Glasgow Life's chief executive has quit her role after nearly 24 years at the helm of charity delivering cultural, sporting, and learning activities on behalf of the council.
Dr Bridget O'Connell has led the charity since it was created in 2007 and has overseen major events in the city including the Commonwealth Games in 2014 and the 2018 European Championships.
During her time as chief executive, Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and Kelvin Hall have undergone separate £35m refurbishments and the city welcomed the creation of the £74m Riverside Museum and the £113m Emirates Arena.
She will see the city’s world-class Burrell Collection reopen in March this year, following a £70m refurbishment, before she retires in May.
Dr O'Connell steps down as Glasgow Life undergoes a 'redesign' in the wake of the pandemic.
The organisation lost £38m in 2020 with its estimated revenue for 20/21 placed at just £6.4m. 500 job cuts are to be made over five years through retirement and voluntary redundancy in a bid to plug the black hole.
In a leaked draft budget, Glasgow City Council officials outlined proposals for Glasgow Life to make more than £1m in savings to help plug the £34m funding gap.
The charity has faced significant backlash over prolonged closures of 33 public libraries with some remaining closed for nearly two years. Campaign groups slammed their lack of community consultation over the closures and held protests outside the venues where messages were left for Glasgow Life bosses.
Leisure and community venues also had their doors closed by the charity with community groups across the city urged to takeover facilities Glasgow Life can't afford to operate within their budget.
Among those being offered out to locals were Bellahouston Bowls and Pitch & Putt, Castlemilk Bowls, Caldercuilt Playing Fields, Linn Park Golf, Knightswood Pitch and Putt, Ruchill Golf, and Springburn Bowling.
An agreed funding deal through Glasgow City Council will see the arms-length organisation receive a guaranteed £100m over the next four years which will allow the reopening of 90 of its 171 venues.
Some of the buildings are in need of major repair work including Whiteinch Library. The library would cost an estimated £2 million for repairs and maintenance over 20 years - and £1 million immediately according to Freedom Of Information data obtained by the Save Whiteinch Library group.
In 2019, before the pandemic struck, Glasgow welcomed some 2.5 million domestic and international visitors; boosting the city’s economy by a record £774m.
Bridget said: “It has been an incredible honour to have spent almost a quarter of a century working on behalf of this fantastic and unique city. I have met so many wonderful people over the years who have been huge advocates for culture, sport, their communities and the city of Glasgow.
“I could have scarcely imagined helping bring a handwritten original manuscript of ‘Auld Lang Syne’ to the city or seeing Celtic Connections become a global brand, or winning and hosting the Commonwealth Games when I came here.
"Glasgow’s reputation has grown around the world as a city ambitious for itself and for its unrivalled culture and sport, and has so much to look forward to, including the reopening of The Burrell Collection in March this year as well as the World Cycling Championships in 2023 and the World Indoor Athletics Championships in 2024.”
