If you have been in Elder Park recently or follow us on social media you will have seen the transformation of the Elder Park entranceway, returning the gates and K13 Memorial to a condition which the community of Govan deserves and can be proud of. This careful and sensitive restoration has faced delays in the last couple of years because of Covid 19 and supply issues, so we were very happy to finally be at the stage where we can celebrate this improvement to Elder Park.
With the entrance way ribbon cutting scheduled to take place this Friday we were devastated to see that graffiti had taken place over night, which massively impacts upon the quality of the finished work. We have spent the day trying to remedy this situation and would like to offer our unreserved thanks to the Council’s Graffiti Removal Team for their rapid response and for managing to clean the graffiti off without damaging the stone.
We know that it will not just be us who have been left disappointed by the actions of this individual. During the community project ‘Mrs Elder’s Glorious Gift’, and through Social Media we’ve spoken to and seen feedback from dog walkers, park runners, kids and families, Govanites new and old, the Submariners who gather annually at the entranceway, people who pass by on the road, people who are passionate about heritage restoration, and people who just want to see Govan’s green space receive the same care and attention as the other parks of Glasgow. Overwhelmingly the response to the completed works has been extremely positive, with only the fear that these improvements would be ruined by vandalism. Of course there is a lot of dismay that this fear has been realised so quickly.
However, we want to move forward with positivity. The achievement of this work, and perhaps even the speed of the clean up efforts, we hope demonstrates our shared vision for Govan, as a place where people’s pride in their community is reflected in the buildings and spaces around them. We know that this was the action of an individual and certainly does not represent the will of so many people whose visits to the park have been brightened by seeing the completed entranceway. We would warmly invite you to help us spread the message that this work is for the whole community, and there is a hope that it is not destroyed by a few individuals. Elder Park is a gift which was given to everyone in Govan. Let’s take care of it.
