Glasgow Against Closures: Campaign group protest ongoing community centre closures outside People's Palace

A campaign group are calling on Glasgow City Council candidates to re-open community centres and halls – as 26 out of 27 remain closed.

Members of Glasgow Against Closures gathered in Glasgow Green, outside the partially open People’s Palace, to protest the ongoing closures on Saturday afternoon.

The Winter Gardens, a glasshouse which has been closed since the pandemic, was wrapped in a yellow ribbon decorated with messages by protesters.

The group hopes the protest will deliver a strong message to the candidates standing in the May Glasgow City Council elections.

Glasgow Against Closures claim that Glasgow Life, the charity that manages culture, community centres and sporting facilities in the city, is “no longer fit for purpose”.

They are calling for Glasgow City Council to take over management of the city’s facilities and venue.

Colin McGeoch, spokesperson for Glasgow Against Closures, said: “These local community venues and services were deemed essential to local communities prior to the pandemic and are even more critical now.

Glaswegians gathered outside the People's Palace to protest the ongoing closures of community centres and halls.

“Local venues are needed to provide community space for organisations to deliver vital services such as tackling mental health, loneliness, fitness and well being, access to benefit & job support & food banks.”

Attractions run by Glasgow Life for the council include Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, the People's Palace, Riverside Museum and the Mitchell Library.

The council’s budget for the upcoming year has dedicated £1.2 million towards reopening closed venues. Last month, an council official said Glasgow Life was in the process of deciding how they will use that money.

A spokesperson for Glasgow Life said: “We have continued to reopen venues and facilities over the past two years despite the significant ongoing financial challenges imposed on us by the pandemic. In setting its 2022/23 budget in February, Glasgow City Council allocated an additional £1.75m to support the reopening of more community venues across the city this year, including St Mungo’s Museum and Provand’s Lordship, as well as committing £2.9m capital investment to the restoration of the People’s Palace and Winter Gardens.

Protesters wrote messages of frustration and hope on a yellow ribbon, which was wrapped around the gate to the closed Winter Gardens.

"This is positive and welcome news for Glasgow Life and represents a significant commitment to ensuring the people of Glasgow can continue to access our much-needed and highly valued services and venues in their local communities, whilst also ensuring a sustainable future for many of the city’s invaluable heritage assets.

"Discussions are now taking place with Glasgow City Council regarding the process for consulting with local communities and taking a prioritised approach to the planning and timescale for reopening additional community venues. We will share further information about this as soon as we’re able to.”