Glasgow 2026: A Commonwealth Call to Invest in Youth, Hope and Legacy
The Youth Charter is calling on Commonwealth leaders, governments and sporting institutions to ensure that the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow leave a lasting legacy of hope and opportunity for young people across the Commonwealth.
The call comes at a moment of renewed global conversation around historical justice and reparations connected to the transatlantic slave trade. A landmark resolution led by Ghana at the United Nations has called for slavery to be recognised as one of the gravest crimes against humanity, and has encouraged nations to consider restorative measures and development initiatives in response.
Youth Charter Founder and Chair Geoff Thompson MBE FRSA DL believes the forthcoming Games offer a powerful moment to channel that global conversation into action for the next generation.
“The past must be acknowledged and remembered, but justice must ultimately be measured in the opportunities we create for future generations,” he said. “Glasgow 2026 provides the Commonwealth with a historic opportunity to transform the debate from one of grievance to one of hope.”
A Legacy Initiative Built Around Young People
The Youth Charter is proposing that the Games serve as the launch platform for a Commonwealth Youth Legacy Initiative, anchored in the organisation’s internationally recognised Community Campus model — a place-based approach developed over more than three decades of work in sport for development and peace.
Community Campuses are integrated local hubs bringing together:
- Sport and physical activity
- Education and digital learning
- Youth leadership development
- Entrepreneurship and employability programmes
- Arts, culture and community engagement
The model follows a clear and proven pathway: Engage – Equip – Empower. Young people are first drawn in through sport and cultural activity, then equipped with education and leadership skills, and ultimately empowered to pursue careers, enterprise and roles in community leadership.
What Glasgow 2026 Could Deliver
The Youth Charter believes the Games present a unique opportunity to connect sport, education and economic opportunity through the creation of:
- Commonwealth Community Campuses — local hubs delivering integrated support for young people
- Educational bursaries — supporting youth leadership and sport development
- Entrepreneurship incubators — linked to the global sport and creative economy
- Digital learning networks — connecting young people across the Commonwealth
These initiatives would contribute directly to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, advancing progress in education, health, gender equality, economic opportunity and the reduction of inequalities.
“The real legacy of sport is not measured only in medals or stadiums, but in the lives it transforms,” Mr Thompson said. “If the Commonwealth is serious about building a better future, then we must invest in the leadership, creativity and entrepreneurship of young people across our communities.”
The Scale of the Opportunity
With more than 60% of Commonwealth citizens under the age of 30, the Youth Charter argues that investing in youth development is one of the most powerful levers available for social progress and economic growth across the Commonwealth.
The organisation is now calling on Commonwealth governments, sporting bodies, universities and private sector partners to collaborate on a Commonwealth Youth Legacy Programme linked to Glasgow 2026 — and has proposed the adoption of a Commonwealth Youth Legacy Declaration that would commit member states to expanding youth opportunity through sport, education and enterprise.
“Glasgow 2026 can become more than a sporting celebration,” Mr Thompson said. “It can become the moment when the Commonwealth demonstrates how sport can be a catalyst for reconciliation, empowerment and sustainable development.”
