Making Greenspaces We Can Share

Throughout lockdown it was a common quote that ‘we were all in this together’ and that Covid-19 affected everyone equally.

But it wasn’t equal. I’m lucky enough to live in a house with a garden. Lucky enough to have time to spend in it when things got too tough, when fear and emotion threatened to overwhelm me. It is easy to talk about the benefits of spending more time at home when you have a safe, natural space outside your back door.

Many people in Cumbernauld do not have that privilege. I know people who were stuck indoors with large families in small houses. With no garden, no access to their own outdoor space where they can relax, find peace, indulge their senses in nature and experience fresh air.

Lockdown did not impact us all equally, but it did highlight just how important our shared greenspaces are. The parks, the wildlife reserves, the tree lined paths – all the forgotten little corners, where grass grows and trees climb to the sky. Where solace and respite can be found in the song of a bird or the smell of a flower.

At Cumbernauld Living Landscape we can’t solve social inequality, but one thing we can all do is to value these places like never before. These wild, green spaces are the hearts of our community, alongside our people they are our town’s greatest treasure.

They are fragile, they are threatened, but working together we can make a difference. Our activity programmes are restarting now so why not get in touch and see how you can be a part of it. Join us in helping to make our greenspaces somewhere we can all be proud of, which we can all share, where we can all thrive together.

Find out how to volunteer with Cumbernauld Living Landscape