ALTHOUGH there is more than a year to go before Glasgow fires the starting gun on the 2014 Commonwealth Games, the city is just months away from completing work on many venues.

Most of the finishing touches to a multi-million pound makeover will be applied in the summer when the city will be able to declare: "It's Games on."

That is the message to be delivered today when Councillor Archie Graham, spokesman for the Commonwealth Games at Glasgow City Council, updates fellow politicians.

He will spell out how the city is almost Games-ready and how a lot of new venues are already being used by sports enthusiasts.

The Scotstoun Sports Campus, for instance, is having six new squash courts built as part of a £2.4m extension at Scotstoun Leisure Centre.

Three are already being used by players, while work is almost complete on the others. The Campus will be one of the Games sites.

Tollcross International Swimming Centre is having a £13.8m makeover, which includes the creation of a 50-metre warm-up pool, 2000 spectator seats, fitness and health suites.

This will be one of the busiest and most atmospheric venues in the Games and work will be completed in May.

Cathkin Braes Mountain Biking Circuit will be the battleground for some of the world's top cyclists.

Work costing £650,000 was finished before Christmas and it is due to be officially opened in a few weeks, when the public will be allowed to use it.

Glasgow National Hockey Centre at Glasgow Green is costing £5.5m and will provide two synthetic hockey pitches, changing rooms and spectator seating. It will also be ready this summer.

The Kelvingrove Lawn Bowls Centre cost more than £1m and was completed last summer.

The Athletes Village being built on the banks of the Clyde will house 6500 competitors and officials. More than 250 homes are in place and work has already started on an internal roads system.

It is a partnership between the council and the private sector and is worth tens of millions of pounds. The Village will be the final piece of the Games jigsaw and will be ready in a year.

Emirates Arena, Dalmarnock, is another recognised world class venue. It cost £113m and was Games-ready several months ago. It comprises a large indoor arena (which will be used for badminton at the Games) and Scotland's first indoor cycling track, which is named after Sir Chris Hoy.

Another £85m has been allocated for the creation of a road system at the complex, which will link the East End to the motorway system and open up swathes of disused land that can trigger job-creating schemes by the industrial and commercial sectors.

The Hydro Arena is being built by the owners of the SECC at a cost of £125m. This entertainments attraction will be able to hold audiences of more than 12,000. It will be ready for use in September – 10 months before hosting gymnastics for the Games.

Athletes will also train at the Toryglen Football Centre, which opened four years ago.

Almost £200million has been found by Glasgow to drive forward the legacy framework.

Every venue built and every extension added was already planned before Glasgow won the right to host the Games and showcase the city to a worldwide television audience of about a billion viewers.

The Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome was added to the sporting mix when Glasgow was chosen to stage the Games.

Councillor Graham is proud of the city's achievements.

He said: "I am delighted to say that the council's progress in our preparations for the Games is going extremely well and we are already delivering on many of our legacy targets.

"Some of our venues for the Games are already open to the public, with the remainder to open between now and the summer.

"The Games will transform Glasgow – and have done so already – in so many ways and not just through the changes to the skyline.

"The legacy being left by our preparations has stimulated our economy and left our people and organisations with greater skills to use when financial conditions improve.

"We will be left with a greener city through the Athletes Village and other projects and a more active city through more and improved leisure facilities for Glaswegians."

David Grevember, chief executive of the Glasgow 2014 Organising Committee, pointed out the Emirates Arena had already staged six major events since opening last October.

He added: "Any visitor to Glasgow will be impressed by the new venues and facilities that are world class for the community."

gordon.thomson@ eveningtimes.co.uk

Most of the finishing touches to a multi-million pound makeover will be applied in the summer when the city will be able to declare: "It's Games on."

That is the message to be delivered today when Councillor Archie Graham, spokesman for the Commonwealth Games at Glasgow City Council, updates fellow politicians.

He will spell out how the city is almost Games-ready and how a lot of new venues are already being used by sports enthusiasts.

The Scotstoun Sports Campus, for instance, is having six new squash courts built as part of a £2.4m extension at Scotstoun Leisure Centre.

Three are already being used by players, while work is almost complete on the others. The Campus will be one of the Games sites.

Tollcross International Swimming Centre is having a £13.8m makeover, which includes the creation of a 50-metre warm-up pool, 2000 spectator seats, fitness and health suites.

This will be one of the busiest and most atmospheric venues in the Games and work will be completed in May.

Cathkin Braes Mountain Biking Circuit will be the battleground for some of the world's top cyclists.

Work costing £650,000 was finished before Christmas and it is due to be officially opened in a few weeks, when the public will be allowed to use it.

Glasgow National Hockey Centre at Glasgow Green is costing £5.5m and will provide two synthetic hockey pitches, changing rooms and spectator seating. It will also be ready this summer.

The Kelvingrove Lawn Bowls Centre cost more than £1m and was completed last summer.

The Athletes Village being built on the banks of the Clyde will house 6500 competitors and officials. More than 250 homes are in place and work has already started on an internal roads system.

It is a partnership between the council and the private sector and is worth tens of millions of pounds. The Village will be the final piece of the Games jigsaw and will be ready in a year.

Emirates Arena, Dalmarnock, is another recognised world class venue. It cost £113m and was Games-ready several months ago. It comprises a large indoor arena (which will be used for badminton at the Games) and Scotland's first indoor cycling track, which is named after Sir Chris Hoy.

Another £85m has been allocated for the creation of a road system at the complex, which will link the East End to the motorway system and open up swathes of disused land that can trigger job-creating schemes by the industrial and commercial sectors.

The Hydro Arena is being built by the owners of the SECC at a cost of £125m. This entertainments attraction will be able to hold audiences of more than 12,000. It will be ready for use in September – 10 months before hosting gymnastics for the Games.

Athletes will also train at the Toryglen Football Centre, which opened four years ago.

Almost £200million has been found by Glasgow to drive forward the legacy framework.

Every venue built and every extension added was already planned before Glasgow won the right to host the Games and showcase the city to a worldwide television audience of about a billion viewers.

The Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome was added to the sporting mix when Glasgow was chosen to stage the Games.

Councillor Graham is proud of the city's achievements.

He said: "I am delighted to say that the council's progress in our preparations for the Games is going extremely well and we are already delivering on many of our legacy targets.

"Some of our venues for the Games are already open to the public, with the remainder to open between now and the summer.

"The Games will transform Glasgow – and have done so already – in so many ways and not just through the changes to the skyline.

"The legacy being left by our preparations has stimulated our economy and left our people and organisations with greater skills to use when financial conditions improve.

"We will be left with a greener city through the Athletes Village and other projects and a more active city through more and improved leisure facilities for Glaswegians."

David Grevember, chief executive of the Glasgow 2014 Organising Committee, pointed out the Emirates Arena had already staged six major events since opening last October.

He added: "Any visitor to Glasgow will be impressed by the new venues and facilities that are world class for the community."

gordon.thomson@ eveningtimes.co.uk

£180m DEALS FOR CITY FIRMS AND 1500 JOBS

THIS is the badge of honour being displayed by businesses helping create a better and more prosperous future for the people of Glasgow.

The Legacy logo was created by the city council to help promote six themes designed to transform communities and lives.

These themes have been adopted as part of the Glasgow 2014 Legacy Framework and are:

1: A more prosperous Glasgow.

2: A more active Glasgow.

3: A Glasgow with an enhanced international image and outlook.

4: A greener Glasgow.

5: A more accessible Glasgow.

6: A more inclusive Glasgow.

The Legacy Framework includes £25million of "Glasgow Guarantee" job programmes and, in recent years, these have led to almost 3000 people finding employment and apprenticeships.

City-based firms have won more than £180m of contracts, with more than 1500 people in construction work at council venues and projects.

Most of them were hired in the East End to build the Emirates Arena and Athletes Village in Dalmarnock and to carry out major work at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre.

A council spokesman said: "While the 11 days of the 2014 Games will be a fantastic time for everyone in Glasgow and Scotland to savour, it is equally important we recognise the unique opportunity to create a lasting legacy.

"Where Glasgow is ahead is in our plans to create a city that is better off economically, environmentally and socially as a result of the Games."

More than 400 firms were represented at an event staged today at the City Chambers. It will highlight how 2014 Games employment initiatives are good for business.

A second event will take place on March 1.

They will be told how the Commonwealth Apprenticeship Initiative, Commonwealth Jobs Fund, Commonwealth Youth Fund and the Commonwealth Graduate Fund make up the "Glasgow Guarantee".

This offers firms up to 50% of salary costs for a year, along with other incentives, such as a free recruitment service.

The guarantee is aimed specifically at helping 16-24-year-olds.

ONE WEEK TO VOLUNTEER

THERe is just one week left to join Clyde The Mascot by volunteering to help out in the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

The stopwatch is ticking to form Scotland's biggest peacetime volunteer force for what will be the nation's biggest sporting event.

Thousands of volunteers have already stepped forward, but the organising committee says more are needed to help Scotland's biggest city stage the best ever Games.

An appeal for 15,000 volunteers was launched just a few weeks ago and, within hours, thousands had gone online to sign up for the sporting extravaganza.

The deadline is February 28 and anyone aged 16 and over can apply online at:

www.glasgow2014.com/volunteer