How is Inverclyde's Third Sector Challenging Poverty?
We’ve chatted to the amazing team at Inverclyde Shed, a grassroots voluntary group run by members from all walks of life, about what they’re doing to challenge poverty locally.
What services or resources does your organisation offer to help challenge poverty in Inverclyde?
The Inverclyde Shed offers spaces to meet, make, grow and share, this includes workshop facilities and community garden spaces. Our workshops are currently located at Captain Street, Greenock, and offer anyone over 18 the chance to come along, meet new people and make friends, get involved with community projects where you can learn new skills whilst helping out others in the community or just have a blether over a cuppa.
Our members work on a variety of projects ranging in scale form making pens and spoons through to larger scale garden planters etc. We are 100% grassroots volunteer group so with no staff, we all muck in to help each other where we can. At our community gardens located in Gourock and Port Glasgow, people can learn about growing their own food. We tend to grow veg for the local community pantry which offers affordable access to fresh locally produced food.
What is the best way for people to access the services or resources that you offer?
The best way to see if the shed is for you is to simply come along, see what’s going on, engage and get involved. We have a variety of members: from retired tradesmen through to nurses, long term unemployed or disabled people, all mucking in and helping each other, whilst building genuine friendships and peer to peer support networks.
What impact has your organisation made to challenge poverty in Inverclyde?
We provide spaces for over 77 members plus volunteers from all over Inverclyde to engage with each other helping our community through projects like community growing spaces, highlighting how people can grow their ow healthy locally produced food rather than relying on shops. We also provide tools for people to carry out DIY or work on their own projects to generate income.
In your opinion, how important is it that we all challenge poverty in Inverclyde?
Poverty may include social as well as economic elements. Our main focus is on improving the mental and physical wellbeing of the people of Inverclyde, whether that’s building friendships or helping out others in the community by applying skills learned over a lifetime, we try to do what we can as volunteers to help others.
How important do you think it is that we tackle the stigma of living on a low income and what does your organisation do to tackle this stigma?
It’s important to tackle the stigma of living on a low income by providing equal opportunities for anyone to contribute to making their community better or learning new skills that may lead to employment.
At the shed, we don’t dwell on people’s pasts; we are interested in what we can make together - now.
➡ Find out more about the Inverclyde Shed and visit them online, on Twitter or Facebook.
Author:
Chris Park
Publish Date:
Oct 3, 2021