Glasgow’s first citizen visited the Navy’s new frigate which will soon carry the city’s name around the world once more.
The Lord Provost of Glasgow Councillor Jacqueline Mclaren called on HMS Glasgow at Scotstoun, where the leading-edge submarine hunter – the first of eight in her class – is undergoing completion.
As that date nears and the ship gradually comes to life, so the ship’s company are forging ties with the city, its institutions and schools – ties which will last for a quarter of a century or more.
Hosted by the frigate’s Senior Naval Officer Commander Phil Burgess, the Lord Provost joined the ship’s company for a ‘stand easy’ chat.
Cllr Mclaren showed keen interest in the history of HMS Glasgow’s predecessors – indeed her office is home to a painting of the previous ship of the same name, the Type 42 Destroyer which served in the Falklands campaign four decades ago.
And she was especially interested to learn the ways in which the ship’s company were engaging with her home city.
Sailors have trained as Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Ambassadors and are engaging with children at Holy Cross and Gowanbank Primary Schools in Govan – an outreach programme which aims to inspire the engineers of the future; the Lord Provost was pleased to hear about the programme and underlined that Glasgow had a proud history as a centre of engineering excellence and that outreach had an important part to play in continuing that heritage.
Another beneficiary of HMS Glasgow’s support is the charity Place to Be, which provides mental health assistance to children and young people. Chosen at the request of the Princess of Wales – HMS Glasgow’s ship’s sponsor – it’s received cash via fundraising events, including from participation in an ultra marathon.
Having been briefed on the impressive, powerful capabilities and future role of the frigate – and the efforts and skills of the engineers designing and building the ship.
The Lord Provost’s visit concluded with a guided tour of Glasgow – and a chance to see the equipment and systems she had learned about in the briefing, and see the level of co-operation between stakeholders in the project, and their collective commitment to engage with the city of Glasgow for the benefit of all.
After presenting a commemorative plaque to Commander Burgess, the Lord Provost said: “It has been an amazing morning, I am very impressed with the Ship and I look forward to returning for the naming ceremony and seeing her completed.”
