The successful delivery of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games marked the completion of more than seven years of planning and preparation to host the biggest sporting and cultural celebration that Scotland has ever seen.
But we are by no means complacent. We realise that following on from the success of Glasgow’s Games there is still work to be done to ensure that we build on the momentum of the past few years, and that we leave a lasting legacy that will benefit Glaswegians for years to come.
Our Games were never going to be about just 11 days of sporting competition. The city council’s Glasgow 2014 Legacy Framework was created in 2009 with the aim of making the city a more prosperous, active, inclusive, accessible, greener place, with a greater international profile and outlook.
We were determined to do more. That is why my administration’s preparations for the Games focused on providing jobs and training places through a range of measures aimed at maximising community benefits from major infrastructure projects. That approach will continue for years to come.
Adding community benefit clauses to contracts for regeneration initiatives has led to long-term unemployed people and school leavers securing places on high-profile construction projects across the city.
Our £50m Glasgow Guarantee, which aims to ensure that every Glaswegian aged 16-24 has access to a job, training or an apprenticeship has helped more than 5,000 people. These people are now either employed or, following work placements, more equipped and experienced to move on in the employment market.
Games-related contracts
An incredible £200m of Games-related contracts have been won by Glasgow-based firms, directly benefiting thousands of Glaswegians and making a significant contribution to the local economy. That only happened because of our clear economic strategy.
In recent years the city council has invested £198m in sports facilities, including the Emirates Arena and Tollcross International Swimming Centre. That investment has seen attendances across all of our sports facilities hit a record 6.6m over the past year.
Membership of the Glasgow Club gym network has doubled since the London 2012 Olympic Games and now stands at an all-time high of 37,000, while the number of members of grassroots sports clubs has trebled since 2009. There is no doubt that people have been inspired by Glasgow’s Games.
We know we must build on that. The city council has introduced a range of projects aimed at increasing participation including free swimming for the under-18s and over-65s, a free five-a-side football happy hour, and free golf and tennis.
More than £700m of investment in Glasgow’s transport infrastructure over the past few years has made the city more accessible, through major projects such as the completion of the M74 and the second stage of the Clyde Gateway, which links the M74 with the heart of the East End.
Subway and railway stations have benefited from an investment of over £50m, including the recently refurbished Dalmarnock Railway Station.
Walking and cycle networks
A further £10m has been invested in creating and upgrading 11 miles of walking and cycle networks. A £1.3m cycle scheme was recently launched, with 400 bikes installed at 31 city centre locations and transport hubs.
The award-winning stalled spaces initiative focuses on the temporary use of vacant or underused land to deliver a range of innovative projects, enabling physical renewal while fostering community empowerment throughout the city.
But perhaps the biggest success of the Games is that they have allowed the rest of the world to see the Glasgow that we all know and love. We are a modern and thriving city that attracts some 2.2m visitors each year. We are home to some of the best entertainment, sporting and cultural venues anywhere in the world.
The Games may be over, but we have much to look forward to and we are determined to capitalise on the economic opportunities created in the Year of Glasgow and beyond. The MTV European Music Awards and BBC Sports Personality of the Year take place at the SSE Hydro before the year is out.
In 2015, we will welcome the World Gymnastics Championships, Turner Prize, IPC Word Swimming Championships and European Judo Championships.
Glasgow is a city that never stands still and we will always look for ways to build on this most special of years.
Gordon Matheson is leader of Glasgow city council
