Oct 05 2024

Report on Future of Winter Gardens

We are delighted to present “The Winter Gardens: a vision for the future” (PDF) – a report on the past, present, and future importance of the Winter Gardens at Glasgow Green.

The Friends of the People’s Palace, Winter Gardens and Glasgow Green (FOPPWGGG) and a team from the University of Glasgow ‘Solutions for Change’ programme worked in partnership to produce this report. It used focus groups and analysis of our popular survey which asked peoples’ opinions about what should happen to the People’s Palace Winter Gardens.

‘The Winter Gardens are very unique… It’s hard to think of anywhere else like it’ – Focus group participant

A main theme emerged in this work: the Winter Gardens carry great importance for the people who have accessed them, either through past links, or through future aspirations for the space, with hopes that the Winter Gardens would contribute to their communities’ development. The love and enthusiasm we found for the Winter Gardens shows the strong community beliefs that the Gardens should continue as a beloved civic resource for all Glaswegians and visitors to the city.

The Friends of the People’s Palace, Winter Gardens & Glasgow Green (FOPPWGGG) will use this report as part of their ongoing discussions with Glasgow City Council/Glasgow Life and other partners to show what people would like to see in the restored Winter Gardens.

May 31 2024

People’s Palace closed for refurbishment

The People’s Palace closed its doors on Sunday 14th April 2024. It closed for refurbishment and is due to re-open in 2027. The refurbishment will also include the Winter Gardens which has been closed since December 2018 and all plants in it completely destroyed.

The first stage of funding. £850,000 has been provided by the National Heritage Lottery Fund.  We understand that all the artifacts from the People’s Palace will be removed and put into storage.  Once this has been completed Glasgow Life will assess the full restoration costs estimated at £35.9million.

 Glasgow Life has stated that they will follow a “community centred approach” and that local people will shape all aspects of the refurbishment of the People’s Palace, including collecting, interpretation, and programming.  They state ” The revitalised People’s Palace and Winter gardens will be a place by people,  for people, with people. Therefore we hope to work closely with Glasgow Life, Glasgow City Council and other stakeholders involved  over the coming months  in the restoration plans of this important civic resource which tells the story of the social history of our city. We will keep you updated with developments. So far we are still to meet with Glasgow Life.

Apr 05 2024

People’s Palace to close 14th April 2024

 

Following  the funding announcement in January 2024  from the National Heritage Lottery Fund  the People’s Palace will close its doors on Sunday 14th April as, alongside the Winter Gardens, these iconic buildings, belonging to Glaswegians “for ever and ever”,  will undergo refurbishment.  Glasgow Life has told us that they will close for approximately 3 years for  a complete repair and restoration. the good news is that the Winter Gardens is included in this restoration.  As just what the People’s Palace and Winter Gardens will look like in the future is unknown to us and the full amount of funding needed for the restoration , £35.9million has not, as yet, been secured we will be keeping a watchful eye on developments. We look forward to working with Glasgow Life over the coming years and to the time where we can sit in the Winter Gardens once again and enjoy its beauty and peacefulness.

Join us to mark this occasion

To mark this occasion we have organised an event outside the People’s Palace on the 14th April at 3:30pm. until 5:00pm. St Francis Pipe Band from Gorbals will be performing plus St Dennis Children’s Children’s Choir.

Grab the chance to visit the People’s Palace before it closes until 2027.

Glasgow Life is encouraging local people and visitors to visit the Peoples Palace  over the next few weeks before it closes through its “Last Chance to See”  Project.  People’s Palace launches ‘last chance to see’ campaign, before closing for major refurbishment — Glasgow Life

Mar 19 2024

Eggstravaganza – Sunday 31st March – Free Event – All Welcome

Mar 19 2024

People’s Palace 126th Birthday Celebration

In January of this year we had a very successful celebration of 126 years of the People’s Palace.  We welcomed our supporters,  Councillors, MSP &MPs to celebrate with us

St Dennis Children’s Choir entertained us with their performance of traditional Glasgow songs “Coming Home to Glasgow” , “The Glasca Cat”  and finished with “Auld lang Syne”, with the audience joining in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had an arrangement of inspirational speakers including David Hayman, Actor, who spoke passionately about how important the people’s palace was to him growing up and how vital it is for all the children in the future.

 

 

 

 

 

Bailie Annette Christie spoke about the 1st instalment of funding from the National Heritage Lottery Fund being awarded to Glasgow Life & the Council. This will allow for initial investigation work to be carried out on the refurbishment of the people’s Palace & Winter Gardens.  She is confident that additional funding will follow on. 

Alison Thewlis MP & Paul Sweeney MSP both followed on with their delight at funding approval being announced.

The event was rounded off by Christie Williamson and this beautiful poem “Cumpleanos” 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you to all our supporters and to People’s Palace staff especially Tam, Diane, Tariq and Katherine who helped us organise the event.

Thank you too to the Bakers who provided the cake & biscuits.

The announcement of National Heritage Lottery Funding is great news.  We will continue to carry on our work to make sure that the People’s Palace & Winter Gardens are fully restored. Until we can sit with a coffee in the Winter Gardens we will not give up.

Dec 03 2023

Update on People’s Palace & Winter Gardens

 

In August we supported plans developed by Glasgow Life, the arms-length organisation running culture and leisure, brought before Glasgow City Council’s Administrative Committee to “restore, reimagine and enhance”” the People Palace and the Winter Gardens.  The cost of this proposal is £35.9 million and not all this funding has been identified yet.  An initial bid of £7.5million has been made to the National heritage Lottery We should hear soon . late December, if this bid has been successful. A further £11m contribution would come from the Council, which intends to identify funding “through capital planning across budgets from 2025/26 onwards. While Glasgow Life would endeavour to secure £12m from “other public sector funders”. 

If funding bids are successful, initial work would begin early next year and the whole scheme is expected to be completed by autumn 2027.

Full committee report can be fund here:

Glasgow City Council City Administration Committee Report by Bailie Annette Christie, City Convener for Culture, Sport and International Relations PEOPLE’S PALACE & WINTER GARDENS REFURBISHMENT 17th August 2023   Glasgow City Council

Dec 03 2023

Christmas Fayre – Free event – Come and join the fun

Oct 16 2023

Our Vision – Winter Gardens Survey

We are gathering supporters’ views on planting and plant-related activities that could be included in the restored Winter Gardens.

Information from our survey will be used in discussions with Glasgow Life during the development stage of the refurbishment of the People’s Palace and Winter Gardens.

Please fill-in our survey online via Google Forms.
*** AUGUST 2024 UPDATE *** our survey has now closed – thanks for all your contributions, and please stay in touch via our Facebook page and by email.
 

Sep 25 2023

FOPPWGGG Annual General Meeting 05/10/23

Annual General Meeting

Date:  Thursday 5th October 2023

Time:  6:00pm

Place: Barrowfield Community Centre

            67 Yate Street

            Glasgow    G31 4AQ

Followed by a talk by local historian, Peter Mortimer, on the history of the People’s Palace.

All welcome…. Refreshments…..All welcome

Aug 28 2023

People Fest at St Luke’s 2nd Sept 2023

FREE EVENT

Saturday 2nd September ’23 . People Fest all day at St Luke’s.

Fancy a Clown Workshop? Seeing a contortionist and the mighty Carlton jug band? Some gig theatre, puppet act, hula hooper, bands, acoustic acts, Erin Hephzibah, the Tron choir, Rolling Stone magazine pick of the  Fringe comedian Amelia Bayler. 

The day will start at 12:30 with walking gig theatre show Colonel Mustard Born to Rewild leaving in front of the People’s Palace arriving at St Lukes at 1:00pm. Our very own Mark DjFive Lang will be spinning tunes throughout the day, until 8:00pm when its over 18s only and Unholy Frankenstein and San Fran and the Siscos play.

 

This free event is hosted by the Friends of People’s Palace Winter Gardens and Glasgow Green. Partnered by Tesco  as a thank you for all the workers, helpers and carers who kept us safe during the pandemic.

Line up includes: Colonel Mustard Born to Rewild, Dan Collins Clown Workshop, Tron Choir, Carlton Jug Band, Spangled Cabaret featuring Paul Puppet, Daiquiri Dusk Greatest Show Hula Hoop Act, Minnie Knot contortionist,  Wolvis Pawsley, Mark DJ5, Hunter & McMustard, Erin Hephzibah, Unholy Frankenstein, Amelia Bayler, San Fran and the Siscos

St Luke’s 17 Bain Street, Glasgow G40 2JZ

 

 

 

 

 

Load more