Business velocity gets going at the Velodrome

Ahead of the formal opening of the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, Glasgow Business Club members launched their new season’s programme there on Tuesday 18 September.

A lunch with more than 100 people heard Gordon Arthur, Director of Communications and Marketing for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, detail business opportunities open to companies of all sizes.

‘The railings around this place were all made by a local company who’d never done this before but who saw the business opportunity,’  he said. ‘There are £126 m worth of contracts at tier one – and there are three tiers to go!’

He advised members to sign up with the Glasgow Business Portal and register their interest.

He also emphasised there were many ways to be involved.  ’The opportunities for people to make the Games their own are unbelievable,’ he said.

People can register now to buy tickets when they go on sale next summer. The Queen’s Baton Relay will cover all 71 Commonwealth countries competing with 4000 people needed in the UK to carry the baton here. Employers will soon be given information on how to support employees wishing to be among the 15,000 volunteers needed. But there are only 673 days to go….. he encouraged!

Legacies from the Games are already in place with hockey pitches opening next year, Toryglen Soccer Centre is already busy and even the Velodrome itself, is being used as a Glasgow Club venue for sports and health activities for people in Glasgow.

A culture programme would also be part of the Games which take place between 23 July and 3 August 2014. A total of 17 sports are programmed.

The Games tartan – a winning design by Shawlands Academy pupil, Aamir Mehmood – has been launched and Gordon Arthur promised ‘you’ll see a lot more of it from now on.’

The Games Mascot will be announced this week – Thursday 20 September.

An easily digestible catalogue of facts and figures on the Games went down well with the Business Club members. This was the first occasion that three separate business clubs covering – south, east and west of the city – had met formally under the new banner of Glasgow Business Club.

Said Norman Ferguson, President and host on the day: ‘Echoing the words of Remo Pisaneschi the previous President of Glasgow South Business Club – this is an ideal opportunity for a larger club to offer more to members by joining together. It also means Glasgow Regeneration can continue to be supportive as it has been for 26 years. The new Glasgow Business Club is a city wide agency providing one point of contact for companies.’

The next meeting will be on Tuesday 23 October at Ibrox Stadium where new members will be welcomed along with established members of the three previous Clubs to a networking lunch.  Contact www.glasgowbusinessclub.co.uk for further information.

Fast track to Panto in the Baths

Work on re-developing the inside front of the Govanhill Baths building is going so well that the space could be ready to welcome people who attend the unique Panto in the Baths on Friday 9 December.

The Citizens Theatre, as good neighbours of the Calder Street Baths building and its Community Trust and in association with the local Centre for Community Practice (CCP), aim to stage two performances that day – a matinee and an evening show.

And they are looking for VOLUNTEERS! ‘It could be performing or production or front-of-house roles,’ said Lisa Peebles, the Trust administrator. ‘We’d be delighted if anyone could find the time to help. They should contact Helen Ross, manager of the CCP on 0141 433 2999 or email:helen@centreforcommunitypractice.org in the first place.’ And don’t forget to book your ticket for the Panto in the Baths too but via Lisa! See the website: www.govanhillbaths.com.

Just last month, the Trust received a grant of £400k from Historic Scotland to develop the first phase of the Baths building which will incorporate offices for the Trust and function space for events. The whole project will deliver a Wellbeing and community centre for the area in time.

River clean continues

Weekly River Kelvin Clean Up

Saturday 13 August

10.30am

Kelvindale Road/Kelvin WalkWay

VOLUNTEERS WELCOME

Please wear appropriate outdoor clothing and boots for the anticipated weather conditions.

The Friends of the River Kelvin will provide safety advice, litter pickers, rubber gloves, yellow vests and bin bags.

The morning is an event that can be attended by all ages but children and young and vulnerable adults must be accompanied by a parent, guardian or carer.

Re-act!

Shawlands United Reformed Church is reacting in a dramatic way to the needs of local young people. They’ve set up a drama group for those aged from 13 upwards. The enrolment evening will be on Wednesday 31 August at 6.30pm in the church at 111 Moss-side Road on the corner of Dinmont Road, G41 and will be the first of a 16 week series. A professional Drama Worker will be employed and a charge will be levied per night for the drama coaching. Volunteers are invited to contact the Church now, since each person will required to have an Enhanced Disclosure Certificate which can be a slow process. Organiser John McGeary can be contacted on email: johnmcgeary1@msn.com

Musical FORKS charm the crowds

 

Everyone enjoyed a wonderful day at the FORK Gala on 4 June in the Botanic Gardens at Ha’penny Bridge House. Formally opened by MSP Sandra White, many hundreds of people sat in the sun to be entertained by the musicians – who were still playing at 6pm when the Gala, technically, finished at 4pm. Then there were the stalls to browse, the dog show to challenge, useful things to buy, interesting things to learn and plenty of fun, food and cool drinks too. Canoe rides gave experience on the water.

The whole event is a great West End gathering where people mix and chat, meet and eat, sing and sort out the rest of the world. FORKS are Friends of the River Kelvin and the gala is a showcase for their work and philosophy – to care for the environment around the River Kelvin and to carry that care into other aspects of living.

Welcomed by the Big Fork himself, founder Mark Eden-Bushell, the day was well organised by the FORK Gala committee with FORK Secretary Charles Thompson busy in the background making sure everything fell into place.

Volunteers are welcome to join the FORK’s next river clean-up on Saturday 2 July at 10.30pm at Ha’penny Bridge House which is the organisation’s headquarters.

Volunteers wanted for South Side Festival

Anyone keen to help with the running of the fabulous South Side Festival is invited to a stewards meeting on Thursday 26 May between 6.30pm and 8.30pm in Queen’s Park Church, 170 Queen’s Park Drive, Glasgow G42 8QZ.

On the day of the festival – Saturday 28 May  in Queen’s Park Recreation Ground – a big team of helpers will be needed. The procession will need stewards to follow it, people to take part in it and a variety of tasks around it. Others will be needed to give out information, look after the stage area where lots of live music is scheduled – plus the putting up and taking down of marquees and keeping the Recreation grounds tidy during and after the event.

The Festival has started as you read this ENEWS. On Friday 20 May, Eleanor McEvoy, Lorna Brooks and Neil Sturgeon launch the music run-up to the Big Day, with a show in the Glasshouse, Queen’s Park at 8pm. From then till the Festival proper, it will be music (almost) all the way with a wide variety of acts in various venues. Check the Festival’s website: www.southsidefestival.org.uk for full details.

Friends of Rosshall Park serve up good, clean fun

Friends of Rosshall Park aim to make it a better place by organising a big clean-up.
Saturday, March 27 between 10am and noon at the entrance off Crookston Road on the city’s Southside, will be the time when volunteers get together to help. The reward is refreshments and the knowledge of a job well done for the community. All volunteers are advised to wear suitable clothing for the grubby job in hand and children aged under 16 years will require adult supervision. Protective clothing and equipment will be provided. Call 0141 276-7727 for details.

Awards as Sports Council goes distance

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The Sports Council for Glasgow breasted the tape at their 30^th anniversary recently with a family gathering and awards dinner at St Andrews in the Square.

Twenty-one sports and more than 30 clubs were represented, with the evening compered by veteran Herald athletics journalist Doug Gillon.

Attended by 140 people,  59 of them, who have been volunteering in Glasgow sports clubs for 30 years or more, received a special plaque and certificate recognising their long service.

Two founder members of the Sports Council also received special awards. Bob Stephen and Dick Rafferty from athletics and boxing were elected to the very first executive committee of the Sports Council in May 1979.

Colin Atkinson, chairman of the Sports Council for Glasgow, said: ‘The evening was a great success and was enjoyed by all. Too often, the tremendous work done by volunteers goes largely unrewarded. I hope that by organising these awards and this presentation ceremony, the Sports Council for Glasgow has recognised the importance of volunteers to sport in the city and helped to express to the recipients how valuable their commitment has been over the last 30 years and more.’