Glasgow Life facts for kids

Glasgow Life is a special charity in Glasgow, Scotland. It's also known as Culture and Sport Glasgow. It works closely with Glasgow City Council but runs its own show. Glasgow Life helps manage fun things like arts, music, sports, big events, festivals, libraries, and learning programs for the city.

It's one of the biggest charities in Scotland. When it was created, it was a big deal because it took over managing many important services, especially libraries, from the city council.

How Glasgow Life Started

Glasgow Life started as a company in December 2006. It officially became a charity in February 2007. In January 2010, the people in charge decided to call it 'Glasgow Life'. This is the name and brand we know today.

Important Moments

Glasgow Life has been part of many big events and changes in Glasgow:

• 2023: Glasgow Life became the first museum in the UK to return old objects to India. This is called repatriating objects.
• 2022: The famous Burrell Collection museum reopened. King Charles III officially opened it.
• 2021: There were plans to reopen many places after the pandemic. The Glasgow City Council promised £100 million to help the charity.
• 2020: Glasgow Life warned about a tough future because of the Coronavirus pandemic.
• 2016: The Burrell Collection closed for big repairs and updates.
• 2015: The Tramway art centre hosted the 2015 Turner Prize. This is a very important art award.
• 2014: Glasgow hosted the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Glasgow Life was a key partner, helping with sports places and cultural events.
• 2010: The organisation officially started using the 'Glasgow Life' name. They also took over places like the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall and Glasgow City Halls.
• 2007: Glasgow Life was officially granted charity status.
• 2006: The company was first formed.

What Glasgow Life Does

Glasgow Life is in charge of six main areas across the city. They help make sure everyone in Glasgow can enjoy culture, learning, and sports.

• Libraries: They manage all the public Libraries in Glasgow. This includes 32 community libraries, 29 school libraries, and the huge Mitchell Library.
• Sports: They look after many Sport venues and facilities. These include:
  • Tollcross International Swimming Centre
  • Commonwealth Arena and Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome
• Museums: They manage 10 different Museums in the city. You can find out more about them at Glasgow Museums.
• Arts and Music: They run many cultural venues and festivals. Some of these are:
  • Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
  • Glasgow City Halls
• Community Centres: They manage local community centres where people can meet and do activities.
• Young Glasgow: This program offers services especially for children, young people, and their parents or carers.

How Glasgow Life is Run

Glasgow City Council oversees Glasgow Life. A group of people called a Board of directors makes decisions for the charity. This Board includes:

• 8 independent directors (people not from the council)
• 5 partner directors (people from Glasgow City Council)
• The Executive Director (the main leader)

The current Chair of the Board is Councillor Bailie Christie. The Chief Executive, who is like the main manager, is Susan Deighan.

There are also smaller groups, called sub-committees, that help with specific tasks. These include groups for:

• Checking money (Audit)
• Choosing new members (Nominations)
• Making sure everyone is safe (Health and safety)

How Glasgow Life Gets Money

Most of the money Glasgow Life uses comes from Glasgow City Council. The council pays them a fee for the services they provide. This fee makes up about 60% of their total income each year.

Glasgow Life is regulated by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR). This group makes sure charities are run properly. You can find more detailed financial reports from Companies House.