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Glasgow City Council

August 2023

2 August - Get Ready Glasgow - it starts tomorrow!

Image of George Square

George Square has now been transformed into a focal point as the Official Fan Zone of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships. It will be a hive of culture and sport activity as well as the venue for both the opening and closing ceremonies, cultural programme and finish for all of the road races. The free opening ceremony takes place tonight, Wednesday 2 August from 5pm to 8pm.

Running every day of the championships George Square will also include the hospitality marquee, merchandise unit, broadcast compound, podium, screen and food and beverage area allowing all Glaswegians and visitors to enjoy the Championships and its atmosphere. On sport days - medal presentations will be shown on the big screen with a live feed and commentary of the Road Race progress.

Join in and check out the GO LIVE! Fan Zone programme for George Square and also the citywide programme of events.

Reminder - car park closures and local parking suspension

Staff are reminded that parking restrictions apply to a number of roads around the City Chambers during this event. If these arrangements cause issues for you, please discuss your concerns with your line manager.

Restrictions include:

  • Until Saturday 19 August - there is no access to parking in John Street.
  • From Monday 31 July to Monday 14 August - Cochrane Street will be closed and there will be no vehicle access to the Quadrangle
  • From Monday 31 July to Monday 14 August - Montrose Street will be closed and there will be no access to 231 George Street Carpark.
  • Staff who will be working in the Chambers are advised to leave their car at home and use public transport where possible - using Get Ready Glasgow to plan ahead and allow extra time to make their journey.

Road closures

George Square is closed from Monday 17 July 2023 until Sunday 20 August,along with the south carriageway.

There are further road closures in place around the City Chambers Complex to facilitate the event that staff need to be aware of. These are not currently shown on the Get Ready Glasgow maps.

These include from 31 July to 14 August:

  • Cochrane Street - full length
  • South Frederick Street - full length
  • Hanover Street - full length
  • Montrose Street - from Ingram Street to George Square.

Again, if these arrangements cause issues for you, please discuss your concerns with your line manager.

Detailed maps have been created for road race routes and descriptions of all road closures are available on the Get Ready Glasgow website.

Reminder: City Chambers Access and Operations during the event

Security

  • Security arrangements - it will be business as usual to enter/exit the buildings using your corporate council ID badge and green lanyard.
  • During race competition days - please be aware that you may be asked by onsite security to wait at barriers until it is safe to cross.
  • Searches - council staff going about their normal working day in the buildings will not be subject to security searches.

Rooms

Several rooms will be in use by the UCI Cycling World Championships for operational activity and are not available for staff to usefrom Monday 31 July until Sunday 13 August. These include:

  • City Chambers West - Rooms 1, 2,3 and 13. Committee Rooms 1, 2 and 4.  Banqueting Hall and the Satinwood Suite.
  • City Chambers East - John Street Café, Burgh Court, Rooms 8, 10 and 11. Learning Academy B6, B14 and B20.

The City Chambers URE café will be open for business as usual to staff throughout and there will be no public tours of the Chambers for the duration of the event.

BMX Rider going over jump

Changes to Building Procedures

Fire alarm activations on non-race days:

  • City Chambers East Buildings (Montrose, Cochrane and Exchange House) - evacuation procedures, reporting process and assembly points will remain the same as usual for staff on these days.
  • City Chambers West Building - if your fire assembly point was at the Cenotaph, this has been relocated to the pavement opposite 40 Cochrane Street. All other assembly points remain the same as usual.
  • Fire alarm activations on race days, Friday 4 August (part trial day), Saturday 5 August, Sunday 6 August, Tuesday 8 August, Saturday 12 August and Sunday 13 August:
  • City Chambers West Building - your assembly point will now be on the pavement at 8 Cochrane Street and the pavement at 229 George Street. Reporting officers process remains the same.
  • City Chambers East Buildings -your assembly points are the pavement at 285 George Street and 78 Cochrane Street. Reporting officers process remains the same.

Mail collections/deliveries

Royal Mail and Whistle have both agreed that they will do their best to deliver and collect mail from the City Chambers throughout the period of road closures around the buildings from 31 July to 13 August. Our Facilities Management staff will assist with carrying mail to their vehicles to keep the service operational.

Please note: it is unlikely that there will be a mail collection on Tuesday 8 August as it is a race day and staff are asked to take note to accommodate this change.

More information

 

2 August - Dedicated travel information for all event locations

Plan ahead when travelling banner

From 3-13 August 2023, the inaugural UCI Cycling World Championships will be hosted in Glasgow and across Scotland. It will be the single biggest cycling event in history, bringing together for the first time 13 existing UCI World Championships into one mega event.

With events taking place in 13 local authority areas across Scotland, the transport network will be busier than usual and will operate differently due to various road closures, diversions and restrictions in place to allow for the event to run smoothly.

It's important people are aware of the main dates and changes to how transport will operate across key locations. Please plan ahead by visiting the event specific Traffic Scotland page and be prepared to adapt your travel arrangements.

To note: the UCI Cycling Worlds include several road events with road closures and diversions. Some public transport services (bus, subway, tram and rail) will be busier than usual and some bus routes will be impacted with potential diversions, timetable and stop changes.

Remember to plan ahead and consider your travel options during the event. Consider how you can rethink your travel - you might want to travel on a different day, at a different time, by a different mode or by a different route to avoid disruption. Leave the car if you can. Using public transport, walking or cycling may be the best options to get you to your destination.

View key dates and location maps

2 August - Info regarding on street parking and road races:event time

Parking will be suspended from the 31 July from 6am until the 14 August at 6am for streets on the race route or any adjoining roads,  however the following has therefore been put into place:

Residents who have off street secure parking and require to use their car throughout the event but are within the race route can contact getreadyglasgow@glasgow.gov.uk with their car registration details and their preference of council car parks to use at no additional cost.

Car parks at Duke Street, Charing Cross, Cadogan Street, Cambridge Street and Concert Square are all available.

Any residents who have off street parking and are affected can also email Get Ready Glasgow with their car registration information, this will allow them to park in another area or close to their home without being penalised.

Residents who have a permit and are affected can also park in any other permit zone during the championships without being penalised.

For further information please contact getreadyglasgow@glasgow.gov.uk alternatively phone on 0141 276 2014.

2 August - Businesses and residents are gearing up to welcome the world to the city: hospitality offerings and fun events.

A number of very popular Glasgow venues have announced a series of hospitality offerings and fun activities for all the family that are set to take place across the duration of the Championships.

During the 11 days of competition, spectators and championships family will be able to enjoy a number of special offers and events at 16 venues around the city, all of which are part of The Scotsman Group.

The Corinthian Club will house a static bike to raise funds for Maggie's, the national charity partner of the event, where anyone can have a go at competing to win prizes, with giveaways taking place throughout the event.

Venues such as The Social, The Corinthian Club, Committee Room 9, Grosvenor Café and Òran Mór are getting behind the action by offering discounted food and drinks, family activities and late-night entertainment, showcasing the city's infamous hospitality to the thousands of visitors expected to arrive in Scotland.

Kids can eat free at all participating venues, while spectators get 20% off all food. Social, The Corinthian Club, Committee Room 9, Grosvenor Café, Òran Mór and The Gardener will have special breakfast menus and £1 coffee on offer, with some venues also hosting live bands during the event.

Highlights and action from the championships will be shown at The Corinthian Club, Grosvenor Café, Committee Room 9 and Òran Mór, with a £15 burger and beer deal available from The Corinthian Club, Grosvenor Café and Committee Room 9 to enjoy alongside the sporting action.

Arta will have face painting for kids during both weekends of the event, as well as samba dancers, while Polo, Delmonicas and SpeakEasy will host live drag nights during the Championships.

The city is planning for tens of thousands of people along the road race routes and up to 15,000 people across the duration of the day are expected to visit the official fan zone in George Square. Venues will also be buzzing with activity as competition takes place across the city every day of the Championships.

As a result, Glasgow will be busier than usual in the lead up to and during the event, with business, residents and commuters being reminded to plan ahead and familiarise themselves with the ways in which their usual journeys around the city may be impacted.

The busiest days across Glasgow are expected to be on road race days, which will be Saturday 5 August, Sunday 6 August, Tuesday 8 August, Saturday 12 August and Sunday 13 August. Businesses, residents and visitors are being encouraged to use public transport including rail and subway networks and active travel routes on these days.

For businesses located in the city centre, an access and egress plan has been developed to allow them to service their premises during the period of the road closures. This access will allow for businesses to receive deliveries and complete waste collection. Some roads will be open from 2000 hrs to 0600 hrs to allow for this entry.

2 August - Did you get caught hook line and sinker with our test?

Hook, line and sinker

During June we carried out a Phishing exercise with a random sample group of 100 staff across the corporate email network - to see how they would react to receiving a 'phishing email'(non-malicious).

Staff sample

The majority of the staff sample was selected on a random basis, with a small portion being specifically selected due to their role - for example where they may be in a position to process high risk financial transactions or of a senior level where they may be in a position to approve/authorise high risk transactions.

As John McCallum,Audit Manager explains: "This test was carried out using a well-known Phishing Tool so that we could analyse how staff responded and interacted with a suspicious email - based on their existing knowledge of what to do when they receive something unusual, such as a phishing email.

"Our test email had the subject heading 'Change of Password Required Immediately' - which is a simple, yet effective way to test how staff would react to a direct request like this.  It also tied in with some recent messaging that we'd issued corporately about updating your password."

So how did staff react?

  • 16.3% of recipients unfortunately clicked on the potentially malicious link included in the email! 
  • 11 users reported the email to CGI (a further 2 after 24hrs)
  • 16 users reported the email to Integrity (a further 2 after 24hrs)
  • 4 users reported the email to both CGI / Integrity (a further 1 after 24hrs)

So how could you have identified this as a Phishing email?

This test email contained five key things that staff should have been aware of to help them identify that this as a potentially malicious Phishing email.

They included:

  1. A generic IT email address in the address header
  2. A general sense of urgency throughout the email
  3. It outlined severe implications if action was not taken
  4. The underlying URL which was covered by the Change Password hyperlink looked suspicious when you hovered your mouse over it.
  5. No business email footer text was included in the email.

John continues: "This initial exercise has been really useful, and the feedback is helping us to tailor our future information security training and communication materials - based on staff actions.

"If this had been a genuine Phishing attempt and the malicious link was clicked - this could have led to all sorts of problems for the council and compromised our systems and the information they contain. This in turn could have potentially put both staff and our citizens at risk. Therefore, I would like to remind all staff to continue to be vigilant and take the time to review emails that they receive. Please report anything that you think is suspicious or unusual immediately to Integrity (on Outlook) And watch this space - as we are also considering a future Phishing exercise with a greater number of pc facing staff!"

Report it

2 August - The Burrell Collection is Museum of the Year 2023

Pictured are some of the team at Burrell celebrating the announcement and welcoming the trophy home.

The Burrell Collection was announced as Art Fund Museum of the Year 2023 on Wednesday evening at a ceremony at the British Museum in London and on the BBC. Duncan Dornan, Head of Museums and Collections for Glasgow Life, was presented with the £120,000 prize - the largest museum prize in the world - by the artist Sir Grayson Perry.

Duncan Dornan said: "It is an honour to be the Art Fund Museum of the Year 2023. It is recognition of the dedication, skill and imagination hundreds of people gave to the project and of the wonderful staff and volunteers who make a visit very special. The Burrell Collection is a people's museum that will continue working closely with everyone in Glasgow on more amazing projects and to enhance the diverse public and schools programme we offer.

"It is endorsement of Glasgow Life's approach at The Burrell Collection of working with local people to inform the refurbishment of one of the world's greatest collections of fine and decorative arts. Becoming The Art Fund Museum of the Year will help make The Burrell Collection even more accessible, allowing visitors to engage in culture in a way that is meaningful to them. We are excited to welcome them to Pollok Country Park."

More information at  The Burrell Collection

 

2 August - Spotlight on Paul - a true inspiration

Paul McKenzie – Paul is in the front row, second from the left with some of his dance group Boogie Box Live.

Paul McKenzie, a driver at Dawsholm Recycling Centre, Neighbourhoods, Regeneration and Sustainability,has worked for the council for over 35 years and has jive danced as a hobby since his teens, raising thousands of pounds for charity. He was very proud to be chosen to represent Scotland in both European and World Championships.

13 years ago, Paul had a mini stroke but that didn't stop him dancing and he was soon back at work and raising money for good causes.

Paul said: "I have always done charity work but since my mini stroke, I wanted to give back to society and to continue to raise money for various causes close to my heart, including the Glasgow Children's Charity, Beatson Cancer, Erskine Veterans, British Heart Foundation, Scottish Mountain Rescue, Cash For Kids and numerous other less well known charities".

Running classes three times a week with Boogie Box Jive Dance Club, Paul also danced at the European Championships in Glasgow in 2018, as well as performing free of charge at Gala Days and in care homes across the city and beyond.  The dancers give up their time for free to help others and as a result are asked back on numerous occasions.

As a reward for his dedication to dancing and great charity work, Paul attended the King's Garden Party at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh last month.

Gary Elder, Manager at Dawsholm Recycling Centre, Neighbourhoods, Regeneration and Sustainability said: "Paul is a true inspiration to us all, he has even visited the stroke ward at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital to give encouragement to the patients and show them that you can get better.  He is always looking to help others and his family are very proud of him, as are we at the Centre".

Paul added "Although l run Boogie Box Jive, we are a team and I couldn't do it without all the pupils from my dancing classes who give up so much of their free time to help others, I am so proud of everything that we have achieved."

 

2 August - Have you taken it yet?

Accessibility image

Last month we launched our new GOLD course 'Accessibility Guidelines: How to Make your Content Accessible'. All staff who use a computer at work are encouraged to complete this core course - so that they can learn top tips on how to create accessible information, so that it meets both accessibility legislation and the needs of the reader.

Kirsty Fereday, Senior Communication Officer said: "Accessibility is about making the information you are creating clearer and easier for everyone to understand. It is about removing barriers for the reader so that they can access and interact with it easily - this includes both our colleagues and our citizens.

"We should all get into the habit of producing accessible content every day - no matter who we are sharing it with. Not only is it a legal requirement for all documents and forms published on public sector websites/intranets to be accessible - but as a local authority we have a duty to make sure that our customers can easily engage with us, and that our material is inclusive and accessible to their needs. I would encourage all staff to run a quick accessibility check before they share any information - this makes sure you can fix any issues before it is sent/shared."

Taking the course

All staff are encouraged to complete the course by the end of August 2023 -it should take you no longer than 20 minutes.

More information

The course content supports and reinforces all the guidelines and resources on our staff web page about creating accessible content

2 August - "The bond gets stronger as the weeks go by..."

John Hampson

John Hampson is a Social Care Worker in Social Work Service's Community Homelessness Team. He became a mentor with MCR Pathways five years ago, after first reading about it in the Staff News and deciding that he would like to get involved.

John said "Having read about mentoring, I thought that I had some skills which would make me a good mentor for a young person. My manager at the time was Alison, she was very supportive and didn't need convinced to allow me to sign up. Once I expressed my initial interest, she encouraged me to get involved.

"I'm now in the early stages of mentoring my third young person, I am just starting to gain their trust. The key is to go at their speed and not force anything, allow them to lead the conversation and provide an ear to listen to as and when they want it.

"I know from my previous experience it will pay off. The bond gets stronger as the weeks go by. You develop a vested interest in your young person and your visits soon become a part of each other's weekly routines.

"Mentoring has given me another opportunity to develop my people skills which are so important to my job. It offers a real-life experience that no amount of training can compare with.

"I would say even if you're only 10% considering it, then go along to an information session and find out more. A lot of people have the skills to be a great mentor without even realising that they do."

Alison Watson, Case Work Manager was John's line manager when he first started mentoring, she said "When John first approached me about mentoring, I didn't need convinced. I knew we could make it work alongside his day job and that he'd be a great mentor; John is such an optimistic and approachable person.

"The young people get a lot out of having a mentor, but I know from John's experience that mentors get a lot out of it too. Working in a high-pressure environment, this is something that John looks forward to each week and his confidence as a mentor has really grown over the years.

"He has inspired others in the team including myself to start our own mentoring journeys as we can see first-hand how rewarding an experience it has been for him."

Rose McDowell, Senior Homelessness Worker is John's current manager, she said "Mentoring has been such a positive experience for John, he's so friendly and easy to talk to so I know young people will benefit from having John in their lives."

"His job can be full on so mentoring gives him something else to focus on for an hour each week. I know he looks forward to meeting his young person and chatting about something other than work."

Find out more...

John and his colleagues Alan and Ruairi recently featured in a video for MCR Pathways about their mentoring experience, you can watch it on our staff page.

MCR are also hosting some staff information sessions in August, to book a space please email Donna Cunningham (on Outlook)  The dates of the sessions are:

  • Wed 9 August, 9:30-10:00am at Gorbals H&CC, C&F Reception, 1st Floor, 2 Sandiefield Road, Gorbals, G5 9AB
  • Mon 21 Aug, 3:30-4:00pm, City Chambers East, 40 John St, G1 1JL. 
  • Or you can undertake the virtual information session at any time by visiting MCR Pathways Registration
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