Cleaner helps homeless residents heal through allotments

A cleaner who fled war in Ukraine and found safety in Scotland is now using her passion for the outdoors to help improve the lives of people who are homeless – all from a set of allotments in Cambuslang, near Glasgow.

As the UK marks National Allotments Week (11–17 August), The Salvation Army is highlighting how time spent in nature, even just pottering in a vegetable patch, can offer life-changing benefits to people experiencing homelessness, trauma or substance use.

At the church and charity’s Eva Burrows emergency homeless accommodation project in South Lanarkshire, residents and staff have transformed unused land into thriving allotments, with expert assistance provided by members of Cambuslang Allotment Gardens. The site at Eva Burrows features more than 30 raised beds, polytunnels, a greenhouse and a summer house.

Among the green-fingered volunteers is Larysa Lytovchenko, a cleaner at the centre, who was supported by The Salvation Army when she first arrived from Ukraine three years ago.

“I’ve always loved being outdoors,” said Larysa, 53. “Helping residents plant and grow food is something I really enjoy doing. I see how it lifts their mood. Even if someone is quiet or withdrawn, after some time outside in the garden they start to open up.”

Larysa, who is improving her English and hopes to become a qualified support worker, is particularly keen to help residents eat more vegetables and feel proud of what they grow, saying: “I want to help people.”

One resident, Stuart, moved into the centre after a relationship breakdown left him homeless. He said: “I love spending time in the allotments, weeding them and keeping them clean. It’s great for your mental health. Being out in the gardens has given me a sense of purpose. It has also motivated me to be more active in general. I’m now going back to the gym and have been swimming more frequently.”

The Salvation Army promotes greenspace across the country and its work is backed by research from the University of Stirling, which shows that being in nature including gardening can help people deal with anxiety, trauma, and substance use. The findings suggest even small amounts of time spent outdoors can be beneficial.

For Larysa, the allotments are about more than food, they’re also about hope. “Everyone has a back story,” she said. “But when you see something grow that you have planted, it gives you a future too.”