Testimonies & Anecdotes
We asked our community to tell us why The Bowling Green means so much to them. This is what they said.
"I feel more connected to my community, less lonely and more hopeful for the future."
- Community volunteer
"The Bowling Green has been an amazing source for people to network and has brought the community together. Personally, for me as a new mum with no family, I found a safe space for me to just relax and ease my mind struggling with mental health."
- Pollokshields resident
"My children love playing in the Bowling Green.
I love it too. I made friends here.
I feel very happy when we all meet".
"The first time I visited this place I knew it was different and better than many 'community centres' I've seen over the years. For eight years I worked in London in youth advocacy and I've seen a few. Open access and a sense of welcome, the prioritisation of human values over gate-keeping. A sigh of relief for a place where there is room for everyone, a safe, peaceful, joyous and noisy place all at once."
- Community organiser
"The Bowling Green is the first place I have been as a person of colour and have not felt out of place. The people and atmosphere has made it a place where I feel happy and safe."
"We first came across the Bowling Green last year as we were searching for a venue for our son's first birthday party. It was immediately clear that it was an incredibly valuable, multicultural community space that reflected and supported everything good about Pollokshields."
- Pollokshields resident
"I have seen the bowling green being built from the ground up. It went from an unusable space with overgrown grass to an amazing place for the community to interact and hold events. It felt like a place where anyone could go and experience something new from food stalls, henna and artists etc.”
- Pollokshields resident
