The Castlemilk Against Austerity (CAA) group are inviting the public to “spread the love” and donate at their latest event.
THE ‘Real Love is Solidarity Event’will take place at the Braes shopping Centre in Castlemilk on Saturday 18th of February.
CAA are welcoming people to join the event which will provide fresh food, music and face-painting on the day. They are also asking for public support and donations, particularly toiltries. Donations for the event can be made to the collection point at The Castlemilk Parish Church on Dougrie road open Monday to Friday 9am till 5pm.
Castlemilk Against Austerity (CAA) are a local “campaigning group formed just after the referendum to continue the political awakening, challenge the policies of austerity creating huge inequality, fear, despair and misery.”
The group aims “to organise these events to try in a small way to counteract this [political] inequality and unfairness”. Although not a food bank they have organised the Food Solidarity Market, street stalls, music, politics and poetry events as well as producing leaflets and newsletters (with all articles written by locals) to respond to the concerns of the public.
“We gave to everyone and encouraged them to share with their neighbours” Cath Mills
An organiser for CAA Cath Mill spoke to CommonSpace about the campaigning group stating “The food solidarity market is one of the campaigns. It came about when the local Celtic Supporters Bus (as part of the Green Brigades food drive) collected and decided to give it to us.
“We initially gave out at our stall with a banner saying ‘Bring What You Can Take What You Need’. We then developed into a market place with homemade cakes and tablet. Set up our stalls with live music and poetry performers, artist and face-painting saying ‘share and share alike lets end the stigma of foodbanks together’.
“We fundraised at our music night, got donations from Gerry Cinnamon, Cat Boyd, and Unite community so bought food from the local shops, Co-op, Iceland, Christine and Gerry Martins (the butchers). The manager [of Braes shopping Centre] made a personal donation of £100 to the market [and] a fair few people brought [donations] too, a woman came spoke to us then came back with a shopping trolly full of food.
“We gave to everyone and encouraged them to share with their neighbours so real community spirit to care and look after each other agains a backdrop of greed and selfishness perpetuated by our government.”
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A rise in poverty rates has seen a surge in public use of organisations like the CAA as well as, food banks and charities in Scotland over the past few years. A survey for End Child Poverty coalation published last year found that 220,000 Scottish children were living in poverty and found that Glasgow had the highest number affected with 34.1%.
Familiar statisics for Cath who added “96% of our young people [in Castlemilk] in the 2 local high schools are living in poverty this just confirms what we already know, we live it”
James Dornan MSP for Cathcart praised the CAA for their “fantasic” efforts, offering his office for requests to donate food for the upcoming event. Dornan stated that usage groups like the CAA and food banks “becomes more prevelent per week” and that this is “the same [situation] as many other constituencies across Glasgow”.
Cath also brought up a “recent statistic [that] showed that malnutrition is causing thousands of hospital admissions” emphasing the importance of their aim to provide fresh food within the communtiy.
A sentiment shared by Dornan who stated “its terrible that this [malnutrion] is the case, but obviously we have to step in”. In order to help do this, a fund set up in the consituency office will be used to buy butcher meat. “The meat will be used to make up packs for Saturday [Event].”