NORTH GLASGOW’S URBAN SPORTS ATTRACTIONS WORKING TOGETHER
Three of Scotland’s leading sports attractions secured funding from Experience Glasgow to team up to create a unified adventure and alternative sports brand and must-visit destination for the city.
Located side by side around the Forth and Clyde Canal, just 10 minutes from Glasgow city centre, Pinkston Watersports, Glasgow Wake Park and The Loading Bay Skatepark joined forces to establish a collaborative and exciting visitor experience in north Glasgow.
As members of Glasgow Canal Co-op, the three cutting-edge organisations already work closely together in this part of the city, which has undergone significant regeneration and a renaissance in recent years, to ensure their fantastic sport facilities are accessible to the local community.
This boost from Glasgow’s Industry Collaboration Fund has allowed the organisations to pull together and allow people from near and far to book truly unique, combined experiences online.
Nestled around the top of the canal in this up and coming corner of the city, the three destinations already individually offer a host of activities for beginners, large groups and adrenaline lovers alike, including kayaking, canoeing, white water rafting, stand up paddleboarding, skateboarding, BMXing and wakeboarding.
This collaboration allows people to choose from a variety of sports activity packages from across the playground, both on and off the water.
The new set-up means it’s never been easier for the local community and visitors to experience the great outdoors in the city and get a taste for urban sport – all set among the canal’s unique industrial heritage, with breathtaking views across the city.
Hannah Blair, general manager at Pinkston Watersports, said: “The scale and quality of the sports facilities our three businesses offer are unique to Glasgow and rarely found in the heart of any city. Collaborating like this and coming up with new, joined-up packages has allowed us to welcome more visitors than ever before and show them exactly what this exciting part of the city has to offer.
“We’re like-minded organisations who want to share our passion for our sports with as many people as possible. We want the local community and visitors to have a brilliant experience getting stuck in and see that anyone can try a new alternative sport right here in Glasgow. The funding from Experience Glasgow has allowed us to combine forces and create a digital presence that will help reach new people. We can’t wait to launch!”
The Collaboration Fund is supported by Scottish Enterprise and aims to help deliver on the ambitions of Glasgow’s Tourism and Visitor Plan to 2023 to develop innovative products and services for visitors and attract more people than ever before to the city.
The funding has supported these three businesses to create a new shared brand, a website with online booking facilities and to trial their new packages to reach new visitors from nearby, as well as UK and international visitors.