A Drumchapel community garden is buzzing with new beehives after help from two young apprentices.
Growchapel Community Allotment Garden has had a breath of new life into their patch when apprentices at construction firm City Building completed the works with the support of volunteers from ENABLE Scotland, The Fortune Works and plot holders.
The community-led project, uses the therapeutic powers of gardening to engage with and support people in the local area struggling with mental health issues, addiction and isolation.
Two third-year apprentice joiners, Junior Garscadden and Alexander Gallie, worked to construct a decking platform and safety rail within the allotment facilitating two brand-new beehives within the vibrant garden space.
The beehives installed will play a key role in increasing biodiversity within the garden, supporting plants and vegetation to thrive via pollination and helping to counteract the rapidly declining bee population.
Michael Mullen, chairperson of Growchapel Community Allotment Garden said: “Growchapel is a welcoming, inclusive site for the people of Drumchapel to enjoy, relax and grow within. It is a kind space which supports wellbeing for ourselves, our families and the environment.
“Thank you to City Building for its kind work volunteering to create our beehive area, and to all the volunteers from ENABLE Scotland, The Fortune Works and the allotment holders that have worked enhance this area for Drumchapel’s local community.”
The apprentices designed and constructed a custom timber frame, complete with composite deck boards and staining to protect the structure against the elements and prolong its lifetime, ensuring the need for only minimal future maintenance.
Alan Burns, executive director, City Building said: “Projects like Growchapel are the cornerstones of our society, bringing us all together under a common cause. It has been a pleasure to contribute to this project, helping to enhance the bustling Drumchapel community that we work within.
“The City Building apprentices contributing to this project, Junior and Alexander, have done a stellar job in fitting the beehive platform, from scoping out the area available, to designing and constructing the structure.
"Well done to both and the volunteers from ENABLE Scotland, The Fortune Works and Growchapel plot holders for their hard work on this project.”
Apprentices regularly take part in City Building’s community benefits programme, to obtain experience in scoping and budgeting projects, while being supervised by the company’s highly knowledgeable craft tradespeople. Undertaking community work also enables apprentices to develop valuable soft skills in communications.
For more information, visit City Building's website here.
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