2013 has seen many exciting milestones in preparation for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. In January we had the most successful volunteering campaign in Commonwealth history, with more than 50,000 applicants hoping to become the Games’ friendly clyde-siders.

The launch of this year’s Lead 2014 programme took place in February, which aims to harness the potential of young people to create the next generation of sports leaders.

We celebrated a hat-trick of milestones in March, with 500 Days to Go until the Games, Sport Your Trainers 2013, and the unveiling of the momentous international journey of the Queen’s Baton Relay.

In April we announced a unique charity collaboration with the Commonwealth Games Federation and UNICEF, and in May the official education programme of the Games, Game on Scotland, was launched.

The summer months saw the reopening of Tollcross International Swimming Centre and the opening of Glasgow National Hockey Centre. With over a year to go before the Games, all of the city’s permanent sporting venues were open for use by the public and hosting international competitions.