies of the publication along with various art materials and an invitation to reply with a picture, poem, letter, story or joke. 400 submissions received from contributors of all ages have been printed in the newsletters. You can take a look at every issue at issuu.com/platformglasgow. The project was nominated for an award and thanks to an ongoing partnership with the Southbank Centre in London and their UK wide Art by Post project, artwork created by residents from across the east end is being considered as part of a UN exhibition being held in Geneva later this year.

“To all who work on the newsletter - thank you for mailing it to me. I really look forward to it.” Rena Quinn

WORDSEARCH

ART

WETLANDS

CREATIVITY

EAST END

COMMUNITY

LOCAL

MUSIC

EASTERHOUSE

PERFORMANCE

PLATFORM

NORTH EAST

THE BRIDGE

Oil and canvas painting by Art Factory regular and mail art contributor Jim Rafferty

We are grateful to everyone who has contributed and if you would like to find out more, join the mailing list or send us something to include in the next issue you can find our contact details over on page 1. We’ve handpicked a few submissions for you to enjoy...

A Year in a Garden By Margaret MacCallum Steele In January it may be chilly but there’s plenty to be done. Planning, mending and tidying for the year to come. In February new growth and shoots are starting to peek through A promise of brighter days ahead and springtime skies of blue. In March, buds and blooms burst into life again Spring is finally here and we can start sowing and planting. It’s the busiest time of the year. April brings the promise of longer, warmer days. Bright tulips lift the spirits and chase the showers away. May is the time to spend tending the vegetable patch. Planting neatly row by row by now hoping for a bumper crop June’s the time for hanging baskets and pretty pots In July tall spires of perennials and tangles of sweet peas Attract the birds and butterflies and busy honeybees By August the borders are full of colour and the garden is at its best. Time to enjoy the fruits of your labour and take a well-earned rest! September brings winds of change but there’s lots to plant and sow In October leaves are gently falling in gold, amber and red and bulbs are planted ready for the year ahead November’s a time for cosy indoor tasks as a blanket of frost covers the earth and the garden goes to bed In December enjoy the winter wonderland as the year ends but don’t forget our feathered friends.

What has 5 fingers but isn’t your hand?  My hand.....ha.ha!    I handed my dad his 50th birthday card, he looked at me and said: “You know, one would have been enough ha...ha..”   What has 6 legs, 6 eyes and 6 hands?  3 people ha...ha! By Rob Haughie

SEVEN LOCHS

made in easterhouse

colour me happy Prior to lockdown, Nu Gen, our art group for teenagers, had been working on the creation of a wall mural with artist Alice Dansey-Wright. Hopefully, now that restrictions are easing the mural will be painted on our entrance wall soon. In the meantime, Alice and the group have adapted the mural artwork into a pattern for your next mindfulness colouring project!

The artwork was developed from a series of creative activities inspired by doodling - and doodling together! Artists such as Keith Haring, Shantell Martin, Yayoi Kusama and Takashi Murakami were the basis for inspiration. Big thanks to Nu Gen regulars, Antonia, Ben, Noemie, Kayla and Tiree for being involved in the project. For more information on our Nu Gen group visit our website.

H a p p y c o l o u r i n g ! made in easterhouse

join our local links programme Our Local Links programme offers great discounts to those living within our list of local postcodes. Membership is FREE and once you join you can enjoy heavily discounted tickets to performances (when running again) at Platform for as little as £4, which is less than half price. Members will also benefit from free places on our Taking Part programme.

Eligible postcodes are: G1 1, G1 5, G4 0, G31 1–5, G32 0, G32 6–9, G33 1–6, G34 0, G34 9, G40 1–4, G69 6–8, G71 7 For more information or to become a member please email info@platform-online.co.uk or call 0141 276 9696.

get involved in our next edition We hope you have enjoyed this edition of Made In Easterhouse.

In the meantime, we will leave you with this wonderful audience image from our Outskirts arts festival in 2019. We are very much looking forward to these times once again.

Photo credit: Euan Robertson

Our next issue is due out later this autumn and if you would like to see any features or articles, have thoughts to share or feedback on this issue, then email info@platform-online.co.uk – we would love to hear from you.

This edition went to print in late May 2021 as restrictions were easing and positive changes were on the horizon. Watch out on our social media and website as we update on our plans for the coming months.

Editor-in-Chief: Laura McIlquham. Lead contributors: Jenny Crowe, Margaret McCormick and Matt Addicott. With many thanks to all contributors and special thanks to Platform’s Taking Part and Mail Art programme. Newspaper design by Valerie Reid. 25

made in easterhouse

useful contacts for services and support Baby Massage North East Glasgow Health Improvement Team presents a free and interactive online Baby Massage course via Zoom. NEHIT.Admin@ggc.scot.nhs.uk T: Marie Stewart on 07766 085 009 Bereavement and Blether Café Have you lost someone due to alcohol, drugs or suicide? Come along & you’ll be warmly welcomed at our (online) Bereavement & Blether Café. NEHIT.Admin@ggc.scot.nhs.uk T: Marie Stewart on 07766 085 009 Breathing Space A confidential phoneline for anyone in Scotland over the age of 16, feeling low, anxious or depressed. breathingspace.scot info@breathingspacescotland.co.uk T: 0800 838 587 Café Stork Café Stork offers new or expectant parents, grandparents and carers the opportunity to connect, share information and support one another. facebook.com/groups/1453591901468526 info@homestartglasgownorth.org.uk Community InfoSource Providing support for asylum seekers and new refugees in a Wellbeing Project, particularly in relation to health, mental wellbeing and some items to make life easier when available. infosource.org.uk info@infosource.org.uk Contact Ryan 07482 869 248 or Andrew 07736 646 197 Easterhouse Citizens Advice Bureau Provide information, advice and assistance in a wide range of areas including welfare benefits, money advice, housing and employment. cas.org.uk/bureaux/glasgow-easterhousecitizens-advice-bureau adminuser@easterhousecab.casonline.org. uk T: 0141 771 2328 Ethnic Minorities Law Centre Legal services on human rights, immigration, asylum, employment, discrimination and social welfare reform. emlc.org.uk admin@emlc.org.uk | T: 0141 204 2888

made in easterhouse

Food Pantries Community membership shops that provide high quality, low-cost food. It costs £2.50 to use the pantry and you will get around £10-15 worth of food. A community transport service is available to book by calling 0141 778 2042. The Scottish Pantry Network facebook.com/TSPNOnline Ruchazie Pantry facebook.com/RuchaziePantry Parkhead Pantry facebook.com/parkheadpantry GEMAP Provide free and confidential advice on financial issues including welfare benefits, Universal credit, and debt or money concerns. gemap.co.uk info@gemap.co.uk | T: 0141 773 5850 Glasgow East Women’s Aid Provide support for women, children and young people who are affected by domestic abuse. gewa.org.uk info@gewa.org.uk | T: 0141 781 0230 Glasgow Helps An online directory of over 600 community supports, initially set up in response to Covid-19. Information is available by service required and location. glasgowhelps.org helpline@gcvs.org.uk Text Line: 07451289255 Glasgow North East Carers Centre Offer a range of services to Carers, including info/advice, emotional support, a short break service, helping you to have your voice heard, info on money matters and wellbeing support. gnecarerscentre.com contact@gnecarerscentre.com T: 0141 781 0728 Govan Law Centre Provide free and confidential legal service in housing, employment, debt management and welfare rights. The service is available for those in North East and South Glasgow. govanlawcentre.org m@govanlc.com T: 0800 0430306 (freephone)/0141 440 2503

Housing Providers Many Housing providers have support available for their Tenants. Welfare Benefit Advisors and Fuel advisors can help you get on top of your bills, learn budgeting skills, help you claim all of the benefits you are due and can also help you get on to the cheapest fuel tariffs. Contact your Housing Provider for more information. Lifelink Offer one to one confidential counselling, group therapy and online wellbeing classes for anyone with a Glasgow postcode to access free of charge. lifelink.org.uk | T: 0141 552 4434 NHS 24 111 Service Provides urgent care advice, day or night, and health & dental support when your GP practice or dentist is closed. T: 111 NHS Living Life Suitable for those experiencing depression, anxiety, or low mood, this is a FREE self-referral service that includes 6-9 sessions with a trained professional. nhs24.scot/our-services/living-life T: 0800 328 9655 North East Recovery Community Currently providing phone and online support to individuals struggling with addiction issues. north-east-recovery-community.co.uk T: 0141 556 3951 REACH Community Health Project Currently providing a support helpline for ethnic minorities affected by Covid-19. reachhealth.org.uk admin@reachhealth.org.uk T: 0141 212 2110 Samaritans Samaritans provides emotional support to anyone in emotional distress, struggling to cope, or at risk of suicide, mostly through their telephone helpline. samaritans.org jo@samaritans.org | T: 116 123

Home Energy Scotland Provide free, impartial energy efficiency advice to help save on bills and stay warm at home. energysavingtrust.org.uk/scotland/homeenergy-scotland T: 0808 808 2282

With thanks to Glasgow City HSCP North East Health Improvement Team for providing this information.

Platform would like to thank our funders for their ongoing support.

cover photo credits: Sprog Rock performance image: Jassy Earl Etienne Kubwabo with Black Lives Matter/ Beats of War mural at The Bridge: image - Stefani Calderara