European Capital of Sport Fund 2023

#GlasgowECOS2023

About the Fund

The European Capital of Sport 2023 Fund provided an opportunity for communities to engage with the honour given to the city while creating a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of the population, particularly in the city’s most disadvantaged and underrepresented groups. 

The fund, delivered by Glasgow Life, aimed to inspire more local people to get active through sport and physical activity in communities across the city by supporting the establishment of new sessions aimed at underrepresented groups and community events to promote local opportunities.

The fund had 2 strands that allowed community organisations to get involved:

  • Celebrate supported communities to come together to find out more about opportunities to take part in sport and physical activity in their local area through community events and campaigns.
  • Innovate supported organisations to create exciting programmes and activities for new audiences in their communities, breaking down barriers to participation in sport and physical activity for groups who are underrepresented.

The fund support activities in all 23 Glasgow City Council Wards with 100 projects delivered across the year.

 

ECOS 2023 Fund Stories

 

The Giggle N Grow Team of staff and volunteers ran 12 sessions over 3 weeks during the school summer holiday at the Queens Park Summer Event, aimed at families with young children.

More than 1500 people attended events that had a festival atmosphere with families having the opportunity to enjoy the session in an outdoor theatre. Each session had great music where families all joined in to enjoy the music, movement and dance sessions and storytelling through music and imagination

 

Glasgow Afghan United were supported to establish a badminton programme on Friday mornings at the Glasgow Club Maryhill for women and girls from diverse ethnic communities.

Feedback from Tasnim, a new member of GAU "I absolutely loved the sessions; they were an incredible experience that brought me so much joy! Not only did they provide a wonderful opportunity to stay active, but being part of these activities has genuinely improved my overall well-being.”

She continued “The impact has been profound, both physically and mentally. Each session left me feeling energised and motivated, and the regular exercise has significantly boosted my overall health. These sessions were so much more than improving my sports skills. One of the most amazing aspects was the opportunity to form beautiful bonds and make new friends”.

Govan Youth Information Project provided free football sessions on Sunday evenings for local young people. Giving them the opportunity to engage with peers, be active, improve skills while being supported by trained coaches and youth workers.

The activity allowed young people to make new friendships and bonds as well as provided a fantastic space for free to get young people active.

The sessions were fully inclusive, encouraging new and experienced players to get involved and enjoyed the activities. One 14-year girl commented "That’s the most exercise I’ve done in ages."

LEAP Sports Scotland worked in partnership with Glasgow Life to host TransSwim Fest Scotland 2023, welcoming 22 trans and/or non-binary members of the public to Glasgow Club Maryhill to enjoy a 2 hour swimming session followed by lunch and networking.

In a first if its kind event, participants were supported to attend by breaking down the barriers that the group has experienced in the past. It is estimated that half of the attendees had a disability, long term health condition, or were neurodiverse and two thirds of the attendees experience mental health problems.

The event was positively received by the community and made a huge impact on the people taking part, one swimmer said, "My body feels so much at one with itself today and reminds me how much I loved swimming”. Another participant explained "I haven't been swimming for years before this - it isn't safe for me to. I am so happy I got to go swimming and feel safe. I am so happy I got to go swimming with other trans people."

The club used the funding to develop a range of tennis coaching opportunities for groups and individuals across the community, including targeted session with Glasgow Association for Mental Health, Neighbourhood Networks for participants with a range of disabilities and Pride in Tennis, making tennis more accessible to LGBTQ+ groups.

Over 520 people took part in the activities and Newlands Park CTC became the first place in the UK to launch and deliver the LTA’s new initiative, Tennis for Free.

One adult who has got back into tennis due to the project said "NPCTC has made it easy and accessible for me to get back into a sport I enjoyed as a kid. One thing that held me back before was not knowing many people who played tennis. The community here has been the perfect environment: the lessons are varied, focused, and help me get my skillset back to the level I was once before — really encouraging."

Shaping Life organised a sports and physical activity event to celebrate Glasgow as the European Capital of Sport 2023 for refugees, asylum seekers and low-income families.

The event brought different communities together through sport, supporting those who feel socially isolated and people with mental health issues. There were football, rounders and fitness activities offered with a particular focus on targeting women through the event.

Habbib Njie attended the event and explained what difference it made “This is what was missing in our lives, thanks to Glasgow Life and Shaping Life for making this event a reality.”