Toryglen Community Youth Project Takes Over Geoff Shaw Community Centre in Glasgow
Glasgow City Council has granted a 25-year lease of the Geoff Shaw Community Centre to the Toryglen Community Youth Project (TYCP). The decision, made through the city’s People Make Glasgow Communities (PMGC) programme, promises to breathe new life into a venue that once served as a vital hub for the Toryglen community.
The People Make Glasgow Communities programme enables local organisations, groups, and individuals to take over and manage council-owned facilities to deliver services tailored to their communities’ needs. Past successes include Pollok United Nethercraigs managing Nethercraigs Sports Complex and Castlemilk Community Football Trust running Barlia Sports Complex. Now, the Geoff Shaw Community Centre joins this list of facilities entrusted to grassroots initiatives.
Located at 25 Kerrylamont Avenue, the Geoff Shaw Community Centre boasts an array of amenities, including a main hall, meeting rooms, a kitchen, and a café area. Pre-pandemic, the centre was a popular and well-used venue. However, its closure during lockdown and subsequent part-time reopening by Glasgow Life left the community with limited access to its much-loved facility.
The Toryglen Community Youth Project (TYCP), born out of the Southside Boxing Academy Community Hub, is dedicated to addressing the challenges faced by young people in the area. The group has taken a holistic approach to improving community well-being by focusing on youth development, education, sports participation, and overall health.
TYCP sees the Geoff Shaw Community Centre as the perfect base for its activities. The centre will allow the charity to expand its structured programmes, promote social inclusion, and provide a safe and vibrant space for the Toryglen community to connect and grow.
Councillor Ruairi Kelly, Convener for Housing and Development, has championed the PMGC programme and highlighted the benefits of transferring facilities to local organisations.
“The approval of the granting of a long lease for the Geoff Shaw Community Centre to a local charity already supporting young people in Toryglen and the surrounding area will benefit the community there for decades to come,” said Cllr Kelly.
This approach not only saves council resources but also ensures that local facilities are managed by those who understand the specific needs of the area. The programme aligns with a growing trend in community asset transfer across Scotland, enabling locally rooted groups to take charge of their spaces and tailor services to their neighbours.
TYCP’s work reflects a broader mission to tackle inequalities in Toryglen, a community facing its share of social and economic challenges. By focusing on youth development and community health, the charity aims to create opportunities that might otherwise be out of reach for many local residents.
Their planned use of the Geoff Shaw Community Centre includes:
Sports and Recreational Activities: Promoting physical and mental health through public participation in sports.
Educational Programmes: Helping young people build essential life skills and access learning opportunities.
Community Engagement: Creating a welcoming space where residents of all ages can come together.
Such initiatives demonstrate the transformative potential of community-led management in empowering residents and fostering a sense of ownership.
While the PMGC programme has been praised for enabling community-driven solutions, it also highlights the financial pressures facing councils across Scotland. Facilities like the Geoff Shaw Community Centre often end up in the hands of local groups due to budget constraints, with councils unable to maintain full-time operations.
Critics might question whether this approach shifts too much responsibility onto community groups without sufficient long-term support. Maintaining and running a facility like the Geoff Shaw Community Centre is no small task, and while TYCP appears well-equipped, other groups may struggle under similar arrangements.
For now, the future looks bright for the Geoff Shaw Community Centre under the stewardship of the Toryglen Community Youth Project. With a 25-year lease in hand, TYCP has a unique opportunity to transform the facility into a thriving hub that addresses the needs of its community.
As this model of community asset management expands, the successes, and challenges, of projects like this will offer valuable lessons for Glasgow and beyond. While grassroots initiatives can be powerful agents of change, they require robust support and partnership from local authorities to truly thrive.
With the festive season around the corner, the people of Toryglen can celebrate the return of their community centre, a space that promises to serve, support, and uplift its residents for years to come.
