Shawfair team supports community gardening group

From L to R: Sonya Willets, Helen Graham, George Stout, Fiona Kerr, Andrew Kerr, Janice Warnes, David Freeland, Irence Archibald, Brian Ostrowski.

The group of local residents volunteer regularly, giving up Sundays and evenings, to work in and around the community, weeding, tidying up shrub beds and verges.

The initiative is being supported with the offer of equipment and financial support from Shawfair LLP and its partners and contractors.

So far, the group has received support for its work from security firm JSL and civil engineers RJ McLeod. Housing developer Stewart Milne has also donated £250 to help the volunteers with their valuable work.

Shawfair LLP director Nick Waugh said: “Shawfair is keen to be responsive to the needs of the community as it grows. We are pleased the gardening group has emerged and local people are feeling proud of their neighbourhood and community.

"We have several large landscaping schemes and public spaces planned as the housing developments and larger infrastructure improvements are built.

“In the meantime, we are delighted volunteers are taking time to improve the green spaces. We are pleased to be able to help them with sites and equipment to carry out their fantastic work.”

Irene Archibald, co-ordinator of the gardening group said: “We are really proud of our work to tidy-up the area without using pesticides. We are now able to spend time further improving with planting schemes using donations and help from the community.

"The response from the community has been overwhelming. We have over 230 members on our Facebook group and around 20 people, young and old, turning out every week to help.

“We have agreed with Midlothian Council to adopt a number of streets and, as more people volunteer to get involved, we will look to increase our scope as Shawfair progresses.

“We are delighted with the support from Shawfair and its contractors, suppliers and other local businesses in the area. We are always looking for support in terms of donations and help on the ground."

For more information or to join the group, go to : https://en-gb.facebook.com/groups/1477076659106691/.

The group is currently working to plant gardens in the cottages on Edmonstone Road at the entrance of Stewart Milne’s new development. Following some work adjacent to the Dandara site, the group have been offered a shed, to be supplied by Dandara and constructed by Carymar Construction Services, to store their equipment.