The Sunday Splash, Sunday January 12

The Week Glasgow: News

UK's First Safer Drug Consumption Facility Opens tomorrow in Glasgow

The UK’s first safer drug consumption facility, known as 'The Thistle', will open in Glasgow’s Hunter Street tomorrow (Monday). It will operate daily from 9am - 9pm, 365 days of the year.

First Minister says harm reduction approach will help save lives.

John Swinney has welcomed the opening of the UK’s first safer drugs consumption facility in Glasgow.

The First Minister and Health Secretary Neil Gray received a tour of the Thistle Centre, ahead of it supporting its first service users

The facility will provide a supervised healthcare setting where people can inject drugs in the presence of trained health and social care professionals in a clean, hygienic environment.

The facility is backed by £2 million a year from the Scottish Government.

The centre aims to reduce the harms associated with injecting drugs, including the risk of blood-borne viruses such as HIV, support people to get help to improve their lives and reduce the negative impact of outdoors injecting on those using substances, local residents, communities and businesses.

Speaking during the visit, Mr Swinney said: “The Thistle Centre in Glasgow is the first facility of its kind in the UK and it is backed by £2 million a year from the Scottish Government.

“Every death related to drug misuse is one too many, and drug deaths in Scotland remain far too high.

“There has been lot of encouraging progress since we launched our National Mission, and while this facility is not a silver bullet, it is another significant step forward and will complement other efforts to reduce harms and deaths.

“Scotland’s public health and human rights-based approach to tackling drug misuse means we’re focused on ensuring our healthcare services are not only listening to people but also drawing on their experiences as we work to support them.

“Families and those with lived experience have been pivotal in bringing change and helping shape our response to drugs misuse in Scotland. Of course, my sincere condolences go to anyone in Scotland who has lost a loved one to drugs.

“Those with lived experience have been involved in the designing the service and had input on staff recruitment. Indeed, people with lived experience, who know what it’s like to see people injecting drugs in unsafe conditions, have joined the workforce at the facility.”

Health Secretary Neil Gray said: “Worldwide evidence demonstrates that drug consumption facilities can help save and improve lives.

“The Scottish Government wants every person experiencing harm from alcohol or drug use to be able access the support they need and record levels of funding have been protected in next year’s budget.

“We’ve maintained £112 million to local Alcohol and Drug Partnerships for local treatment and support services in 2024-25 – including £28.1 million to Greater Glasgow and Clyde ADP – and will continue to invest in residential rehabilitation.

“A recent PHS report suggests that, in 2022-23, the Scottish Government reached its target of 1,000 individuals a year being publicly funded to go to residential rehabilitation and that the number of individuals starting a placement which was publicly funded is likely to have almost doubled between 2019-20 and 2022-23.

“I would like to thank everyone involved in getting this life-saving service up and running for their hard work.”

Councillor Allan Casey, convener for addiction services at Glasgow City Council, said: “I am really delighted we have taken this massive leap forward in the compassionate service that we can provide to those who so often feel they are being left behind.”

Councillor Casey shows inside the new facility here

Drug minister Christina McKelvie added: “It’s good to see the Thistle open, I know the excellent team there will support many people and provide a safe place for those who need it the most.”

Gym-goers and Finnieston residents have called for plans to build flats on the site of a “cherished” gym to be turned down. More than 1780 people backed a petition calling for the Nuffield Health gym on Minerva Way to be saved while over 250 have written to Glasgow City Council to oppose the 391-home proposal. Councillors on the city’s planning committee will attend a hearing on the proposal on Tuesday. Drew Sandelands, Local Democracy Reporter

Glasgow police arrested and charged 20 people over drug offences and dealing as part of a crime crackdown, which saw new streets added to an exclusion zone. The operation, which targeted Bridge Street and Carlton Place south of the river and the St Enoch area, also led to 26 men and women being charged over anti-social behaviour including carrying weapons. Sarah Hilley, Local Democracy Reporter

Glasgow City Council is set to finalise an extra £2m investment in the revamp of the Citizens Theatre, after the Scottish Government committed £8m. Citizens Theatre Ltd, which leases the council-owned building, is expected to move back into the theatre later this month, although it still requires around £3.5m to complete the project. Drew Sandelands, Local Democracy Reporter

One of Glasgow's most deprived areas needs a new secondary school and a supermarket to help improve the standard of living, a local councillor has claimed. Milton teenagers currently have to catch two buses to get to the nearest high school while the lack of a supermarket means residents face paying higher prices for food at small shops. Sarah Hilley, Local Democracy Reporter

An empty Glasgow office is to be converted into a flat for the homeless in the north of the city to help ease the housing crisis. Wheatley Homes wants to alter the housing office to transform it back to a two bedroom ground floor flat in Hillend Road in the Lambhill area. Sarah Hilley, Local Democracy Reporter

Two leases for West End buildings are set to be agreed to provide rooms for homeless people as part of efforts to ease the city’s housing emergency. Glasgow City Council is planning to continue renting accommodation at Queen Margaret Drive — which can house 34 people — for another 10 years due to rising homelessness. Drew Sandelands, Local Democracy Reporter

As sub zero temperatures hit Glasgow, the city is offering warm rooms where people can escape the cold and get a free tea or coffee. Libraries provide cosy spaces known as 'welcome places' for residents looking to drop in for heat - as fuel poverty is a major problem the city. Sarah Hilley, Local Democracy Reporter

Interior design students at City of Glasgow College have been collaborating in a new project to redevelop a former South Side school into a villa. Craigholme School, which sits on St Andrews Drive Pollokshields, is made up of 19th century stone-built residential villas linked together by 1960s extensions. Catherine Hunter, Local Democracy Reporter

A Scottish cookery school is looking to open in a former restaurant premises at Glasgow’s Princes Squares hopping centre. Sheet Anchor Investments Ltd has asked Glasgow City Council for permission to change the use of the empty unit 53 in the Buchanan Street complex. Drew Sandelands, Local Democracy Reporter

Tomorrow (Monday) is your last chance to have your say on proposals aimed at making it safer and easier to walk, wheel, and cycle around the George V Bridge area. This plan is part of a larger vision to create a more sustainable, accessible city for everyone. Key highlights of the proposals include:
🔹 Hard segregated cycle lanes on George V Bridge for safer cycling.
🔹 Redesigned junctions at Oswald Street/Broomielaw and Clyde Place to improve flow and safety.
🔹 Enhanced pedestrian layouts with dropped kerbs and tactile paving for better accessibility.
🔹 New signalised crossings for pedestrians and cyclists, ensuring smoother and safer journeys.
🔹 Protected, cycle-friendly junctions to encourage confident cycling in busy areas.

For full details and to submit your feedback, visit here

IN BRIEF

Drivers are advised to plan ahead as essential permanent carriageway patching works are set to take place on Parkhouse Road between Nitshill Road and Whitriggs Road. The road will be closed daily from 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM between Sunday, January 12 and Wednesday January 15, 2025. A signed diversion route will be in place, directing traffic via Nitshill Road, Wiltonburn Road, Willowford Road, and Whitriggs Road in both directions.

🚨🚓CRIMEBEAT🚨🔵

Three people have been arrested in connection with a serious assault following a disturbance on Blantyre Street, Yorkhill, on Tuesday. Around 1.10am, police responded to reports of a man and woman, aged 49 and 48, injured on nearby Argyle Street. Both were hospitalised with serious injuries, along with a 76-year-old man found at a nearby property. A 48-year-old man previously arrested for robbery has been charged with serious assault and was expected to appear in court this week Road closures between Bunhouse Road and Sauchiehall Street have reopened, with officers remaining for further enquiries.

A 22-year-old woman was robbed in Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Park while she was walking towards Royal Terrace on Tuesday at 6.05pm. Two male suspects approached and robbed the woman. The first suspect is described as 5ft 6in tall, wearing a black jacket with the hood up. The second suspect was wearing a black mask and riding a bicycle. Witnesses should contact police on 101.

Two 30-year-old men have been arrested in connection with a disturbance in the Jamaica Street area of the city centre about 3.30am on Wednesday. Officers attended the area and the road was closed for a number of hours to allow for an investigation to be carried out. Enquiries remain ongoing to identify and trace two further men believed to be involved in the incident.

A 49-year-old man on Monday was jailed for three years and nine months for drugs supply and dangerous driving. At the High Court in Glasgow, Frank Donaghy, pictured, was also banned from driving for six years and nine months. Donaghy deliberately drove his car at two unmarked police vehicles in Drummore Road, Drumchapel. This resulted in two officers being injured and taken to hospital. Donaghy was arrested and heroin worth an estimated street value of £96,000 was recovered.

🚑🏥HEALTH NEWS 🩺

A Community Link Worker (CLW) who supports people with issues affecting their wellbeing has told of the vital help being delivered over the winter period. Sharon Irvine, pictured, is a CLW with the Health and Social Care Alliance (Alliance) who are commissioned by Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership.

Beware of scam calls claiming to be from GP practices in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, asking you to press 1 or provide details—never share personal or financial information. If unsure, hang up and contact your GP directly.

For faster, more comfortable care for minor injuries like cuts, sprains, or burns, visit Minor Injuries Units where most patients are treated within two to three hours—call NHS 24 on 111. A&E should only be used for life-threatening emergencies.

Explore a wide range of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde care options—nurses, pharmacists, and other specialists are ready to help alongside your GP. Use online tools like NHS Inform for symptom advice before seeking in-person care.