GREEN-fingered gardeners are digging deep at a new club at Branchton Community Centre.

The new project has been funded by the government's Climate Challenge Fund, which aims to get people growing their own food and reduce their carbon footprint.

The growing side of the project has gathered pace quickly during lockdown, proving to be very successful.

Carol McEwan, who is the centre's Climate Challenge Fund project co-ordinator, said: "Volunteers who were already at the centre helping with meals started growing potatoes, carrots, leaks and rhubarb and we also have a herb garden with cress and basil.

"We also have compost bins we've been filling from our kitchen bins, so nothing is wasted.

"It's just taken off.

"There has been quite a lot of interest in it.

"Initially there would have been training courses and visits to schools and other community centres but lockdown put that on hold."

The project is part of a £102,000 project called Our Footprints, Our Future.

It aims to help people across Greenock south west to reduce carbon emissions across the areas of food, travel and waste and create a growing space.

Other areas of the initiative will look at upcycling and aiming to reduce waste going to landfill.

There will also be 'repair cafes' where there will be workshops showing people how to mend clothing and fix broken bikes and electrical goods.

Carol told the Tele: "I think this will be a popular part of the project, maybe more so for men on the repair side of it."

At the end of the project a visual map will be produced showing the reduction in the carbon footprint levels right across the whole of the south west area of the town over the period.