MARYHILL will be one of the keenest contested wards in the election and could go a long way to determining the overall outcome.

Due to boundary changes the ward goes from having four councillors under Maryhill/Kelvin to three, losing the Kelvin.

It is significant because in 2012 at the last election the votes were almost 50/50 between Labour and SNP.

Both emerged with two councillors with Labour just edging it in the number of votes.

In fact just 31 votes separated the first elected Martin Rhodes, of Labour from the second, John Letford of the SNP.

Whichever party comes out on top and takes two of the three will give it an advantage when looking to gain an overall majority across the city and it could be indicative of whether the SNP will increase its vote share enough to take control.

Maryhill ward stretches from the boundary with East Dunbartonshire at Canniesburn in the west taking in Dawsholm Park and the University’s Garscube facility.

It covers Summerston, Gilshochill, Acre, Wyndford and goes all the way down to North Kelvinside at Queen Margaret Drive.

Across the areas that make up Maryhill people praise the community spirit.

At Home Start Glasgow North, a volunteer led service based in Maryhill, that spirit is in evidence with 50 volunteers giving up their time to help others.

Nikki O’Hara, scheme manager said: “There is a lot of poverty issues and mental health issue which are having an impact on families.

“Isolation and loneliness is an issue . People who suffer from a lack of confidence from having fewer opportunities leads to them not going out and not getting involved in the community . That has an affect on their children and affects their development.”

She said there is no shortage of people people willing to help, often it is people who have been helped themselves wanting to pay back.

However time is only one resource that is needed and lack of funding is affecting how many people can be helped and by how much.

Ms O’Hara said: “We get referrals from social work, health and education services but we do not get statutory funding, instead we get 60% funding form the lottery.

“If we had more money our service could reach more people.”

Many of the Home Start clients are now from refugee and asylum seeker families, which is an indication of the change in the population in the area.

Like other communities there has been an increase in people from Syria, Iraq and north African countries settling in Maryhill.

As the Home Start project shows there is need in Maryhill but there is also no shortage of people willing to get involved and help in heir community and they want some extra support from the council

Seumera Arshad, 32, Community development worker

The community is quite tight, a lot of people know each other.

The crime is the worst thing .

It needs more community things to do, events for people to go to, to get them to engage a bit more.

The council needs to make sure that the services are there, make sure that they’re accessible. They should also reach out to isolated people and make them feel more involved.

Yes, I will vote.

Arthur Macdonald, 65, Maryhill.

It’s a good community. It’s easy to make friends here.

I’m not very negative about it.

It needs jobs, that is a problem. There are a lot of unemployed people.

It needs an economic boost. You see a lot of closed shops, which is bad for the area.

I think the council do a not bad job here.

There’s not a lot for kids to do, but other than that, we are pretty well served.

Yes, I will be voting.

Robert Maconnachie, 72

The people on average are very nice in Maryhill.

It gets a bad name sometimes but most of the people are very nice. The drugs are still a problem here. A big problem.

We need somewhere for the youngsters to go. They need stuff to do and there is not much for them.

On average the council have done not done too bad. There are problems like rubbish lying around, but it’s not too bad.

I will vote, Yes.

Isabel Davis, 61.

The gym is one of the good things about the area. It’s a great facility.

The drugs is definitely the worst thing here it is a big problem.

Maryhill really needs more jobs there are too many people unemployed.

The council should definitely be trying to help save the job centre, which is closing.

I probably will vote, yes.

Catherine Kennedy, 53

I think the community is the best thing. Our community spirit is coming back again.

Drugs is a big problem. So many families are suffering with drugs.

We could do with more funds for housing and the youth needs something to do.

Our councillors do quite a lot in this area, and we see them quite a bit. They take a walk around and see what’s needing done, but it always depends on the funding.

Yes, I’ll vote.

Seumera Arshad, 32, Community development worker

The community is quite tight, a lot of people know each other.

The crime is the worst thing .

It needs more community things to do, events for people to go to, to get them to engage a bit more.

The council needs to make sure that the services are there, make sure that they’re accessible. They should also reach out to isolated people and make them feel more involved.

Yes, I will vote.

Population- 27,125

HOUSING

Owner occupied – 6,571

Private rented – 1,901

GHA – 755

Other Social Rented – 4,427

EMPLOYMENT

Economically active – 13,237

Employees – 10,551

Self-Employed – 1,148

Unemployed – 1,538

Economically inactive – 5,533

BENEFITS

Benefit claimants age 16-64 (2011)

Job seeker – 800

Employment Support Allowance (ESA) and incapacity benefits – 2,245

Income support/other benefits – 980