11-03-2025
Community group takes fight for supermarket to the UN
A community group has taken its fight for a supermarket to the United Nations.
The Castlemilk Housing and Human Rights Lived Experience Board, based in Glasgow's Southside, has been campaigning for over six years for a supermarket to serve their 14,000-strong community.
The board was set up by Ardenglen, Craigdale, Cassiltoun, and North View Housing Associations to promote housing as a human right and its impact on residents' daily lives.
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They presented their case for access to affordable food to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in Geneva.
This comes three years after Glasgow City Council promised an imminent announcement of a "household name" supermarket for Castlemilk, following the awarding of funds to progress the building.
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However, no progress has been made.
Group members at a confrence (Image: Supplied) The right to good quality, affordable food is set out in Article 11 of the UN Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
Anna Stuart, chair of the Lived Experience Board, said: "We are pleased the committee acknowledges the increasing food insecurity and limited access to affordable and nutritious food, which disproportionately affect low-income households.
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"We welcome the committee's recommendation that the government adopts a comprehensive national strategy for the protection and promotion of the right to adequate food to reduce reliance on food banks, set clear, time-bound targets and establish appropriate mechanisms to assess progress.
"We were extremely grateful for the opportunity to present our own experiences of lack of access to affordable food in Castlemilk."
The group also raised issues of homelessness, the need for more social housing, and the lack of funding for aids and adaptations to enable people to live in their own homes for longer.
