With Kids charity to regenerate Dennistoun garden in Glasgow with help from local families

With Kids, which supports children and families to enable the best possible start in life, was launched 13 years ago.

Now, the charity is looking to expand its services by offering users and members of the community an outdoor space on Duke Street, that will see local families take part in the works.

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Community family worker Holly Moran, who is leading the initiative, said: “When I came to work at With Kids, I realised that these areas weren’t being used.

“So I thought let’s put this together as a project to provide a multi-use outdoor learning environment for children and families.

“It would host the groups that we work with and involve the local community in creating and maintaining the space.”

The With Kids garden will feature planters for growing vegetables and herbs, a sensory area for children with additional support needs and a quiet space for reading and relaxing.

The space will also host groups who use the service and the charity is looking at how to best make it available to the community too.

The outdoor area, which is still in the early stages of the regeneration, consists of a garden, paved area and back lane. 

It will welcome groups who already use the services, from parents’ support groups to anxiety and depression groups, as well as local schools and scouts.

The garden will be used as a quiet space for reading and relaxation, and will feature planters for growing vegetables and herbs, and a sensory area for children with additional support needs.

Spending time outdoors can boost the wellbeing of children and adults alike. The With Kids garden will make sure that families who don't have access to a greenspace can still spend time outdoors.

The project will also help local people learn new skills and combat isolation.

Mrs Moran added: “This is quite a built-up area and there aren’t a lot of green spaces.

“It will give people who don’t have a garden a safe outdoor space.”

Besides offering a pocket of nature within the city, the community-based project promises to help combat isolation and give local people the chance to build new skills.

A dads’ mental health group will see local dads come together for woodworking, upcycling, and sharing their own trades, with benefits for those who have lost jobs during Covid.

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With Kids CEO Gwen Galbraith said: “The project is still in its infancy but we’re hoping to turn our grounds into a garden that families we support can use for a variety of activities.

“Just now it looks like a concrete slab, so we’re trying to improve the environment and support our users’ wellbeing by introducing an outdoor space.

“We've got a lot of enthusiasm from the staff and from the groups and the families that are already using our service for driving this forward, and we want to involve community members in the project.”

With Kids is based on a preventative and child-centred approach, providing therapeutic services in schools and supporting families through group work and activities.

The charity is accepting donations to help shape the garden, both in the form of materials, like pallets, benches, and chairs, and as cash. 

To find out more about how to donate you can contact With Kids or donate here