Race to Save Ruchill!
Community fights to re-open beloved centre as October deadline looms
By Catherine Hunter, Local Democracy Reporter
Regular meetings are being held between Glasgow City Council and Ruchill Community Trust in a bid to save the local centre.
The Ruchill Community Centre has been closed to the public since the start of the pandemic.
And if a takeover deal isn’t agreed by the end of October it could be sold or knocked down.
Campaigners have been calling for the community centre on Bilsland Drive to be reopened but Glasgow City Council said back in May that there was no prospect of the centre being managed by Glasgow Life, the council’s culture and leisure arm.
During the most recent full council meeting, councillor Fiona Higgins asked that following the Ruchill Community Centre decision when officers would meet with local members to set out next steps.
Councillor Laura Doherty said: “I can confirm that meetings have already taken place between Ruchill Community Trust and officers from the People Make Glasgow Communities team.
“A draft project plan has been developed and a way forward has been agreed with the Trust to ensure that momentum continues with a team who are leading the process and with support from Glasgow Life.
“This collaborative approach ensures that the trust receives consistent and coordinated support as the project progresses forward to a future paper at CAC later next year.”
Councillor Higgins pointed out that the number of people working within People Make Glasgow Communities (PMGC) had dropped in recent years.
She said: I am sure you will agree that the recent work of the PMGC team is invaluable to our city but in recent years the number of people working on the team has reduced significantly.
“Does the convenor feel that PMGCs invaluable work is appropriately resourced and is there any scope to increase resources including staff.”
Councillor Doherty replied: “I do feel currently that it is appropriately resourced, obviously any resource would be greatly appreciated by the team but this is obviously a matter of budgeting.
“As far as the support that Ruchill Community Trust is being promised, I do feel that meeting every two weeks, getting additional support from officers is appropriate and is far more than any other group is getting within the city.”
🔥 MORE STORIES. LESS COST. JUST 50p A WEEK. 🔥
This summer, subscribe to The Splash for just £1.99/month — that’s 66% off.
👉 Join today — stay informed, stay involved
We’re giving you more fearless local reporting than ever — for less than the price of a Freddo.
What else can you get for 50p a week these days?
❌ Not a coffee
❌ Not a bus ride
❌ Not even a bag of crisps
✅ But it can get you…
• Investigations that shake up the City Council
• Real stories from Glasgow’s overlooked communities
• Columns that cut through the noise
• Voices that reflect your reality
We need readers like you — now more than ever — to help keep The Splash alive.
Because when local journalism dies, communities go unheard.
If you believe Glasgow deserves better, put your 50p where it matters.
📣 66% OFF → Just £1.99/month
👉 Subscribe now
And this Monday — don’t miss it.
💥 Chris Mitchell is back with a blistering new column.
Raw, honest, and fearless — you won’t read this anywhere else.
If you care about Glasgow, you need to read this.
Subscribe today so you don’t miss a word.
This is your chance to save independent local journalism —
50p a week. That’s it.
Thank you for backing us.
— Gary Fanning
Founder, The Splash
Good point about Glasgow Life. Originally set up to work round privatisation and keep doing good stuff for Glasgow that has long gone. They now operate as an independent private business but they are not. Ultimately the citizens of Glasgow own it but this organisation is undemocratic and unaccountable.
PS Can we avoid headlines with “ beloved”.
What does Glasgow Life actually do? If it is supposed to manage the cultural and leisure side of GCC then it should. People in communities need their hubs , especially in times of crisis. Benefit cuts, service cuts, cost of living crisis. Take away the hub and communities become disparate and desperate. Community development 101. It would seem that Glasgow Life are only interested in the cultural events - the Mela, Kelvingrove Bandstand, concerts in Queens Park/Bellahouston Park. Paid for prestigious events. And then there is the Commonwealth Games...
When the Council says "people make Glasgow" then ignore the very people who do make Glasgow, something has gone badly wrong. They have millions to spend on vanity projects- street art, wide pavements, a whole new George Square. But ignore the heart of communities throughout the city where constituents and Council Tax payers actually live. Community hubs are essential and it should not be the community that has to pay through the nose to keep them afloat. GCC and Glasgow Life - do better!