Men run for their lives

More than 3,300 men from across Scotland pulled on their running shoes on Father’s day – Sunday 20 June – to run the unique 10k organised by the Men’s Health Forum Scotland (MHFS).
Sunshine helped to boost the energy levels of the runners who launched from Bellahouston Park, Glasgow in what is the UK’s only 10k for men.
Smashing the course record by one minute and three seconds, Robel Nagash, 26, from Thornliebank, Glasgow, crossed the finishing line in 30.47minutes. Robel arrived in Scotland five months ago as an asylum seeker having spent seven months walking across Sudan and two months crossing Libya from Eritrea. He’s been running and training for three months with the Bellahouston Harriers.
Robel was followed by Robert Quinn from Paisley, in 31.52 minutes. In third place was David Millar from Irvine who ran the distance in 32.15 minutes, having achieved first place in 2008 and 2009.
Recent figures show that men in Glasgow have the lowest life expectancy in the UK.
Eva Asante, Director of the Men’s Health Forum Scotland, said: ‘There was a fantastic atmosphere and everyone had great fun. We are determined to raise awareness among men of the need to look after their mental and physical health. The MHFS 10k for Men is a great way to do this and I hope that next year’s event will attract even more participants.’
To register your interest in next year’s MHFS 10K for Men or to see if you were snapped by the MHFS photographers, visit: www.mhfs10kformen.org

Very Glasgow, Very Gallus!

Very Glasgow, Very Gallus
by Lynsay Keough, photos Stuart Maxwell

‘Very Glasgow, Very Gallus,’  said Scottish Government Minister Stewart Stevenson, when he saw the plans, a year ago, for the “Phoenix Flowers”.  The Cowcaddens art project was formally opened by him on Monday 28 June 2010 and the fifty, giant, pink, orange and yellow flowers were finally in bloom.

‘The Phoenix Flowers Project creates a vibrant gateway between the Glasgow city centre, the North of the city and the Forth and Clyde Canal and I’m delighted to have been able to open it today,’ he said. ‘This project represents a key milestone in the overall regeneration of the North of the city, and credit must go to the businesses, community groups, residents and schools who have all played an important part in this work.’

The towering aluminium flowers, which range in height from five to eight metres and which have two metre wide petals, are part of the award winning transformation of a run down underpass near Cowcaddens underground on the site of the former Phoenix Park.

They form part of an important and colourful gateway between the city centre and the  developing creative and cultural neighbourhood on the banks of the Forth and Clyde Canal at Speirs Wharf. This is just one element of the Glasgow Canal Regeneration Partnership’s  plans to revitalise key hubs on the Glasgow stretch of the waterway which also includes Maryhill.

The £1.5 million project won a Scottish Design Award in the ‘Future Buildings and Spaces’ category. It was commissioned by the Glasgow Canal Regeneration Partnership and was designed by 7N Architects and rankinfraser landscape architecture.

The idea of developing Speirs Wharf into an important cultural centre is already becoming a reality.  Scottish Opera purpose-built their production studios in the area in 1997. And the Royal Scottish Academy for Music and Drama, the National Theatre of Scotland, Glasgow Academy Musical Theatre Arts (GAMTA), and the Tollhouse Studio now all have premises on the banks of the canal.

Steve Dunlop, Director in Scotland for British Waterways said:  ‘The Phoenix Flowers project has already become a major talking point with Glaswegians and creates new interest in an area that has been neglected for many years.  We hope, in time, they will continue along the canalside.’

New Chair and Vice Chair for City Marketing Bureau

Councillor Gordon Matheson, Leader of Glasgow City Council, has been appointed Chairman of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau (GCMB) with Bailie Hanzala Malik supporting him as Vice-Chair.

Councillor Matheson is a graduate of both Glasgow and Strathclyde Universities. He is a chartered member of the Institute of Personnel and Development and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. First elected to Glasgow City Council in 1999,  he is a Councillor in Ward 10 (Anderston/City).
Previously, Councillor Matheson had been City Treasurer and Executive Member for Education and had served as a board member of a variety of organisations including the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the Court of the University of Strathclyde.

Commenting on his appointment, Councillor Matheson, said:  ‘I am delighted to be taking up the position as Chair of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau.
‘The economy remains at the heart of this administration’s strategy and the dynamic activity undertaken by GCMB in securing major events and conferences for the city helps support Glasgow’s tourism industry, which employs more than 30,000 people.

‘GCMB is known for punching well above its weight and it is vital that it continues to have the necessary support to continue this work.’

Bailie Malik is a Councillor in Ward 11 (Hillhead) and has been a Glasgow City Councillor for 15 years.

He has a BSc in computing with business administration and has served as Chair of Life Long Learning; Senior Vice Convener of Education; Convener of Development and Regeneration Services and was until recently Executive Member of International Affairs.

Bailie Malik, said: ‘As Vice-Chair of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, I relish the opportunity to help drive leisure and business tourism into Glasgow and feel sure that my experience gained in international affairs will be useful in this regard.’

Sighthill Solstice

by Lynsay Keough, photos Stuart Maxwell

A local amateur astronomer, Duncan Lunan, held an illustrated talk recently at St. Aloysius Church on his work constructing a stone circle in Sighthill Park. The talk, on 21 June, the summer solstice, was followed by a walk to the circle to watch the sun go down.
Duncan organised the construction of the stone circle over 30 years ago, when he was manager of the Glasgow Parks department’s astronomy project. The project’s goal was to accurately mirror the rise and fall of the sun and moon over the city. However, due to funding cuts at the time, four stones were left unplaced.  Duncan now hopes to secure funding due to renewed interest. He explained: ‘Two stones were planned to be due east and west, marking the sunrise and sunset at the equinoxes. What we would like to do with the other two is put a plaque on them to explain why they are there, who built the circle and who it is dedicated to.’  He would also like to restore the original work and put in a path for wheelchair access.
The circle was built in honour of four Glasgow University academics who promoted the understanding of megalithic astronomy: Professor Archie Roy, Dr Ewan McKay, Professor Alexander Thom and his son, Dr Archie Thom. The cost of the new work to complete the project, is estimated at around £30,000.

Glasgow is one of 16 centres around the world which will highlight human rights abuse in the Gambia on Thursday 22 July.
Gambian born journalist, Alieu Badara Ceesay, is leading the Glasgow campaign through the National Union of Journalists and Amnesty International.
Said Alieu: ‘We will hold a vigil at the Donald Dewar statue in Buchanan Street and invite passers -by to sign a petition.’
Added Alieu: ‘Currently, there is a harrowing human rights situation for Gambian people. Citizens are arrested daily. People disappear. There are summary executions, detention without trial, curtailment of civil liberties and a compromised judiciary. Ebrima Manneh, a journalist who worked with me on the same daily newspaper, was arrested by security agents in July 2006 and has never been seen again. Deyda Hydara, the editor and co-proprietor of another daily paper was shot dead and in July of last year, six of my colleagues were jailed on charges of sedition for simply criticising the President in print ‘
The well-documented facts are listed in reports by Amnesty International and other human rights organisations.
Already, newly elected Westminster MP Anas Sarwar, has taken an interest in Alieu’s campaign. Last year, when the NUJ held a similar vigil, he attended the event and subsequently, when he was campaigning to be elected, he promised to help. Said Mr Sarwar: ‘I will raise this in Westminster and will bring it before the International Development Select Committee.’ Elected by Labour MPs as one of the dozen people on the influential cross-party committee, Mr Sarwar will have a powerful say in its work of scrutinising expenditure, administration and policy of the Department for International Development. That Department has an office in Gambia and recently invested £3 million in development projects there.
The situation has also been recognised by the Commonwealth of which Gambia is a member. At the last Heads of Commonwealth meeting – in Trinidad earlier this year – a synchronised campaign by its Human Rights committee, successfully embarrassed Gambian President Yaya Jammeh into not attending but sending his Foreign Minister, Ousman Jammeh, instead.

A sea of flowers remembers Castlemilk’s lost lives

Words and photographs by Stuart Maxwell

A sea of flowers tied to  railings in Castlemilk remembered the many lives that have been tragically cut short in the area.
The Lost Lives Project, in it’s sixth year, lets family and friends grieve for loved ones, who have died due to accidents, violence or social problems, by joining a public floral tribute.  On Saturday 26 June, by noon, the railings of Castlemilk Drive could not be seen as a steady flow of  people approached to attach bouquet after bouquet.
To read the personal messages that accompanied the flowers was to gain the simplest understanding of the heartache caused by these deaths.  A card amongst lilies, remembered a ‘loving’ husband who died in the early 90s.   A bouquet from a lady now her in eighties, remembered the baby she lost in her youth.
A laminated message, accompanying sunflowers, addressed a dead son:  ‘It’s said that time is a healer, I’m not sure this is true. There’s not a day that goes by Son, that I don’t cry for you.’
The Lost Lives Project was begun six years ago by local minister, the Rev John Miller. Although the memorial is a non-religious affair, Reverend Miller realised through his work that many people in the Castlemilk area carried with them a poignant sense of loss. The Lost Lives Project is aimed at channelling this loss and bringing together people of the community who, previously, suffered behind closed doors.
This year’s Project was chaired by retired councillor,  Christine Devine. Christine said: ‘Many young folk have lost their lives in this area over the years. It happens because of accidents or social problems. This day helps people remember those they’ve lost, together with others in the community.
Through fund raising, the Project has started working on an area behind the railings to become a permanent memorial garden. A new gate, that allows access to the garden from Castlemilk Drive, was the winning design of a student from Castlemilk High.
This fund raising effort was helped in no small measure, by local taxi driver Jimmy Doogan. Jimmy ran a 10k race and raised £600 through sponsorship for the Lost Lives Project. Jimmy said: ‘I work locally so I wanted to help a local cause. Lost Lives is not just local but truly worthwhile. It means a lot to a lot of people.’

Lourdes Secondary, the Eco warrior

Lourdes Secondary School in Cardonald, broke up for summer with the vegetables planted and a fast-growing reputation for being an Eco warrior.

Pupils have sprouted green fingers and created two raised beds to grow beetroot, lettuce and cabbage among other produce. When ready, the vegetables will be handed over to the home economics department as Lourdes ploughs on relentlessly, determined to reduce it’s carbon footprint.

The venture was funded by a grant from the Community Volunteer Scheme in recognition of the school’s efforts for the environment.

Last December, led by geography teacher and Eco-school coordinator, Vincent Raeburn, Lourdes joined in the Stop the Climate Change Chaos protest from Bellahouston Park and marched all the way to Kelvingrove.In May, Vincent led Lourdes in a ‘Sustainability Week’.  As well as talks from Heather ‘fae the weather’ and other experts, each school department was asked to come up with imaginative ways to educate pupils to look after the planet.

In drama class, kids produced plays showing the negative effect everyday habits can have on the planet. Geography lessons had the pupils designing and building their own Eco-houses, while a team from Strathclyde University asked pupils to design communities for the future. Here, pupils were made to consider the implications decisions could have on the environment.

Vincent thinks this initiative showed pupils that actions can be taken that are good for both society and the environment.Vincent said: ‘At Lourdes we are working to get pupils to think globally and act locally.” He stressed that environmental issues should be tackled by young people because ‘this planet is their future place of work.’ He added: ‘The whole school is trying to become far more environmentally minded. You can’t just expect the politicians to sort it out. We all have responsibility and that includes the kids.’
Vincent and the pupils’ efforts have already bagged Lourdes one Green flag. Next year he says efforts will be doubled to try to get another. The Lourdes Eco-machine will not rest idle over the summer.

Hockey players on a high

Jenny Johnstone, an S6 pupil at the High School of Glasgow, has been selected for the Scottish Schools’ under 18 Hockey Squad which will play in the Four Nations’ Tournament in Ireland, in July. Jenny is the third High School pupil this year to be selected to play for Scotland. Last month David Brunger and Stuart McConachie were part of the Scottish Independent Schools’ football squad which beat England 4-2 at Tynecastle.

Young mums graduate in Toryglen

Photograph by Stuart Maxwell

Young mums who had worked hard for two days a week over ten weeks to complete a course, received their certificates at a sunshine ceremony in Toryglen Community Hall on Thursday 17 June.
Said Bailie James Scanlon who presented the awards: ‘I’m delighted Rosemount Life Long Learning project has come to this area and that the course has attracted young women from different areas such as Castlemilk and Gorbals. They’ve mixed well together and put a lot of energy into the sessions.’
Rosemount’s Project Manager, Fiona Forsyth was very pleased with the outcome of the 10 week course. ‘This is one part of a three part course we have offered in Toryglen,’ she told the LOCAL NEWS. ‘The aim is to help parents who are aged between 16 and 27 so that they can be more settled and maintain a tenancy and prepare for their future.’
The next session starts in August when the modules on offer have a formal certificate. Issues such as First Aid, health promotion, money management, safety in the home and parenting will be tackled then.
The final session of the three part course starts in January next year and enables people to prepare a cv and practise work interviews.
Successful graduates of the first phase of the course were: Lisa Gardiner, Charlene Boyes, Sarah Cordiner, Ofiro Alasi, Gift Uluocha, Rilleen Mair, Leanne Thomson, Dawn Bedford and Kitrina Cunningham.
Said Dawn who had graduated in beauty therapy before she had her son: ‘This was great. I’m looking forward to coming back. It was a good way to update my knowledge and prepare to go to college again as I plan to set up my own business.’ For Kitrina the joy of the course was: ‘It got me out of the house. I now know more people and my son Stewart really enjoyed himself in the creche.’
And Ofiro added: ‘I learned so much and I’ve made friends too.’

Hot performances, hot food, hot day! The 2010 Mela

Words and Photograph by Stuart Maxwell

The 20th Glasgow Mela  enticed more than 40,000 people to Kelvingrove Park as the flavours, colours and traditions of Asia blended with the scorching sun to produce a spectacular  festival on Sunday 20 June.

Sun-soaked spectators were delighted as traditional Indian performances were followed by the thud of Japanese drums  and Brazilian dance groups. As entertainment ignited throughout the park, on official stages and  spare patches of well charred grass, nostrils were tickled as fragrances of  oriental cuisine drifted through the air.

The Glasgow based Desi Bravehearts received a rousing reception from the crowd as their athletic dance routine dazzled with its bold artistry. Also performing was budding celebrity and singer JK, winner of Best Newcomer at this year’s Brit Asia Music Awards. The Hellenic dance group was another firm favorite, offering a newly choreographed routine, exclusively for this Mela, based on traditional Greek- Cypriot dancing.

As the sun continued to beat down it was hard to gauge which boasted the longest queue: the ice-cream stand or the beer tent. The paths of the park  housed market stalls offering the brightest of Asian fashion and foods.

There was also the chance for a seat in a traditional Indian rickshaw -  offering a few moments reprieve from the sun. With 40,000 people, there was no shortage of ‘Indian Summer’ puns being banded about!

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