Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games legacy: summary findings April 2018

Introduction

The XX Commonwealth Games was held in Glasgow between the 23 July and 3 August 2014. It was the largest multi-sport and cultural event ever held in Scotland. Approximately 7,000 athletes and team officials, representing 71 nations and territories from across the Commonwealth, took part. The sporting competition covered 17 sports across 261 medal events. This included 22 medal events across five para-sports. This was the largest integrated para-sport programme of any Commonwealth Games to date.

Glasgow won the bid to host the XX Commonwealth Games in 2007. A partnership of Scottish Government ( SG), Glasgow City Council ( GCC), Commonwealth Games Scotland ( CGS) and the Glasgow 2014 Organising Committee (Glasgow 2014 Ltd) led the delivery of the Games. The Games were widely considered successfully delivered. The Commonwealth Games Federation Chief Executive described Glasgow 2014 as " the standout Games in the history of the movement".

Since the original bid in 2007, partners have emphasised their desire to leverage the best possible social and economic benefit from the Games. These benefits are often collectively described as 'legacy'. Games partners committed to a long term evaluation of legacy to generate learning for Parliament, Games partners, future bidders and hosts and to add significantly to the evidence base internationally on major sporting events and legacy.

This report is the fourth and final of the planned series on the XX Commonwealth Games legacy. As time passes it becomes increasingly challenging to attribute direct effects of the legacy investment and activity to the legacy outcomes, particularly given the expectation that activity is increasingly mainstreamed into partners' business as usual practices.