Community Justice

The City Centre Youth Project ‘Common Ground’ is a collaboration of Third-Sector organisations, the Health and Social Care Partnership, Police Scotland, and Private Partners. It aims to create a support model for vulnerable young people who frequent the city centre.

GCVS will oversee the work, and Barnardo’s will lead on collaborative co-design with young people to deliver a joined-up, person-centred programme which improves the health and wellbeing of young people who visit Glasgow City. We aim to inform and encourage young people to connect to youth services in their own communities as an alternative to travelling into the City Centre. Connecting them to local neighbourhood services will be integrated into our mapping exercise of youth services across the city to enhance our collective understanding of the range of support services and referral routes available. The project has already begun with a consultation of over 70 young people, collecting feedback on their motivations for visiting the city centre.

The project supports the ambitions of Glasgow’s Integrated Children’s Services Plan, Youth Justice Strategy, and Family Support Strategy and links to the Child Poverty Pathfinder. It supports the ‘No Wrong Door’ approach and benefits from cross-sectoral and multi-agency collaboration.

Read more from project lead Barnardos.

On 19th June 25, GCVS and Community Justice Glasgow hosted an engagement event at Glasgow City Chambers, which attracted a wide range of third sector organisations with an interest in, or contributing to, community justice outcomes in the city.

This was an opportunity to learn more about Community Justice Outcomes in Glasgow and, through conversations and drawing on third-sector insights, to progress our shared interests in both shaping and supporting them.

Roundtable discussions highlighted how poverty, trauma, and a lack of early intervention underpin many justice issues, with young people particularly affected by hopelessness, poor mental health, and limited opportunities. Participants emphasised that offending often stems from childhood adversity, inadequate support, and systemic failings such as low benefits, poor housing, and fragmented services. Sustainable funding, better coordination across sectors, and genuinely trauma-informed approaches were seen as essential to breaking cycles of poverty and offending and helping people move on from the justice system.

Read the full event report here.