Glasgow’s first Veterans’ Garden is to be created in the east end of the city thanks to a £20,000 award from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund.

Playbusters Ltd, in partnership with Parkhead Housing Association and McTaggart Construction, are behind the project which will give veterans the opportunity to gain new skills while breathing new life into an open space in Tollcross Road in Parkhead.

Glasgow Lord Provost Sadie Docherty marked the start of preparations to get the site up and running. Veterans will be involved in designing the space, building, planting and maintaining the garden afterwards. It is hoped the garden will be formally launched in summer 2017.

Experience shows community gardens are a great way to bring people together - reducing social isolation and improving mental health too. Working in the garden will support local veterans as part of their on-going rehabilitation.

A project group has been set up with support from Wheatley Group, Glasgow’s Helping Heroes and Parkhead Nazarene Church.

Lord Provost Sadie Docherty has agreed to be Patron of the Garden.

Playbusters’ Christine McCarron said: “We hope the garden will be a great success and will provide our heroes with a calm and comforting environment for them to flourish.”