South Side’s big noises gather for community awards

The South Side of Glasgow celebrated its many achievers and recognised the best of them as the Community Champions Awards were announced to a boisterous and good-natured crowd at the St Francis Centre in the Gorbals.
The evening’s team award went to charity Great Gardens, the horticultural, gardening and training initiative subsidiary of Govanhill Housing Association. The group was recognised for its work with 16-to-25-year olds and its environmental and civic programmes. It has improved thousands of square metres of back courts and gardens in partnership with Govanhill Residents’ Association.
After receiving the group’s award from Lord Provost Bob Winter, Co-ordinator Ian Borthwick said: ‘We hope this award will bring us work. That’s exactly what we’re looking for at the moment. We’re really struggling through the economic recession.’
Reflecting on the tough times, he added: ‘I’m hoping that we’ll get more funding. That’s the big issue at the moment. We have funding applications in and it’s a case of wait-and-see.’
Also nominated were Gorbalites 50+, who meet at St Francis to provide social, health and welfare support for senior citizens, and Bridging The Gap, a group that hopes to break down barriers between ethnic youth groups with its Go 4 It peer tutoring initiative.
Toryglen resident Patricia Dooley won the evening’s individual award for her work on improvement of local housing and services. Jeff Stewart, chairman of the board of Hutchesontown Community Council, and Andrew Montgomery, a driving force behind the Southside Festival in Queens Park and secretary of Shawlands & Strathbungo Community Council, were nominees for the individual award.
The evening’s individual public service award went to PC Donna Smith, a community constable for the Greater Gorbals area.
Laurence Johnson, senior instructor with City Building who has helped establish a skills academy for young people, and Alan Sinclair, who has spent 30 years in the city’s Land Services department dealing with cleansing in the Gorbals, Toryglen, Govanhill and Pollokshields, were also recognised.
Donna told LOCAL NEWS: ‘I’m extremely pleased and honoured to have won this award on behalf of the Police and myself.
‘A lady congratulated me tonight, saying the kids in the community have been talking about how I’ve helped their lives. It’s touching to learn how your work impacts upon different people.
‘It’s just my job, at the end of the day,’ she said modestly. ‘It’s on a par with other policing work, but you’re getting to spend more time dealing with individuals and providing support when needed.’
There was a double celebration for the area’s Police officers as the public service team award went to Southside Central Community Policing Team for last year’s high-impact summer action plan. Task Childcare Services and Strathclyde Fire & Rescue Water Rescue Team were also nominees.
The choice of Jimmy Mutter as winner of the senior award was hugely popular. Jimmy, who saw honorary secretary of Dumbreck Community Council Ken Fee and noted Govanhill gardener Charlie McHugh into second place, is keeping busy after more than 20 years with Glasgow City Council.
‘I tried to retire in 2007 but I’m involved with more groups now than ever I was when I was a councillor,’ he said. ‘I’d advise anyone, if you’re still fit keeping working on.’
Did he find his focus had changed when he left the City Chambers?
‘Not really. I always felt I was a community worker. I’ve always worked within the community and been an active trade unionist as well.’
Besides having a reputation as a heavyweight campaigner for the Labour Party, Jimmy’s housing regeneration focus has bought a mix of public and private provision into the community. Lessons from his teenage years, when his family moved from the Gorbals to Pollok, were well learned as shopping and leisure became just as crucial to the mix in creating a community beyond the famous Greek Thomson Caledonia Road UP Church as homes.
Asked what he feels was his greatest achievement for the area in his time as a councillor, Jimmy replied: ‘Older people say to me the best thing I’ve done was the leisure centre. People enjoy going there, people like to keep fit and it’s free for that age group. I’m proud of that.’
The loudest noise of the night – probably the loudest noise anywhere in Glasgow that evening – was reserved for young award winners the Shawlands Dance Group. Bringing the evening to a close, they celebrated their win with a superb performance onstage. The group, which was set up at Shawlands Academy by Huma Abbasi nearly three years ago, demonstrates the unity dance can bring to an ethnically diverse youth group.
The Gorbals Youth Café was also nominated for its drop-in café, youth development, training and holiday initiatives.
Also in the spotlight was Abby Louise Tombs, aged 12. The Kings Park Secondary pupil has shone as a fundraiser for Kidney Research while battling the effects of Lupus, a disease of the auto-immune system.
Holy Cross Primary pupils were nominated for the youth awards for their vibrant environmental work across Govanhill.