Volunteering
Powered by our volunteers
The generosity and commitment of our volunteers throughout 2025/26 enriched our venues, services and events, and extended the reach of our work.
Our volunteers make a tremendous contribution across everything we do at Glasgow Life, connecting the people of Glasgow and visitors to our city with culture, sport, learning and active living.
They are a much-valued source of support, information and inspiration, enriching our experiences and helping more people access the opportunities we provide.
The passion and commitment shown by our volunteers reflects the spirit of collaboration that underpins our charity, extending the reach and impact of our work through friendly, memorable experiences.
Across 2025/26, nearly 1,900 volunteers chose to support our programmes and events and collectively donated almost 27,000 hours of their time, reflecting a 20% increase on the previous year.
Volunteering is also a rewarding experience in its own right, offering opportunities to develop skills, gain experience and make lasting friendships. During the past year:
- 93% of our volunteers rated their experience as excellent and said they would recommend volunteering with Glasgow Life.
- 83% reported making new friends and feeling part of a community.
- 60% said they felt they had made a difference and given something back to their communities and the city.
- 53% said volunteering with Glasgow Life had provided an increased sense of purpose and improved their physical or mental wellbeing.
From providing a warm welcome to Celtic Connections and our Aye Write Book Festival, to leading health walks, offering guided museum tours, and helping people improve their digital skills in our libraries and community centres, we are deeply grateful for the invaluable difference our volunteers make every day.
Sparking curiosity through coding
Teaching children how to be digital creators as well as consumers.
Available in eight libraries across the city, our popular and free coding clubs introduce children and young people to essential digital skills.
From creating computer games to participating in the Astro Pi programme, where their code runs on the International Space Station, clubs like CoderDojo spark curiosity and help children to learn, build their confidence and resilience, and make new friends.
We’re only able to deliver these clubs thanks to a team of dedicated volunteers – like Michael, who went from attending a code club as a kid to returning years later to help the next generation find their feet with technology.
As mum Jacquline explains in our short film, her sons Heath and Flynn arrived not knowing how to use a computer mouse and now come home buzzing after every session.