Glasgow Community Champions 2021: Voting now open - here is all you need to know

The public vote to determine the winners of the regional heats is now open – so it is time to get behind your favourite.

The Glasgow Times awards, in association with Glasgow City Council, Glasgow Housing Association and Trades House of Glasgow, celebrate everything that is great about the city and its people.

Once again, our readers will determine who triumphs in each category in the north west, north east and south areas.

Over the last two days, we have revealed the finalists in the Team, Individual, Public Service, Uniformed Services and Young categories. Today we announce who has made it through in the remaining three categories – Health and Wellbeing, Sport and School of the Year.

You can vote on our Glasgow Community Champions website here: http://newsquestscotlandevents.com/events/glasgowcommchamps/

It is free to cast your vote. The winners will go through to the Grand Final on December 1.

The Health and Wellbeing Award finalists for the north east are East End Empowering Stars, Glasgow Gals Cycling Club and PEEKACHEW.

East End Empowering Stars is a charity supporting young people and the elderly. During the pandemic, the team delivered food and wellbeing packs, online workshops, mental health support and more.

Glasgow Gals is a free cycling club for women, providing exercise, advice and the chance to socialise with people of all ages and backgrounds.

PEEKACHEW is the first food truck of its kind in Glasgow, started by east end charity PEEK (Possibilities for Each and Every Kid) in response to the pandemic. With schools closed and many parents struggling to cope in the wake of job losses and lockdowns, PEEKACHEW helped around 250 families a week. It continues to deliver hot healthy meals to children.

The north west finalists are 3D Drumchapel, Amma Birth Companions and North Glasgow Community Food Initiative.

3D Drumchapel supports around 1000 people through an extensive programme of activities, from outdoor play to parent and child sessions, helping families build support networks.

Amma Birth Companions provides support to women, particularly from the asylum-seeking community, during pregnancy and in the first few weeks after their babies are born.

North Glasgow Community Food Initiative runs a variety of inspirational ‘food hub’ activities including a community-led pantry, community meals and gardens and regular cooking and gardening classes. Through their work with food, they help in other ways too, building confidence and self-esteem and bringing people together.

The four contenders in the south are Cancer Support UK - Cancer Coach; Impact Arts - Craft Café Govan; Indepen-dance and Carys Hobbs-Sargeant of Merry-go-round Events.

Cancer Coach, run by Cancer Support UK, provides free support to people who are struggling to cope with life post-treatment. Since it started in Glasgow in 2019, it has helped more than 200 people with online and in-person sessions.

Indepen-dance which provides opportunities for people with disabilities to access dance through training, performance, volunteering and employment, moved activities online during lockdown, and made wellbeing calls to support members.

Impact Arts Craft Café Govan is a vibrant and supportive community café for older people, many of whom are affected by long-term health conditions, bereavement or loneliness. Led by its members, its arts and crafts sessions help reduce anxiety and isolation and send a powerful message about the life-changing and long-lasting impact of creative approaches to health and wellbeing.

Merry-go-round is a social enterprise dedicated to pre-loved baby and childrenswear and equipment. During lockdown, events co-ordinator Carys Hobbs-Sargeant set up online activities, including breastfeeding support and ante-natal classes, which became a vital lifeline for parents and parents-to-be.

The Sports Award finalists in the north east are cycling clubs Freewheel North and Glasgow Gals and Jamie-Lee Aitken of Scottish Sports Futures - Chance:2:Be Programme.

Freewheel North celebrates its third nomination in this year’s awards, testament to the success of its cycling programmes for all ages and abilities which have, for many, been a lifeline during the last 18 months of Covid and lockdowns. Women-only bike club Glasgow Gals is also in the running for a second award, for helping women of all ages and backgrounds.

The north west contenders are supportive karate club JKS Glasgow, LEAP Sports Scotland - Trans Active, which aims to improve physical and mental health of transgender people, and West End Road Runners - Run Glasgow’s West End, who created a digital running guide and raised £1500 for a local foodbank during lockdown.

In the south, the finalists are Active Life Club - Active Communities Project, which helps young people from black and ethnic minority communities beat isolation, stay active and make new friends; Govan Rising Stars, a basketball project aimed at helping young people achieve their goals; Kingston Amateur Swimming Club, dedicated to helping young people learn to swim for fun and competition; and Sparta Trampoline Club, which through both lockdowns, provided online and outdoor classes, and supported other clubs by sharing their facilities with them.

The three city-wide contenders for the School of the Year award are FARE community allotment schools’ plots, St Paul’s Primary Shettleston’s Plot To Plate Project and Westercraigs Nursery School.

READ MORE: 'It's a lifesaver' - Govan nurse on Glasgow project that is helping a community

Without the six schools adding creativity and hard work to proceedings, FARE community allotment at Lochend would be a much poorer and less colourful place. Fare Play Nursery, St Clare’s Day Nursery, Lochview Nursery, Oakwood Primary, St Benedict’s Primary and Lochend Community High School have helped transform the garden into a welcoming community hub, helping to spread the word about the benefits and joys of gardening, growing your own food and creating healthy meals.

St Paul’s Primary in Shettleston is proud of its Plot to Plate project, which has encouraged pupils to grow their own food and cook with the harvested produce. The children have also created an Eco Garden, an after-school gardening club and a litter action plan, keen to play their part as Glasgow prepares to host the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP26 in November.

Westercraigs Nursery created a raft of support initiatives during lockdown, including a YouTube channel where staff shared stories and play sessions, weekly home link packs full of fun activities and more. Its garden helps promote outdoor learning, sustainability and life skills.