Please see a lovely blog post about a recent activity from one of our amazing volunteers!
Hello SWANS!
My name is Monika. I volunteer as a facilitator for the Queen’s Park meet-up group, as well as our monthly Saturday walk. I co-run the walk with Megan, who’s been volunteering with SWAN for a number of years. We always have a lovely time at the SWAN events in the Southside of Glasgow.
Recently, we ventured out on a special themed walk, an ice cream walk! Our local ice cream shops are running a limited time initiative where you can pick up an ice cream passport and collect stamps from selected shops to earn two free scoops at the end. We decided to take advantage of it and organise our own walk, using the passports to collect some stamps and savour delicious local ice cream along the way.
We sampled a range of flavours and ice cream styles throughout the day. Our walk kicked off at La Gelatessa, a parlour known for its Italian gelato and delicious cones. As the shop changes flavours weekly, we had the opportunity to try some weird and wonderful combinations, with one of our members choosing a honey salted caramel ice cream which was grey in colour!
Next, we stopped at a classic candy shop and ice cream spot, Newlands Cafe. I sampled a mango flavour myself, which I must admit was quite delicious. The options ranged from Kinder Bueno to cherry, so we were spoiled for choice. Our last stop took us about 25 minutes to reach. Walking through the classic Glaswegian streets lined with lovely tenements, we were fortunate with the weather. Although it was a cold morning, it stayed dry. We headed over to Battlefield, where Peacocks Ice Cream is located. They serve North American–style ice cream which is rich and creamy. It was quite different from our previous stops, but equally delicious. Our walkers tried everything from popcorn flavour to plum and matcha, as well as classic raspberry ripple. We sat by the window, chatted, and relaxed before our walk concluded.
In between each stop, we had the chance to catch up with regular members and get to know some new faces. It was lovely to talk with everyone and see connections forming as we wandered from shop to shop. The staff at each location were incredibly accommodating and kind, especially with such a big group