Campaigning families are on a mission to breathe new life into a former five-a-side football pitch in Linwood.

The derelict space, near Belmar Court and Asbury Court, has become dilapidated but the Langholm Tenants and Residents Association has formed a working group to collect ideas about what it could be used for.

Among those to join the working group are representatives of Linwood Community Council, local schools and the elderly forum.

Members also set up a stall at the Tesco store in Linwood to encourage residents to share their ideas about possible uses for the old football pitch.

Ideas which have already been suggested are turning the space into a community garden and possibly erecting a war memorial nearby, as Linwood doesn’t currently have one.

Carol Gemmell, community regeneration officer at Linstone Housing Association, which runs both Belmar and Asbury Court, said: “At the moment, it’s been suggested that turning the space into a community garden would be good, so that people can grow things and do some gardening.

“I think it’s important the residents as well as the rest of the community have a place to sit and meet other people, especially as some of them are quite elderly.

“It’s actually a bigger space than it looks and Young Enterprise Scotland has already drawn up some images of what it could look like for us, which made us realise how big it is.

“We will have to apply for grants to actually make it happen but it’s been good to see what the community wants to do with the space which is just sitting there at the moment.”

A small development grant has already been secured by Linstone from the Climate Challenge Fund to look at the feasibility of redeveloping the area as a resource for the local community.

Anyone who would like to have their say on the revamp of the Linwood site can call 01505 382383 or email info@linstone.co.uk.