ON squishy sofas and bright yellow chairs, a bunch of teenagers are deep in discussion.
The topic is Drumchapel TV (Scotland’s newest television 'channel' and a first for Glasgow) or, more precisely, what its next programme should be.
“We’ve already done a lot of different things – sport, politics, documentaries, even bedtime stories,” explains presenter Liam Gorman, 19.
“We covered the Drumchapel park run in the Bluebell Woods and it got an amazing number of views.
“People are always saying that nothing ever happens in Drumchapel, but that’s not true. There are so many hidden gems and things going on. We want to use this platform to tell people that.”
Drumchapel TV is the brainchild of the G15 Youth Project, an award-winning initiative which has been changing the lives of young people in the area for more than 25 years.
Launched as part of the area’s 70th-anniversary celebrations (D70), the new channel – which is available on YouTube - is building up a loyal following thanks to sporting fixtures, fun children’s programmes and insightful reports on local issues, such as the averted closure of the Goodyear Social Club and refurbishment plans for the Drum Hub.
The response has been huge – even Glasgow North West MP Carol Monaghan has appeared, interviewed by Liam.
“I was really nervous,” he admits, with a laugh. “But it went well and it has made me think about other opportunities in television, maybe doing it for a career.”
Youth development worker Peter Divers said: “We want people to connect with the services that are in Drumchapel, there’s a lot going on.
“The young people here are doing a great job, and we’ve had a brilliant response. It just shows that Drumchapel is a big, thriving community.”
The D70 celebrations have galvanised the G15 young people, who came up with a novel way of spreading joy after a recent funding boost.
Through a partnership with Neighbourly Lab, the project was given £1000 to spend on “something to do with celebrating Drumchapel,” explains Iain Corbett, the project’s programme outreach lead for Scotland.
“That was the brief. There was loads of debate, lots of ideas and eventually, they decided that rather than just spend it on one thing for themselves, they’d open it up to the whole community and do a Dragon’s Den-style challenge.”
Two of the original Dragons, Hannah McGhee, 15 and Kimberley Timaiyo, 17, agree it was a fantastic experience.
“We asked local charities and groups to pitch ideas to us for how they would spend the money, and we came up with a shortlist of three,” explains Kimberley.
“It was a bit stressful trying to decide because they were all really good.”
Hannah explains: “In the end we liked them all, so we split the money between St Mark’s Church, 3D Drumchapel and Fortune Works.”
Kimberley adds: “I was really happy with that decision because it meant there were more opportunities for more families to get involved. If we had stuck to one it might not have suited some people, but this way there is something for everyone.”
The girls and Liam, along with Cole Harvey, 12, Abbie Floyd, 12, and her sister Shannon, 19, love spending time at G15.
Kimberley explains: “I started coming in 2019 and it’s like my second family. I really enjoy spending time with the people here. There are lots of opportunities to get involved in different things and you always know there is someone here to listen to you.”
Hannah agrees. “The staff here are amazing,” she says. “I grew up in Drumchapel, and you know the area has a reputation, but there are so many good sides to this community. Things like our Dragon’s Den competition and Drumchapel TV will hopefully show that all to people.”
Kimberley moved to Drumchapel with her family around five years ago.
“Before I moved here, all I heard were bad things but when I got here I realised there is so much more going on that’s good,” she says.
“The D70 celebrations have made us think about the area’s past, but also about its future, and Drumchapel does have a bright future.”
She adds, with a smile: “Hopefully Drumchapel TV will help us tell that story.”
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