Latest Commonwealth Games News

Queen’s Baton Relay

Today on day 13 the baton will be in Dundee and has already been spotted by Education Scotland staff (see below image).  

Find out more about the batons exciting journey around Scotland and where you can join in here.

 

 Festival Club Tickets

Tickets for the #Festival2014 Club are now on sale! This is your chance to party under the same roof as Team Scotland at Festival 2014’s official late night venue. We’ll have sets from Ibibio Sound Machine, Peatbog Faeries, The Treacherous Orchestra, Salsa Celtica, The Chills and more. Plus you can enjoy great DJs and treat yourself to a Festival 2014 Commonwealth cocktail!

Tickets available now from: http://www.glasgowconcerthalls.com/?s=festival+club?s=festival+club

Gift of the Games

Glasgow 2014 will share the first-hand thrill of world-class sport with 5000 of the most disadvantaged young people through a ground-breaking programme called Gift of the Games.

With just one month to go, Gift of the Games will ensure thousands of young people who otherwise may not have the opportunity, will now be part of an inspiring day out at Scotland’s biggest-ever sporting and cultural festival.

Young people from every local authority area in Scotland will experience the field-of-play action across a wide range of sports taking place throughout the Games, with transport and meals also provided. Games sponsors and Scotland’s business community are meeting the cost of Gift of the Games. The programme will be delivered through the grassroots network of Bauer Media’s charity, Cash For Kids. Bauer Media joins Glasgow 2014’s sponsor family as an Official Provider of Gift of the Games.

For more information please click here.

Glasgow Airport opportunity

Want to welcome the athletes as they arrive to Glasgow Airport?

Your group can be part of it! From 17 July until 22 July Glasgow Airport are looking for groups of children and young people to come in and give the athletes a warm Scottish welcome. If you are interested please email steven_marshall@glasgowairport.com  with details of your group, number of members, age groups and your availability.

National Lottery Award Finalists

We are delighted to announce that Glasgow 2014 Legacy project Active East has been nominated for the National Lottery Award for Sport. The nomination recognises the work the project does using sport to raise the skills, confidence and wellbeing of young people throughout the east end of Glasgow. Active east have fostered fantastic collaboration among youth and sports organisations and made a difference to the lives of hundreds of young people. It would be great to have a Glasgow 2014 winner of this prestigious UK award, which is decided by public vote. Please vote for Active East and share the link with your friends and family.

Vote here before the 23 July and tweet your support @LottoGoodCauses using the hashtag is #NLAwards

More great seats have become available!

More great seats across a number of sports, including currently unavailable events, have been released. We’ve been able to reallocate these seats to sports fans now that we have final confirmation on the requirements of tour groups, participating nations and territories, sponsors and hospitality clients. We’ve also released a limited number of partial views seats for the Opening Ceremony, with views of the live action but not the big screen backdrop, priced at just £20.

Tickets can be purchased at the Glasgow 2014 Ticketing website or by calling 0800 458 2014 (freephone)

Please also note that reallocated seats will continue to be made available for public sale right up until Games Time so remember to keep checking the Ticketing website.

Follow Glasgow 2014 on Twitter for all the latest updates!

Pride House website

LEAP Sports are proud to be hosting a Pride House in Glasgow during the Commonwealth Games this summer. Located on Albion Street in the heart of the Merchant City, Pride House will play host to a range of sports, cultural and arts events which share as a common theme the vision of breaking down the social and personal barriers which discourage LGBT people across the country from participating in sports.

For full event schedule please visit Pride House website here

Dance Opportunity in North East

Get Scotland Dancing logoDance opportunity for young people in the North East: The Four Seasons

We’d like to make you aware of this fantastic and free opportunity; Aberdeen International Youth Festival are looking to recruit young people from across the North-East, with varying levels of experience, who will work with internationally renowned choreographer and community dance leader Royston Maldoom, former Artistic Director of Scottish Dance Theatre Tamara McLorg, and selected Scottish dance artists. The project takes place in the summer holidays leading up to a performance on 20 July in Aberdeen.

To find out more information and to apply, click here. Deadline 3rd July 2014.

Spotlight on Australia

Game on Scotland is supporting youngsters across the globe as they explore learning inspired by the XX Commonwealth Games.

In New South Wales there is a real spotlight on Health and Wellbeing. 1st Oak Park Joey Scouts and ensuring youngsters start as they mean to go on by exploring why exercise and healthy diet are important. Knoxfield Primary, Melbourne continue with the Healthy theme, setting themselves a Healthy Eating challenge.  They will also focus on the challenges of countries across the Commonwealth – both the challenges they face within individual countries as well as the challenge to enter a team of athletes to participate in Games events.  Students in Monash Special Developmental School are playing the different Commonwealth sports and St Philip’s Community School are running a two week themed event which has a range of sporting events as well as crafts and afternoon tea – sounds lovely.

In Western Australia Year 1 students are learning about other cultures and developing a greater awareness of tolerance and understanding. By focusing on Commonwealth countries, students can begin to appreciate opportunities available across the world, how they themselves fit into this and how they can use this purposefully as they grow and learn.

In South Australia over 400 students in Risdon Park Primary are buddying up to compete in a Commonwealth Sporting extravaganza. Each class will also research and study a Commonwealth country and share their learning at an assembly. Over in Blackfriars Priory School, there has been an explosion of “Spud-letes”. We were intrigued by the Spud-letes (athletes made from potato). Students are busy creating their Spud-lete, putting together their profile, autobiography, vital statistics etc. Spud-lete’s will represent different Commonwealth countries across a range of events – “Spud-put”, “Spud-vault”. Students will then measure, record and display results alongside their Commonwealth Country statistics and information. Here at Education Scotland we can’t wait to see pictures of the Spud-letic Games, and we will share these with you!

As you might expect, schools in the Queensland area are beginning to get excited about the XX Commonwealth Games and the prospect of them being handed over to GOLD Coast Organising Committee in a few short weeks.

Queensland Department of Education, Training and Employment are already exploring ways in which they can best support students to learn more about the culture, customs and people across the Commonwealth. Their eLearning platform Scootle is already filling up with resources, learning ideas and competitions all aimed at helping students embrace cultural studies of the Commonwealth and develop local community partnerships.

Musgrave Hill and Park Lake State Schools are already hard at work in digital design of a mascot that they hope will be photographed across the Commonwealth. They are keen to compare the view from their own school with those of others across the Commonwealth, discovering similarities and celebrating differences in lifestyle and location. Year 5 students in Bounty Boulevard State School have a 100 days of learning Diary Challenge using the Kids Journal App for iPad. Stories will be shared with buddies in the upper school as well as North Lakes elderly community – where it is hoped students will gain some interesting tales of days gone by. Up on the Sunshine Coast, Glasshouse Country Christian College are holding an Athletics Carnival showcasing a range of Commonwealth events. In preparation for this, students will keep a journal of their training efforts and accomplishments.

Finally, Year 4 students at Mudgeerabab Creek State School have been set a challenge to design a drink bottle suitable for an athlete to use. The bottle needs to be suitable for a range of sports with youngsters drawing on their scientific knowledge of both natural and processed materials in a bid to identify the best option for their bottle. Prototypes will be put to the test during Mudgeeraba Creek’s own Commonwealth Games event as students compete over a range of sporting events.

Wow! We are excited reading about all the interesting activities planned in Australia over the next few weeks and months in celebration of the Games. We are sure that this is the first rung on the exciting ladder leading up to the XXI Commonwealth Games 2018 in Queensland – now less than 3,800 days away!

Athletes’ Village Art Competition

Inspired by Athletes’ Village Accommodation Manager, Caroline rogers, Game On Scotland launched the Athletes’ Village Art Competition.  Never in our wildest dreams did we expect the range and quality of entries from schools across Scotland.

We asked schools to hold their own internal Art Competitions and send use their 10 winning entries. We could not have imagined that this would result in our post bag overflowing with fantastic pieces of work from youngsters across the country. In fact, we received an eye watering 9,000 pieces or art work! We are absolutely overjoyed at the range of pieces, depicting many different Commonwealth sports and Glasgow landmarks. Not only that, the attention to detail and innovative way talented youngsters across the country have employed in their work ensures without doubt that the Village will be a vibrant and uplifting place for athletes and officials heading to Glasgow in just a few short weeks.

It was a very exciting day earlier this week when talented artists from St Bernadette’s Primary and Rutherglen High joined the Game On Scotland Team to formally hand over the art work to Caroline and her team who now have the task of displaying it throughout the Athletes’ Village. For a peek behind the closed doors of the Athletes’ Village you can watch Caroline’s brief film here.

During the games athletes will be encouraged to respond to schools through email/postcard. Also, keep your eyes peeled for tweets as we are expecting athletic selfies with art work to appear #VillageArt

Star in Clyde’s Summer Adventure

Are you an Early Years Centre that remains open over the summer period?  Have you shared your commonwealth story by posting a Game On Scotland Challenge?  If so, you are just who we are looking for!

Tell us in no more than 100 words what sort of fun Clyde, the cheeky Glasgow 2014 mascot, could have if he came to stay at your centre for the summer.

Activities, sports, games, trips & all sorts of fun might be taking place,.  If your centre is selected, we’ll send a mimi Clyde to stay with you for the summer.  All we ask is that you record his visit in some way (writing, pictures, photographs, video, etc) and send this to us in August.

In return, we’ll publish some of the high jinks that he gets up to over the summer period on the Game On Scotland website.  What’s more, you’ll be able to keep the mini Clyde as a special gift to remember the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

If you would like to participate, please send us an email including:

Your name, contact details and your 100 word description to enquiries@gameonsctland.org

If you have not shared your Commonwealth story, you can do it easily (it will take less than 5 minutes) Register your Game On Challenge at www.gameonscotland.org

We can’t wait to hear what plans you have in place for Clyde!

Healthier Scotland Cooking Bus at the Commonwealth Games

FREE SESSIONS FOR COMMUNITY GROUPS AND ORGANISATIONS

The Healthier Scotland Cooking Bus is offering FREE practical cooking sessions throughout the Commonwealth
Games to community groups and organisations.

SESSION INFORMATION
When are the sessions?
24 July – 3 August 2014.

Where are the sessions taking place?
The Healthier Scotland Cooking Bus will be located at Glasgow Green.

Access to the site will be free and non-ticketed, so in addition to your session on the Cooking Bus, you could access the other activities and events at Glasgow Green.
How many people can visit the Cooking Bus?
Each session accommodates up to 16 participants and will be tailored to your group or organisation’s needs.
How long do the sessions last?
Sessions are 1 hour and 30 minutes and take place at 10.45am each day.
Who can take part?
Sessions can be for any type and age range of local community group or organisation e.g. a group for the disabled, senior citizens or family group. There is an opportunity to involve parents andcarers also.
Do we need to provide any food?
No. We provide all the food and the aprons needed for your session, all we ask is that you arrive  promptly and ready to cook with us.
How do I book a session?
Contact Joanne Johnstone by email joanne@focusonfood.org or telephone 01422 383191 to book your session.

For more information please download the flyer:  CWG 2014 – Free Community Sessions Flyer

The Glasgow Games 2014 App

The St Joachim’s Glasgow Games 2104 app will get you out of the starting blocks and prepared for the XX Commonwealth Games being hosted in Glasgow.

The app contains a wealth of information on the history of current Commonwealth sports, competition schedules, venues, travel information and fascinating and useful facts on the participating nations and territories*.

Pupils from St Joachim’s Primary School in Glasgow, as part of a 2014 Legacy project, have researched and designed the content and this app allows you to find out everything you need to know about Glasgow 2014 at the tap of a button.

*Requires internet connection.

You can download the app from:

Google Play Store – Glasgow Games 2014 

App Store – Glasgow Games 2014

Commonwealth Games Legacy Week

Initiatives such as engineering, environment and educational projects delivering lasting benefits from Scotland hosting the Commonwealth Games will be celebrated during the second dedicated Legacy Week (9-13 June).

With less than 50 days to go and organisers confident of delivering the greatest ever Games, the nationwide focus on the Games’ wider benefits includes a Legacy 2014 Celebration Event at the Murrayfield Stadium (10 June).

150 people from across Scotland will join Cabinet Secretary for Commonwealth Games Shona Robison; Glasgow 2014 Chief Executive David Grevemberg; Michael Cavanagh, Commonwealth Games Scotland Chairman; and Glasgow City Council’s Councillor Archie Graham to celebrate the achievements of over 50 national Legacy programmes, plus the input from all local authorities in creating a sustainable legacy Scotland wide.

Compered by cyclist and broadcaster Mark Beaumont, the event will include a performance of the ‘Let The Games Begin’, the Glasgow Games’ single by East 40 benefitting one of the Games’ official charity partners, UNICEF.

Legacy Week is a partnership between the Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council and Glasgow 2014, ahead of the Queen’s Baton Relay arriving in Scotland on 14 June.

Cabinet Secretary for Commonwealth Games and Sport, Shona Robison, said: “The Scottish Government and partners are committed to delivering a positive and lasting legacy from hosting the Games.

“This Legacy Week is another opportunity to promote the successful work which is well underway across the country, ensuring that Glasgow 2014 is about much more than 11 days of scintillating sport, but a catalyst for regeneration and economic growth.

“Our ambition is now to turn a good legacy into a great legacy, securing Scotland’s reputation worldwide as one of the frontrunners in delivering nationwide benefits from hosting a major sporting event.”

David Grevemberg, Glasgow 2014 Chief Executive, said: “Glasgow 2014 and its Games Partners, Glasgow City Council and the Scottish Government, firmly believe that legacy doesn’t just happen to you, it happens by you getting involved and making things happen.
 
“The legacy of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games is already apparent and many people are benefitting from the Games by participating in a broad range of successful projects, some of which will be highlighted during this coming week.
 
“Our vision is to create a world-class stage for the elite athletes of the Commonwealth, generate enormous pride in Glasgow and Scotland, and leave a lasting legacy.”

Councillor Archie Graham, Executive Member for the Commonwealth Games at Glasgow City Council, said: “We are just a few weeks away from hosting the biggest sporting event ever to be held in Scotland.

“Legacy Week is a great opportunity for people to find out about the work we’re doing across the city to make sure there is a lasting benefit from the Games.
 
“Glasgow’s preparations for the Games have already left the city better off economically, environmentally and socially. 

“Many of our legacy ambitions have already been delivered such as jobs, apprenticeship and training places for our young people through the council’s ground-breaking £50 million Glasgow Guarantee. 

“All our venues have been built, opened and in use well in advance of the Games.
 
“We want to make sure no one is left behind and Legacy Week is an ideal opportunity to highlight what  communities and groups are doing to make sure they can make the most of this once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Mike Hooper, CEO, Commonwealth Games Federation, said: “The Commonwealth Games Federation is pleased to note the success of the Games Partners to date in ensuring a lasting legacy from Glasgow 2014.

“Indeed the CGF’s Co-ordination Commission has formally congratulated those involved and called it a ‘blueprint for future Games’ in its report on progress towards delivering an outstanding Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this summer.”

There are over 50 Legacy 2014 national programmes delivered by national partners and more than 70 supporting Legacy 2014 projects in place across Scotland, generating jobs and training opportunities, investing in new or upgraded community facilities, helping people to get more active, and inspiring fun learning opportunities and new global connections.

Glasgow City Council has its own legacy plan and suite of programmes to deliver a sustainable legacy at Glasgow level.

Community Sport Hubs, Game On Scotland, the official education programme for the Games, and the PE Disability Inclusion Training Programme are among those national programmes highlighted during the Murrayfield celebration event. Speakers will include: Scottish Enterprise’s 2014 Director Linda Murray; the founder of Street Soccer Scotland, David Duke; Clyde Gateway CEO, Ian Manson; and Young Scot Youth Legacy Ambassadors.

There are many ways in which people can still get involved in the legacy of the Games. Organisations can apply for Active Places Funding, Community Sport Hubs are available across the country, and people can take part in Games for Scotland and enjoy the events being hosted as part of the nationwide Culture 2014 programme.

Exclusively on Glow: The Athletes, Games and Queen’s Baton

Over the next 3 weeks Game On Scotland is delighted to be able to present you with an exciting series of Glow Meets for learners to hear from top Scottish athletes and post their questions to them.
These sessions will include athletes such as Colin Gregor (Rugby 7s Captain), Eilish McColgan (athletics), Meggan Dawson-Farrell (wheelchair racer) as well as presenter and adventurer, Mark Beaumont.

Joining the first session tomorrow may also win you a Clyde Doll. The best question posted will be selected as the winner.

The following sessions will be on offer:

 Meet the Athletes 1:   Sport in a Global Context
4 June, 10.00 am
Register:  bit.ly/1oBejJF  

Join Colin Gregor, captain of the Rugby 7s Team, Audrey McIntosh, the first Scot to complete an Antarctic marathon and 100k run in just 3 days as well as Angie Malone, British Wheelchair Curling team and Bronze medal winner from Sochi 2014, to hear about their extraordinary achievements as well as their views on global issues such as gender equality and inclusion.

This session will be followed by:

Athletes Challenge Global Issues – Workshop
4 June,  11.00 am
Register: bit.ly/1mxSGVQ

Learners from St Blane’s Primary in Blantyre will begin the workshop by presenting their findings from research carried out on tribal conflict in Rwanda and sectarianism in Scotland. The presenting group will be taking questions from the Glow audience and posing a some questions of their own to challenge learners participating on Glow. Leaners will provide an opportunity to get involved in a comparative discussing focused on tribal conflict in Rwanda and sectarianism in Scotland.

Meet the Athletes 2: Preparing for the Games
9 June,  11.00 am
Register: http://bit.ly/meettheathletes1

Eilish McColgan (3000m steeplechase), Ailsa Wylie (hockey striker), Meggan Dawson-Farrell (wheelchair racer) and Sean Docherty (table tennis) will share their excitement about the Games with you and tell you what it takes to be at the top of your game. They are looking forward to meet you and answer the questions you may have for them live on Glow. See you all on the 9th June!

Mark Beaumont presents: The Queens Baton Relay!
16 June, 11.00 am
Register: http://bit.ly/queensbaton

This exclusive session will be presented live by Mark Beaumont from a school in Midlothian. Mark will share his rich experiences following the baton around all the 70 nations and territories and answer your questions as we go along. He will also introduce you to some special guests joining him that morning. This session is one you don’t want to miss!

The Team behind the Games: Meet the Glasgow 2014 Staff
20 June,  11.00 am
Register: http://bit.ly/glasgow2014staff

This is your chance to find out about the people who are involved in the organisation and running of the Games. You will receive insider information about a variety of aspects from the Games creators and be able to ask them the question only they will be able to answer.
Game On!

Your
Game On Scotland Team