Prosperous Legacy

By encouraging the employment and training of Glasgow's residents, and through support for the city's businesses, the games helped keep the city moving through a difficult economic period. Through the prosperous legacy theme we are:

Improving business growth and performance

With the overall value of Games-related construction contracts alone in the region of £1.3 billion, the Games provided an opportunity for growing Glasgow's business sector from the creation of new contract opportunities.

The Glasgow business portal brought together contractors and suppliers and provided businesses of all sizes with the opportunity to find compete for Glasgow 2014-related contracts. Although the Portal has now closed, businesses can access other non-Games related contracts at Public Contract Scotland.  

Find out more about Business Support

Find out more about Inward Investment Support

Business Club Scotland

Increasing employment, training and development opportunities

We have used the games to create employment and training opportunities for Glasgow school leavers, graduates and the unemployed.  

Glasgow Guarantee

The £50million Glasgow Guarantee, a legacy of the Commonwealth Games offers support for training, work, modern apprenticeships and job opportunities for Glasgow people. Since the summer of 2009, almost 6000 Glaswegians between the ages of 16-24 have progressed into employment, apprenticeships or training through a number of initiatives.

Find out more about Glasgow Guarantee.

Community Benefit Policy

The was incorporated into all Glasgow 2014 procurement contracts and introduces measures to deliver the maximum economic and social benefit for Glasgow residents and businesses.

Improving the physical appearance of Glasgow

The physical appearance of Glasgow was significantly improved by Games-related developments with improved access to green spaces, new and upgraded Games venues, improvements to our roads infrastructure and support for the ongoing regeneration of the East End. 

Clyde Gateway Urban Regeneration Company

The Clyde Gateway Urban Regeneration Company is stimulating land values, encouraging private sector investment, and supporting job creation and economic growth with a number of projects linked to the games including: Clyde Gateway East Business Park; Olympia (now hosts performance centre for boxing, Clyde Gateway offices, Scotland's first mediatheque, a community library and Glasgow Centre for Population Health); Community Safety Glasgow offices; Red Tree Business Suites; Riverside East site; Dalmarnock railway station; Dalmarnock Cross; Dalmarnock Gas Works Site and the new Smart Bridge between Dalmarnock and Shawfield.

Scottish Hydro Arena

Construction of a 12,000-seater multi purpose arena with associated transport and utilities infrastructure. The Hydro plays host to around 140 events every year and attracts one million visitors annually, which positions it as the fifth busiest entertainment arena in the world.

Glasgow Royal Concert Hall Extension

The addition of a new extension to the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall (within the existing goods yard) providing a new home for the RSNO with shared facilities which will enhance the operation of the existing facilities. The new building will accommodate a new rehearsal/recital hall with a capacity of approximately 600 seats, education spaces, practice rooms, management/admin offices, foyer and circulation spaces, including dedicated spaces for the RSNO. Some refurbishment will be undertaken to areas of the existing Concert Hall adjacent to the new wing.

Calton and Barras Action Plan

The Calton Barras Action Plan is a five year programme developed in parallel within the strategic context of the Calton Area Development Framework (ADF). The Action Plan has seen improvements to the Calton Barras public realm, shop fronts and buildings ahead of 2014.

Parkhead Cross Improvement

Improvements were made to the retail environment around Parkhead Cross in the run up to the Games. Almost £400,000 was earmarked for a programme of shop front improvements in recognition of the vital role that attractive retail spaces play in the regeneration of traditional town centres. By financing the restoration of traditional shop fronts the initiative aimed to add local character, encourage greater footfall and reduce the number of vacant commercial properties around Parkhead Cross.

Commonwealth House

The project saw the renovation of an 108,000 square feet building in the city's east end to house the offices of Glasgow 2014 Ltd. The building was fully renovated by City Building, Glasgow City Council's arm's-length construction company, in conjunction with Royal Blindcraft Industries (RSBi) a social enterprise which employs disabled people to make high-quality furniture. War veterans from Afghanistan and Iraq were employed to work during the renovation at Commonwealth House, all of them recruited through the council's Helping Heroes campaign which assists ex-soldiers in finding work.

Case Studies

Apprentice Sam Myler: apprentice joiner, Sam Myler is in his second year of an apprenticeship with City Building.

He said: "I decided before I left school that I wanted to do an apprenticeship because I knew it would provide me with the skills to get a good job and set me up in a career for life.

"I've learned a lot since starting my apprenticeship, including information about safety, operating machinery and even improving my own health and fitness. I really like working on different projects and meeting lots of new people.

"The Commonwealth Games is bringing a lot of work to Glasgow and this means more places for apprentices all across the city and more opportunities for us."

Grace Donald, 89 - East End Resident: "I have lived in the East End at Bridgeton all my days and the changes here and to the local area have been wonderful.

The Olympia Building was empty for a long time. I used to come here when it was a cinema. Now it is a library which is always busy. There are many clubs here, with the boxing upstairs and the near-by schools come here often. People who have left the area have been in touch and want to come back to see all the changes, even people from America.

In my day, the area was rather poor - but that's all changed now and young people are getting opportunities. There was a job fair here recently with queues right out of the door.

I am looking forward to the Games as it is my 90^th birthday on the day of the Opening Ceremony and I will be there."