Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games

HOST CITY VOLUNTEER (HCV) PROGRAMME

Around 1,100 Host City Volunteers provided information and wayfinding around the city centre for visitors, spectators and residents during Games-time. Targetting previously under-represented groups, the award winning programme has been recognised as one of the most inclusive volunteering programmes ever delivered as part of a major sporting and cultural event. This series of research reports explores the impact of involvement in the HCV programme on volunteers, staff, and partner organisations.

Volunteers’ Experience (2015)

This study explores the experiences of those who participated as Host City Volunteers during the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Partnership Working and Co-production (2016)

This report evaluated the following elements of the HCV project:

Partnership working and relationship development – various partner organisations worked with Glasgow Life to support delivery of the HCV project. The experiences of a number of these organisations of this process are investigated.

Co-production approach to the Our Games exhibition – 13 Host City Volunteers worked with Glasgow Museums’ staff to co-produce Our Games – an exhibition to celebrate the contribution of HCVs to supporting delivery of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, and which aimed to raise public awareness of the benefits of volunteering. The exhibition was on display at the People’s Palace, and the report explores the experiences of both volunteers and Museums’ staff of the co-production approach.

Visitor experience – it is estimated that over 65,000 people visited the Our Games exhibition. Interviews with a small sample of visitors, combined with analysis of customer comments, provide reflections on the visitor experience and the impact of the exhibition.

Long-term Impact: Legacy (2018)

This research examined the long-term impact of the Host City Volunteer programme, 3 years on from the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. It explored levels of volunteering, social connectedness, and the impact on particular groups involved in the programme. It also considers the implications for how we think about and plan for the volunteering ‘legacy’ of large events.