Project launched to help famous Glasgow scheme celebrate 70 years

The blank, ugly boxes have been transformed with bold colours, shooting stars, vibrant poppies and messages of hope and friendship.

In the middle is the slogan which sums up what this project is all about: “70 years of community….”

Peter Divers, left, and Iain Corbett (Image: Colin Mearns, Newsquest)

Drumchapel was created by Glasgow Corporation to help house 34,000 people - part of the city’s ‘overspill’ population – on undeveloped land to the north west of the city.

Along with Castlemilk, Easterhouse and Pollok, “the Drum” was to become a self-contained satellite township with its own shops, schools, churches, open spaces and facilities.

Those facilities were slow to materialise, however, and when recession hit in the 70s, with widespread factory closures nearby (including Beattie’s Biscuits and Goodyear) Drumchapel was badly affected by high unemployment.

New housing in Drumchapel, c1950s. Picture courtesy of Eric Flack (Image: Courtesy of Eric Flack)

Numerous regeneration programmes have breathed new life into the area, and despite ongoing problems, a massive collective effort is rebuilding community spirit. Now, an ambitious mural project is aiming to kickstart a year of celebrations to mark the area’s 70th birthday.

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Neighbourly Lab, a charity that encourages social connection, provided funding to help local young people transform the storage containers at the back of the church.

“We’re great believers in asking young people what they think their own area needs, rather than suggesting what they should be doing with the money,” explains Iain Corbett, Neighbourly Lab’s programme outreach lead.

“For as long as I’ve been coming here, people have been saying there isn’t enough colour in Drumchapel, or enough creativity, art – the place just isn’t bright enough.

“So it was a pleasure to be able to help young people brighten up the community, and take a bit of ownership.”

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One container marks the 60th anniversary of the Church on the Hill – Drumchapel Baptist Church – another proudly announces the D70 project to the world. The plan is to create other artworks in different parts of Drumchapel, building a mural trail which will form a centrepiece for a year of celebration that has its roots in a similar project in 2013.

Ten years ago, a group of local residents formed D60, to mark Drumchapel’s 60th anniversary.

“It was a blether group,” explains Peter Divers, of the G15 Youth Project.

The team of artists who decorated the containers. (Image: Colin Mearns, Newsquest)

“People got together to come up with ideas for how to celebrate the 60th birthday of Drumchapel, and the whole thing was completely led by the community. If they wanted it, we’d put it on.

“The events we did put on were so successful, that we just kept them going and every year since we have had such a great collection of things, like the Winterfest, which 1800 people come to and Halloween events for families.”

He adds: “So when it came to D70, we knew we wanted to do more and build on what we have already.”

At the heart of the celebrations is G15, an awardwinning charity which supports young people aged between 12 and 25 with a range of services and activities.

“But everyone in the community has chipped in, from local schools and businesses to the community police, Thriving Places, other charities and organisations – that’s the beauty of this place,” says Iain.

“I’m not from Drumchapel originally, but I love working here, and coming back here. This place is something a little bit special. It’s part of the city, but it feels like a village.”

The team has exciting plans for a range of projects and events, and other groups and organisations across the area will be staging their own celebrations too.

“It’s going to be amazing,” grins Iain. “Sometimes, young people out here get a bad rap. But one of the first designs they did at the church was a display of poppies to respect the Services personnel we have lost, and the veterans who live here.

“You can’t over-estimate the power of these kinds of projects and connections for bringing a community together.”