The Castlemilk Housing and Human Rights Lived Experience Board has been presented with the House of Commons Early Day Motion, which recognised their work as human rights defenders and their campaign to end food poverty.

Tabled by local MP Gordon McKee, the Motion states ‘That this House notes……the efforts of the Castlemilk Lived Experience Board to tackle food poverty in Castlemilk; expresses sincere thanks for their dedication and commitment to making Glasgow fairer; and supports their long running campaign for a supermarket to be built for their community.’

The community on the south side of Glasgow has been pressing for more than six years to secure a supermarket for the area, which has been described as a ‘food desert’ by local campaigners. Despite promised interventions by the local authority no progress has been made so far.

The campaign for a supermarket is being delivered by the Lived Experience Board set up by Ardenglen, Craigdale, Cassiltoun and North View Housing Associations to promote housing as a human right and what difference that means for people’s everyday lives in the area.

Anna Stuart MBE, chair of the board, said: “It is a great honour to have our efforts recognised by the UK Parliament and for them to support what we are trying to achieve here. We hope this is also noted by the powers closer to home who have the ability to actually influence the delivery of a supermarket for our community.

“With the ongoing cost of living crisis having access to fresh, affordable, good quality food has never been more important and we will continue campaigning until this becomes a reality in Castlemilk.”

The presentation follows on from a Westminster Hall Debate on the subject of a supermarket for Castlemilk held in December.