Belville Community Garden: George Munro's 5 favourite photos

Although incredibly ambitious, it is unlikely the people who planted the seeds of Belville Community Garden dreamt that their creation would become a lifeline for many during the dark, challenging days of the pandemic in 2020. But this was only one aspect of the force of good a community project like Belville can become and here we take a look back.

Pic1: Members of the Belville Street Community Association joined forces with Inverclyde Community Development Trust to plan the future of the project in 2013.

Pic2: Before anything could progress, the high-rise buildings that stood on the site of Belville Community Garden were laid low by demolition crews in 2013. I took this shot as the flats simultaneously crashed to the ground in the early hours of a March morning in 2013.

Pic3: Back in 2011, much work was being done to make the best of the green space surrounding the Belville Street flats. I took this picture of some of the team who helped shape its future back in 2011.

Pic4: I tried to capture some of the essence of the community garden with this shot, featuring budding naturalists on a bug studying day back in 2015. I'm glad to report, no beasties were harmed during the study, instead finding themselves released back to their habitat!

Pic5: Once it became clear the Covid pandemic was a challenge of magnitude not seen since the World War II, Belville stepped into the fray to supply the elderly and vulnerable in our community with a programme of food delivery.

In addition to that work, volunteers kept an caring eye on those left alone to face uncertain times showing the people of Inverclyde really do care for each other when the chips are down.