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2014 Commonwealth Games contribute greatly to Scotland: report

Xinhua, July 23, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games brought social, cultural and economic benefits to the whole of Scotland, the event's official evaluation report showed on Thursday.

Published exactly one year after the opening ceremony, the Post-Games Report found that over the eight years from winning the bid to hosting the event, the Games contributed more than 740 million pounds (about 1.15 billion U.S. dollars) gross to Scotland's economy, including 390 million pounds for Glasgow's economy, and supported an average of 2,100 jobs each year from 2007 to 2014, including an average of 1,200 in Glasgow.

The report, which looked at the overall legacy of the Games, found that the Games helped to ensure a labour market boost among those who would benefit the most, as proposed in the legacy plans, with over 11,000 young people across Scotland, around 6,000 from Glasgow, benefitting from the range of national and local employability programs implemented in association with the Games.

The Glasgow 2014 Culture Program attracted a mass audience of 2.1 million attendances and 600,000 participants, increasing the size and reach of the Games events, and around 690,000 unique visitors, said the report.

Spending by those visitors contributed, in net terms, around 73 million pounds to the economy in 2014, it added.

The report also found that the Games brought significant investment in regeneration, particularly in the East End of Glasgow, Rutherglen and South Lanarkshire, with land remediation, transport infrastructure, and sports facilities like the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, Emirates Arena and Tollcross International Swimming Center, all of which are now used by the public.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon welcomed the report ahead of a Games anniversary visit to Crownpoint Sports Complex in East End of Glasgow, saying that "The 2014 Commonwealth Games was an unforgettable event and a resounding sporting success. Widely regarded as the best Games in their history, it was a chance for Glasgow and Scotland to show the world the very best that we have to offer".

She noted that through the schemes Scotland are funding, encouraging and promoting programs large and small in communities right around Scotland, and ensuring that the benefits of the Games will be felt for many years to come.

The 2014 Commonwealth Games were held in Glasgow over 11 days of competition from July 23 to Aug. 3, with 70 teams competing in 261 events of 17 sports. Endi