A six-year long battle continues with the group being recognised for their work.
Human Rights campaigners in Castlemilk have won national recognition for their work in raising awareness with the United Nations around food poverty issues within their community.
The Castlemilk Housing and Human Rights Lived Experience Board picked up the accolade for ‘Good practice in involving tenants in a current issue’, at the Tenant Participation Advisory Service Scotland Awards.
The Board, based in the southside of Glasgow, have been battling for a supermarket to serve fresh, affordable food to their 14,000 strong community for more than six years.
This culminated in an in-person appeal to the United Nations’ Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in Geneva earlier this year.
The Board was set up by Ardenglen, Craigdale, Cassiltoun and North View Housing Associations to promote housing as a human right and what that means for people’s everyday lives living in the area.
“Three years after Glasgow City Council told us to expect an imminent announcement of a ‘household name’ supermarket for Castlemilk we are still waiting,” said chair of the Lived Experience Board, Anna Stuart.
“We are delighted that our efforts to secure access to affordable and nutritious food for local people has been recognised. Hopefully, such a high profile recognition for our work will keep the pressure up on decision makers and demonstrate that this is not an issue that is going away.”
The advisory service is Scotland’s national tenant and landlord body helping tenants, landlords and communities have a strong influence on the future of their homes and communities.
The Service’s Good Practice Awards celebrate outstanding achievements in tenant participation by individual tenants, tenant groups and social landlords.
The right to good quality, affordable food is set out in Article 11 of the UN Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
The Lived Experience Board have also released a new digital version of their Human Rights Handbook which outlines what communities should expect regarding their human rights.
“The community of Castlemilk is currently a food desert, with all the health implications that a lack of access to affordable fresh food brings, we all deserve better and will continue to lobby until we get access to the same level of food provision other communities in the city take for granted,” added Anna.
