An Evaluation of Legacy from the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games: Post Games Report

9. Conclusion

9.1 At the beginning of this report, it was set out that since partners in Glasgow and Scotland bid for the XX Commonwealth Games, there has been an emphasis on their commitment to leverage the best possible social and economic benefit from the Games. It is these benefits that have been described as ‘legacy’ and they include both short term and longer term benefits.

9.2 The report has synthesised a wide range of evidence to assess the extent to which benefits have been leveraged from the Games to date. One year on from the Games, we are only in a position to assess short term benefits. The evidence presented throughout this report suggests short term benefits have accrued, particularly for business, tourism, international reputation and in the regeneration of one of Scotland’s poorest areas.

9.3 There is also some evidence that the reach of these short term benefits has extended to communities and groups who could benefit most. The wider evidence base suggests this reach is not automatic. It requires the explicit design of programmes and interventions to link opportunities that arise - in volunteering, jobs, business contracts, sporting and cultural events and opportunities – to communities and groups that can benefit most.

9.4 This conclusion chapter is structured in three sections. The first section summarises the legacy of the XX Commonwealth Games for future major event organisation; the second section summarises the benefits to Scotland and Glasgow to date, one year on from the Games; and the final section sets out the steps being taken to extend legacies into the future.

XX Commonwealth Games – Key Messages for Future Events

9.5 The XX Commonwealth Games enjoyed high levels of public support across Scotland, Glasgow and the East End of Glasgow. People in Scotland believe the longer term impact of the Games will be positive^[99] – with improved facilities, regeneration, tourism, enhanced civic pride and international reputation commonly mentioned anticipated benefits.

9.6 GoWell East findings indicate that the Commonwealth Games were a positive experience for many of the people interviewed in the East End of Glasgow and that any Games time inconvenience encountered was worth it.

9.7 The event itself was widely heralded as a success. This is important for legacy too, as the evidence suggests legacy, in particular reputational legacy, depends in part on the delivery of a successful event. A high global and domestic broadcast audience viewing the delivery of a successful Games that were embraced by the host city and nation residents suggests conditions were created for a positive reputational legacy for Scotland and Glasgow.

9.8 Some things were done differently in the XX Commonwealth Games, compared to previous Commonwealth Games. Legacy was planned for early; informed by evidence; considered at each planning, investment and strategic decision making stage; and embedded in existing policies and plans. For the first time in a Commonwealth Games, legacy was an official part of the Organising Committee’s remit.

9.9 Most of the venues for the XX Commonwealth Games were in place at the time of bidding and this clearly reduced the overall financial risk. The approach taken by partners to completing the infrastructure required for the Games was also important. Venues and housing were developed for the city and the East End and used temporarily for the Games, rather than developed for the Games, with post Games use a secondary consideration. There were deliberate decisions that new and refurbished Games venues would be multi-sport venues that could both host major events and provide opportunities for the local community.

9.10 And the approach to cultural programming was different. The 2014 Culture Programme was the first Commonwealth Games culture programme designed for both the host city and the host nation, and the first to start a year out from the Games. This represents a significant change in terms of Commonwealth Games cultural programming and the status of the culture elements within the overall Commonwealth Games event. From 2022, a cultural programme will be part of the formal criteria for judging bids by the Commonwealth Games Federation.

9.11 The preparation and delivery of the XX Commonwealth Games required successful partnership working at a range of strategic and operational levels. Audit Scotland identified effective partnership working as one of the key factors that contributed to the Games success. Other evidence collected by partners also found that, while there were challenges, overall there was good partnership working between the four Games partners (Scottish Government, Glasgow 2014, Glasgow City Council and the Commonwealth Games Federation).

XX Commonwealth Games - Benefits to Scotland and Glasgow to date

9.12 The evidence is clear that major sporting events are not a panacea for long running social and economic challenges, and even beneficial short term economic impact is not guaranteed. However, the evidence synthesised throughout the report above does find indications of economic, social, sporting and cultural benefits to Scotland and Glasgow at this point, one year on from the Games.

9.13 Evidence throughout the report shows while the focus was clearly on Glasgow, benefits were felt across Scotland. Games visitors stayed in every part of Scotland, cultural events were held across the country, grassroots active infrastructure improvements occurred in each Local Authority area and businesses throughout Scotland benefitted.

9.14 The impact of the Games on high performance sport in Scotland is clear. Team Scotland, fielding their largest team ever with 310 athletes, including para athletes, secured 53 medals – 19 gold, 15 silver and 19 bronze, coming 4^th in the overall medal table. This represents Scotland’s highest ever medal tally in a Commonwealth Games.

9.15 Businesses across Scotland benefitted from Games contracts, and it is likely the support interventions put in place by partners facilitated this. £669m worth of Games Tier 1 contracts were awarded – with £510m of this (76%) awarded to businesses based in Scotland.

9.16 The short term risk noted in other major events of businesses suffering from disruption and displacement of their usual customer base because of the Games was averted. The deliberate efforts by partners to promote the city to residents and visitors as ‘open for business’ are likely to have played a part in this.

9.17 There is evidence the Games event was leveraged to provide a labour market boost which did reach those who could benefit most. For example, it is estimated that over eleven thousand young people across Scotland have benefitted to date from the range of national and city employability legacy initiatives.

9.18 The XX Commonwealth Games attracted approximately 690,000 unique visitors. Evidence from official national tourism statistics suggests the tourism displacement experienced by some other host nations of major multi-sport events did not occur in Scotland in relation to the Commonwealth Games.

9.19 Evidence from the Nation Brands Index shows Scotland’s international reputation improved in 2014, the first time available data has shown an improvement since it was first collected in 2008. Given the timing of the fieldwork, and the high global broadcast audience, it is likely the XX Commonwealth Games contributed to this boost in international reputation.

9.20 In terms of opportunities for local communities, venues were open to the public in advance of the Games, and unusually quickly after the Games. There is evidence of significant increases in community use of and satisfaction with Games venues. It is likely any risk of ‘white elephant’ major event venues noted in the literature has been averted.

9.21 There is evidence that Scotland’s grassroots sport and physical activity infrastructure (people and places) has been improved since 2008 as a result of legacy programmes at a national and city levels. Use of, and satisfaction with, Scotland and Glasgow’s active infrastructure has increased since 2008. It is plausible that the Games related improvements in infrastructure have complemented and contributed additional impetus to these increases in use and satisfaction.

9.22 There is some evidence that suggests a ‘demonstration effect’ of increased interest in sport and exercise, among those who already take part in sport to some extent, has occurred. Membership of Commonwealth Games sports governing bodies has increased as have attendances at leisure facilities.

9.23 Much of the Games related investment in physical infrastructure took place in the Clyde Gateway area, one of the most deprived areas in Scotland spanning Glasgow’s East End and parts of neighbouring South Lanarkshire. There had been previous regeneration efforts in this area of Glasgow, but the evidence to date suggests the scale and pace differs both from these previous efforts and from other regeneration programmes in Glasgow.

9.24 While there is still some way to go, there has been much change in the physical environment of the East End of Glasgow and it is clear the Games have contributed to this improvement. The amount of vacant and derelict land has reduced as Games-related, and wider regeneration-related, infrastructure has been built on remediated brownfield sites.

9.25 And there is evidence of the community in the East End feeling their neighbourhood has improved as a place to live, to a much higher extent than is found in other areas of high deprivation across Scotland. Feelings of neighbourhood satisfaction and neighbourhood safety were notably higher among GoWell East respondents post Games, compared to their perceptions in 2012.

XX Commonwealth Games - Extending Legacies into the Future

9.26 The challenge will be extending and embedding these benefits to date in Scotland and Glasgow to secure lasting legacies into the future.

9.27 A direct lasting legacy is likely to be the growth of the events sector in Scotland. The facilities built and redeveloped for the XX Commonwealth Games have opened opportunities to host more events in Scotland and, importantly, different types of events. This infrastructural capacity has been accompanied by greater capacity in the events supply chain, greater confidence within the sector, and greater external reputation.

9.28 There is already impact evident in terms of ability to attract major events. To date, 45 national and international events have been secured using Games infrastructure, with an estimated economic impact of over £18.5m.

9.29 To capitalise on the learning and experience from 2014, Scotland has developed a new National Events Strategy, to be published shortly. This aims to grow the events sector with an events portfolio that comprises core events unique to Scotland each year as well as high profile major events, with benefits for the people of Scotland and visitors.

9.30 Longer term legacy for high performance sport and para sport in Scotland is the focus of investment in the 2015-16 Draft Scottish Budget. £6m was provided for the development of a new National Para Sports Centre, the first of its kind in the UK, which will ensure disabled athletes can train at world-class, fully integrated multi-sports facilities. Further, £24m was provided for the development of a National Performance Centre for Sport in Edinburgh.

9.31 It was suggested above that there has been some evidence for the operation of a demonstration effect of increased interest in sport and exercise related to the XX Commonwealth Games. The evidence suggests, however, that demonstration effects can be short term and do not impact on those uninterested in sport. Attempts to leverage any event related inspiration have been made through national and city legacy programmes that focus on physical activity, reaching the inactive and taking a long term approach through improving sport and physical education in schools.

9.32 It is too soon to say from national population statistics whether the increases noted in participation in sport and exercise, and physical activity more broadly, between 2012 and 2013 have continued. There is evidence of improvement in quantity and quality of sport and PE in schools across Scotland.

9.33 It is clear though that increasing population levels of physical activity is a long term generational challenge. Population activity levels are affected by a range of individual and environmental factors. The wider trends in transport, occupational changes and technological changes are challenging.

9.34 There are signs that Scotland is in a relatively good position internationally, with the cross sector nature of challenge recognised through the National Strategic Group for Sport and Physical Activity. Since the Games there has been an enhanced focus at Scotland and Glasgow levels on reaching the very inactive.

9.35 The early signs on regeneration of the East End are encouraging, and while sustained efforts on physical regeneration will be required, there is a higher emphasis in recent funding on social and community development programmes.

9.36 The overall assessment of the GoWell East research team is that medium to long term sustained economic improvements in the East End related to the XX Commonwealth Games and associated regeneration activities are possible. Crucially, they will depend on the regeneration effort continuing for a further ten to 15 years after the Games, and upon the strategic partnership operating between Clyde Gateway and other public agencies continuing with a common focus and priority on the East End^[100].

9.37 Efforts have been made to build on the organisational lessons learned and experience of successful partnership working for the wider benefit of the public sector in Scotland.

9.38 The Commonwealth Games were, however, an exceptionally large event for Scotland and Glasgow. Part of the challenge of capitalising on the enhanced partnerships and experience built up in partner organisations will be transferring this practice to ‘business as usual’, in the absence of the imperative of the delivery of a mega event.

9.39 Finally, the updated evidence review found that while new evidence on mega events and legacy is emerging, the overall message remains unchanged that robust empirical evidence of legacies from major sporting events is limited in both quantity and quality. It is hoped this evaluation adds to the evidence base internationally on the plausibility of legacy in different domains and the factors which make legacy more likely. Final reporting in this evaluation will help assess the extent to which these longer term benefits materialise, a decade on from 2008.