Annual Review 2011/12 - Glasgow Life

Glasgow Life Annual Review 2011/12 7
Chair’s Welcome
Glasgow is Scotland’s
cultural and sporting
powerhouse and
increasingly, our endeavours
are being recognised on a
national and international
stage. From major sporting events and
exhibitions, to providing opportunities for
children and young people to access our
services, what we do at Glasgow Life is of
critical importance to the health and wellbeing
of both city and nation.
I was delighted to return to the Board of
Glasgow Life in June, and be appointed
Chair. We’re in a strong position, despite
the challenges of the economic downturn. I
want to thank our previous Chair, Cllr George
Redmond, for his commitment and time serving
on the Board of Glasgow Life. In our first five
years, we have saved Glasgow City Council
£53 million, due to our charitable status. That
saving cannot be underestimated and is being
reinvested in frontline services across the City.
I’m proud to say that during 2011/12
attendances reached a record high of 16.8
million – up by 2.3 million on the previous year
– and our customer satisfaction ratings show
that Glasgow Life services are, by some margin,
the top performing services in the City.
It’s been an outstanding year. The Riverside
Museum opened in June 2011 and Zaha Hadid’s
masterpiece welcomed more than 1.5 million
visitors in its first year. Our museum estate continues
to be the most popular of any city outside London.
Our services touch the lives of almost every
citizen and make a real, lasting and positive
difference. Building on our growing partnership
with Macmillan Cancer Support, our Active After
Breast Cancer programme has been designed
to offer support to women who have been
diagnosed, and are living with, the illness. The
women benefited from classes led by highlyqualified
instructors. One participant said it offered
her light at the end of a very long, dark tunnel.
Glasgow Life is playing a critical role in the
delivery of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth
Games. Staff across the organisation have
been charged with delivering the Cultural
Programme. We already know that Glasgow is
Scotland’s cultural capital and the delivery of
an amazing year of cultural events is in good
hands. Our staff are also playing a critical role
in delivering Opening and Closing Ceremonies
which will promote Glasgow on a global
stage.
Our staff have been working to ensure that
the City’s major capital programmes are
in place, including the soon to be opened
Commonwealth Arena and Sir Chris Hoy
Velodrome and the Tollcross International
Swimming Centre among others. World-class
venues for a world-class Games, but crucially,
unlike any other Olympic or Commonwealth
Games, these venues will be used by the
people of Glasgow long before the athletes
arrive in 2014.
Our ambition doesn’t stop at 2014. The City can
look forward to other major events, including the
World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in 2015
and the IPC European Swimming Championships
in 2015, among others. All are important, but
equally as important is our commitment to our
young people – and that is reflected in the City’s
bid to host the 2018 Youth Olympic Games.
Staff at Glasgow Life are involved in the bid and
we’re doing all we can to win what would be an
outstanding prize for the City.
I want to thank my colleagues on the Board
and the management team at Glasgow Life
and offer my personal thanks to our staff and
volunteers, without whom, none of this would
be possible. It is their commitment and passion
which inspires our citizens to get the very most
out of Glasgow life.
Councillor Archie Graham