Previous Staff News 2025

February

5 February - Help a young person become Career Ready

We are excited to invite departments across the council to participate in the Career Ready programme. Since 2012, the council has partnered with Career Ready to support young people in S5 who face social and financial challenges, providing them with the opportunities they need to reach their potential in the world of work.

Gary Condie, Education Lead for Children's Rights and Participation, Education Services explains, "The 18- month programme involves providing a young person with a mentor, access to skills masterclasses, and a paid internship. We are looking for staff to become mentors and work one to one with a young person over the course of the programme. You will meet the young person for up to 90 minutes every four to six weeks in your place of work, the school or a public place and as part of their mentorship the young person will spend a four-week work placement in your department in June 2026. Full training and support is given to mentors, and we have launched a Career Ready staff page so you can find out more.

The programme will begin in November 2025, and you will have the chance to meet your young person at the launch event held at Celtic Park. This is a fantastic opportunity to share your knowledge and experience, helping students gain the skills and confidence they need to succeed in their careers.

If you would like more information on how to apply or to register your interest in the programme, please contact Gary Condie on Outlook.

5 February - Children's clothing donation pods to stay until March

Continuing the success of our Winter clothes donation pods, No Wrong Door Partner ApparelXchange, will continue to collect pre-loved children's clothes until the 19 of March. Thank you to everyone who has already donated generously over the Christmas period. 

What can I donate?
Donations of clothes, jackets, shoes and accessories for children up to age 18 years will be gratefully accepted
Please make sure all items are clean and folded.
However, they are also able to accept clothing that might be damaged or stained - as they will repair and clean them if they can.
So don't hold back, have a good clear-out, and play your part to help the environment by recycling your pre-loved items.

Where can I donate?
You can pop your items into one of our pods until the 19 of March
Donation pods are located at across the City Chambers Complex at:

• City Chambers West - Main Entrance
• City Chambers East - 40 John Stret Reception
• Exchange House - 231 George Street Reception

ApparelXchange is committed to providing affordable, sustainable fashion for all children across the city. They offer clothing packages (accessible through referrals) in their Southside shop or also online.
For any questions regarding this partnership initiative, email Geraldine Norval on Outlook. 

5 February - Glasgow awarded research and development grant to tackle health inequalities: to help improve the lives of our citizens

The council, together with Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS and the University of Glasgow have been successfully awarded £5 million funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) to set up a Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) in Glasgow.  

The HDRC project will use key research to help improve public health outcomes in Glasgow. It involves collaboration between various departments and partners to make sure that research informs, and is integrated into, our policy and practice to enhance Glasgow's public health. HDRC will help us to become even better at using smart data to make good decisions that impact our citizen's health - in particular, our younger residents. A primary focus of the project is to address child poverty, helping to end it through early intervention supported by key data and research. 

John Sherry, Strategic Lead Child Poverty Programme adds: "We have seen how helpful it is when researchers work closely with people who put policies into action. They help create a deeper understanding of the needs and priorities of both policy and practice. Through the HDRC Glasgow, we have an opportunity to build on the research-practice collaboration that was designed and facilitated by researchers from the University of Glasgow as part of the Glasgow Child Poverty Pathfinder (now Programme). This five-year investment in Glasgow allows us to expand on this innovative work and further strengthen our capacity to use data and evidence effectively to deliver services that tackle inequalities and support families to thrive."

Kimberley Hose, Director HDRC Glasgow, Council Lead explains: "We are on a mission to make research and learning a key part of how the council works. We want to make sure all our colleagues have the right tools and skills they need to use research effectively - to help to improve health outcomes in Glasgow.

"HDRC is about learning how to work differently: to use data and research to regularly review and evaluate initiatives. Tackling child poverty has always been a top priority for the HDRC and this funding will help support the project to be proactive in tackling immediate challenges whilst developing new innovative solutions and strategies to deal with health related issues in our city.  By bringing together communities, experts from universities, public health professionals, and council officers - we can share knowledge and experience, all supported by using key research and evidence to help make better decisions."  Read more on our main website here.

5 February - Encore to pilot Borrow Cup in selected venues 

The UK's first-ever returnable cup initiative between multiple national brands launched in Glasgow on Monday 27 January, making it easier for people to skip the disposable cup when they next buy a drink. 
Encore is delighted to be part of the scheme and will be piloting the initiative in Café Ure (City Chambers Main Building) and Café East (East Building) the and the Coffee Shop in Kelvingrove Museum. 

Customers purchasing a drink at any participating store will be given the option to use a Borrow Cup for a refundable £1 deposit. Cups are available in two different sizes, and customers can return them at any participating location to either use again, swap for a clean cup for their next drink, get their deposit back at the till or a £1 voucher at a return point.
In addition to Encore Cafés this scheme will be running in Costa, Caffè Nero, Burger King® UK and local cafes. Visit https://www.hubbub.org.uk/ for more information. 

Ross McKenzie, Senior Operations Manager for Encore Hospitality Services said: "Borrow Cup is the first scheme of its kind in Glasgow to work with so many different organisations, hopefully it's successful and we can involve more of our sites after this initial trial".

5 February - Check out the new Podcast!  

Helping to break down the stigma about fears with maths and numbers. Each episode, key hosts will chat about the free support available and provide top tips and resources to help you manage your finances or help the kids with maths homework. 

Glasgow City Region, as part of their Multiply Campaign, launched the new podcast series: Are Numbers Getting In Your Way, in December last year in collaboration with local Sunny Govan community radio. It focuses on breaking down the stigma about fears with maths and numbers, maths anxiety and providing top tips and resources for helping children with maths homework and managing your finances. 

Each episode features new hosts; including East Dunbartonshire Principal Maths Teachers, Renfrewshire Affordable Credit Alliance, Citizens Advice Bureau and the Health and Social Care Alliance, as well as learners who share their personal struggles with maths and numbers. 

Multiply is a UK Government Funded Initiative to specifically support adult numeracy learning for adults aged 16+. It aims to improve adult numeracy skills, confidence with numbers and career prospects. It's designed to help people looking to develop new skills, boost their career, support family learning, gain new qualifications or better manage their finances.

Locally, the Multiply Campaign is a Glasgow City Region approach, with the 8 member authorities: East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow City, Inverclyde, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Lanarkshire and West Dunbartonshire. It launched early 2024 and runs until the 31 March 2025.

Visit Multiply123 Website  for Top Tips resource pages to support the podcast topics with a link to listen to each episode and as well as a list of available courses - which can be filtered by council area and theme.

January

15 January - Council Supports Career Ready

Over 500 young people and mentors attended a Career Ready launch event at Celtic Park last month.

Career Ready is a social mobility charity that works across all Glasgow secondary schools and some ASNs to support young people in S5 who don't have access to the opportunities they need to reach their potential in the world of work. The programme delivers an 18-month programme of one-to-one mentoring along with a paid internship in the mentor's organisation and skills masterclasses.

Gary Condie, Education Lead for Children's Rights and Participation, Education Services said: "Glasgow City Council has partnered with Career Ready since 2012. We have 8 council staff signed up for the 2025 programme and the annual launch event provided an opportunity for them to meet their young person for the first time. It also allowed their young person to find out a bit more about the council and what their work experience will involve. The council has a great reputation for nurturing young people and preparing them for the world of work, so it would be great to see more staff getting involved with the programme next year."

If you would like to find out more about how you can get involved with Career Ready look out for more information in our February Staff News.

15 January - Exciting staff offer at our stunning location!

We are thrilled to announce an exclusive offer for staff, from our colleagues in Encore, at the Tearoom in the Botanics.

Why not take advantage of this special promotion, before it runs out, for a well-deserved treat at this charming location. Whether you're looking to enjoy some quiet time or explore the local attractions, this offer is a great excuse to relax and unwind in beautiful surroundings in the heart of Glasgow's Botanic Gardens.

The Tearoom is open Wednesday-Sunday each week from 10am to 3.30pm serving breakfast, light lunches, afternoon tea, cakes and hot drinks. There is indoor and outdoor seating and dogs are welcome on the patio area.

STAFF OFFER

• 10% discount for staff at the Tearoom in the Botanics.
• The offer is valid from Wednesday to Friday from now until the 4 April 2025.
• Bring your council ID or a recent payslip to claim the offer.

Terms and conditions apply: Subject to availability. Only on dates specified. Not available in conjunction with any other offers. Proof of employment must be shown. Please let Encore staff know at the time of ordering.

Tempt your taste buds at view the menu here.

15 January - Avenues Plus project at Duke Street and John Knox Street begins

A key project on the fringes of Glasgow city centre - the Avenues Plus scheme on Duke Street and John Knox Street - has now begun.

This is the latest in the series of major public realm transformation works in and around the city centre, with this being part of the £21 million Avenues Plus programme, funded through the Scottish Government via Sustrans' Places For Everyone programme.  Other city centre public realm and infrastructure improvement work currently underway and forthcoming is being delivered through the £115million Avenues programme, supported by the Glasgow City Region City Deal.

The Duke Street and John Knox Street Avenues Plus project will not only improve the look and feel of the area, which is currently undergoing significant development and the building of hundreds of new homes, but will make it easier for everyone to travel to and from this vital entrance point to the city centre and the neighbourhoods beside it.  New features will include green spaces with 30 trees reducing local pollution and improving drainage, road resurfacing, the widening and resurfacing of pavements, new kerbing and cycle paths, and rain gardens.

The rain gardens in this scheme will slow down and treat highway runoff to remove pollutants prior to discharge to the Molendinar Burn culvert, which flows into the River Clyde at Glasgow Green.  This sustainable approach to climate adaptation and climate resilience, using the existing historic watercourse, will help keep surface water out of the combined sewer to reduce flood risk and improve environmental water quality in the area.

The work on Duke Street will stretch from High Street to Bellgrove Street, around one kilometre in length.

Another Avenues Plus project - at South Portland Street Avenue project in Laurieston - will go on site later this month, closely followed by the Cowcaddens Road and Dobbies Loan project, with work beginning there in February.  All three projects are expected to be complete in late winter and spring 2026.

Councillor Angus Millar, Convener for Climate, Transport and City Centre Recovery at Glasgow City Council, said: Councillor Angus Millar, Convener for Climate, Transport and City Centre Recovery at Glasgow City Council, said: "The public realm improvement work now begun at Duke Street and John Knox Street will improve the appearance of what is a key entrance point to the city centre.  Equally importantly, the new features that will be delivered by the project will make it easier for everyone to travel to, from and through the area, reduce the risk of local flooding and improve the local environment."

Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Fiona Hyslop, said:"I welcome the start of the next phase of the Glasgow Avenues Plus project which the Scottish Government is supporting with £21 million of funding. This phase is supported through the Places for Everyone programme, funded by the Scottish Government through Transport Scotland and administered through Sustrans.

"This phase will assist in revitalising Glasgow city centre, making the area safer, more attractive and accessible for everyone living in and travelling it.  Over £155 million has already been allocated to Active Travel in the past year by the Scottish Government, which continues to bring real change to communities across Scotland.  The Scottish Government's continued investment in these projects enable people to leave their cars at home and embrace a more active lifestyle for our health, wellbeing and climate."

Karen McGregor, Scotland Director at Sustrans, said: "Every time we choose to walk, wheel or cycle for a short trip, it's a choice which makes a difference - and these small decisions all add up to something big for our health, our wellbeing, and the money we save.  But we know from talking to communities across the city that many people don't feel confident enough to make these choices. This isn't fair. And this is why it's so important to invest in safer and more inclusive connections which support more Glaswegians in getting around the way they want to.  This phase of Avenues Plus will do exactly that, and we're delighted to support the commitment of Glasgow City Council and the Scottish Government in making this positive vision a reality."  

15 January - Legal Services, what a fantastic fundraising year

Our Legal Services teams, Chief Executive's Department has had an incredible year of fundraising in 2024 showcasing their dedication and generosity.  Following the creation of their own legal charity committee last year they have worked creatively to raise much needed funds for local charities close to their hearts.

The committee consists of 11 members from various teams within Legal Services. They meet quarterly to brainstorm and plan fundraising activities, ensuring a diverse range of charities benefit from their efforts.

Nicola Rylatt, Solicitor, Chief Executive's Department, shared some highlights of their achievements: "In 2024, Legal Services raised over £1,700 for four different charities. We had a fantastic response from everyone involved, and it was heartwarming to see the enthusiasm and support from our colleagues."

The team kicked off their fundraising with Red Nose Day in March, raising an impressive £523. In July, the Information and Data Protection Team hosted a charity quiz for Chris's House, a mental health charity, which brought in nearly £400. September saw the team come together for a Macmillan coffee morning, again raising over £500. Finally, the year ended on a high note with the Legal Services Christmas Quiz, raising £310 for the Glasgow Children's Hospital Charity.

Nicola added: "The committee's efforts not only helped to raise significant funds but also brought all the teams in Legal Services closer together, fostering a sense of community and shared purpose. We try to ensure that we fundraise for a variety of charities, some of which are particularly close to our hearts for personal reasons. It's a wonderful way to give back and support causes that matter to us. We are inspired to see what 2025 brings as working together, we can make a difference to local charities. "

15 January - As we enter a new year, you can make a difference with every pay slip!

In 2025, we'd love every team member to embrace the power of Payroll Giving, if you can afford to do so. It's a simple, effective way to support the charities that matter most to you.

Did you know?

For every £1 you donate to charity through the scheme, it only costs standard rate taxpayers 80p and just 60p if you are a higher rate taxpayer.

So, you save money by paying less tax on your earnings, while helping those who need it most.

With over 200,000 charities to choose from, you're guaranteed to find a cause close to your heart. Please join today and let's make 2025 a year of generosity and positive change.

Sign up today at https://udon8.org/glasgowcitycouncil

15 January - Make the most of our membership: sign up for key local government information

The council is a member of the Local Government Information Unit (LGiU) - a not for profit information service providing practical, up-to-the-minute intelligence to their members on policy issues important to local government in Scotland.

Working across an international network of councils, public sector bodies and academics, LGIU offers an array of resource to help staff stay ahead of the latest trends, developments and issues in local government.

So how can you join and benefit?

LGiU content is available to all staff and can be accessed on the website or email by signing up.

Becoming a member will provide you with direct information to become better informed, engaged and connected through:

• Daily News bulletins summarising what the media saying about local government across Scotland
• Weekly policy briefings, reports and other contentwritten by sector colleagues, academics and international associates on the key issues facing local government.
• the Global Local Newsletter giving international insights on a different local government theme each week
• participation in events such as the Global Local Executive Panels;
• Sector leading research with projects spanning across the UK, Ireland and Australia
• 25% discounton all LGIU Training, both our online courses, and in-house sessions.
• full access to an extensive online catalogue of Scottish, UK and international local government content.

Top tips for website access

From the main navigation bar you can:

• click Topics to find published briefings, publications and research, sorted by topic, to help you in your role
• from the Resources drop down click:
  • Briefings to access the entire briefings catalogue. Use the side bar to filter by country, topic or date
  • Newsletters & Daily News to access the last months archive of Daily News to see what's been happening in the sector,
  • Global Local to explore previous editions of our popular Global Local Bulletin
  • Publications to find curated content such as Executive Panel writeups, COP27 resources, research centre outputs for example
• Click Comment> Articles to read our in-house and guest articles from local government practitioners in Scotland and across the world

You can also manage your preferences to make sure what lands in your inbox is tailored to your needs. For more information visit https://lgiu.org/ or email caitlin.lord@lgiu.org

15 January - Your Voice, Your Choice

Your Voice, Your Choice -setting up your Power of Attorney in Scotland is simple with the right planning - don't put it off.

A Power of Attorney (PoA) is a legal process giving someone you trust the power to make decisions that will protect you, your family and those you care about should you ever lose capacity to make decisions for yourself. 

An individual who is in hospital and no longer has the capacity to make decisions for themselves requires PoA to be discharged from hospital. If a PoA is not in place, an application must be made to the Sherriff Court for an Intervener or Guardian to be appointed. 

Being a spouse or next of kin is insufficient to gain authority to make decisions on behalf of the individual who is not able to. Also, creating the PoA must be done before the individual is unable to make decisions for themselves.

The impact of not having Power of Attorney in place can be both distressing and upsetting for families when someone loses capacity. Every year, thousands of people are impacted- from something as simple as a trip or fall or from more serious diagnoses of illnesses like dementia. Without a Power of Attorney in place you are not legally allowed to make decisions for anyone financial or welfare. Contrary to the urban myth of "next of kin", the only officially recognised way to ensure that a trusted family member or friend is legally empowered to oversee their loved one's affairs is to have a Power of Attorney (PoA) registered with the Office of the Public Guardian (Scotland) ahead of time. Anyone aged over 16 years can grant a Power of Attorney, either solely addressing their welfare or financial affairs or combining both in a single document.

More information at  My Power Of Attorney - Scotland

15 January - New Year, New Me, Smoke-Free

Looking for a positive way to kick-off 2025? If you're someone who smokes, there's no better time to consider quitting, and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is here to help you make 2025 a new year, new me, smoke-free.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is encouraging all council family staff who smoke to go smoke-free in 2025.

The new year is a brilliant time to do something positive, and quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health and finances. It'll help you breathe easier, give you more energy and save you money.

Someone who smokes 20-a-day could save up to £450 in January by going smoke-free, so quitting smoking could feel like a pay rise after just a month.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde's Quit Your Way service has a range of free support in all council areas to make 2025 the year you go smoke-free and start enjoying the benefits. From nicotine replacement products to one-to-one support, they'll help you quit in a way that suits you, giving you the best chance of stopping and staying stopped.

Thinking of giving it a go?

Start your journey today and visit the Quit Your Way website, or head to NHS Inform and pop in your postcode to see a full list of services and find the one closest to you.

You can also scan the code below: