Latest news with #TheSocialHub
Glasgow Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Zander Murray hosts community dinner at Glasgow hotel
Zander Murray will be hosting a community dinner at The Social Hub on July 17. It will celebrate connection, collaboration, and creativity. He also led a Lunch & Learn session at the venue on Wednesday, June 25, sharing his personal journey and calling for greater visibility and representation in sport. Read more: Celtic receive €2m transfer offer for out-of-favour defender Major supermarket chain hiring for new roles across Glasgow The Lunch & Learn event is part of The Social Hub's week-long Pride Hub programme. Zander, who came out publicly in 2022 during his playing career, said: "In a city that means so much to me, this kind of event matters. "It's not just about being seen. It's about being heard." A former striker for Gala Fairydean Rovers, Zander made headlines after a Facebook post changed the course of his life. The 33-year-old said: "I was just sitting on a balcony in Benidorm, no Instagram, no Twitter, just me thinking, I'm finally ready. "So I made this wee post for the lads on my team. Fell asleep. Woke up to messages from Lorraine Kelly. "I'm like, what the f*** is going on? "I was literally told to get a flight to London to be on her show. It was insane. 'I didn't play higher because I hated myself. I had this idea that if I went to a big club, someone would dig up a camp photo, post it on a forum, and the abuse would start. 'You don't get slagged for missing a pass. They go for your sexuality. Twitter, TikTok, the comments. It's brutal. "And it messes with your head. You're already under pressure just being a footballer. Add all that, and it's too much.' Following his announcement, Zander became a vocal advocate for inclusivity in sport, delivering talks at schools, football academies, and corporate organisations, including UEFA and the Hong Kong Gay Games. He is also hosting a community dinner at The Social Hub on July 17. He said: "I go into rooms of young boys and ask three questions. "Who's heard homophobic language this month? In this club? Who's said it? "And after I tell my story, you can see the penny drop. "That moment is when things start to change." Zander said returning to Glasgow always hits differently. He said: "Any work in Glasgow means everything to me. "I don't have to slow my voice down. The crowds get it. "I'm from here. It's personal. I see my younger self in all of them."
Glasgow Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
HUGE new mural being painted in Glasgow city centre
The artwork is being completed in the Merchant City on the massive gable end of the new Social Hub building. Well-known artist Smug has work on walls across the city, including the St Mungo mural on High Street, and features heavily in the city's mural trail. This new behemoth artwork is taking shape and will add to their collection, which specialises in hyper-realistic figures on a massive scale. HUGE new mural being painted in Glasgow city centre (Image: Supplied) READ MORE: 'Superb' new mural of Still Game star appears on busy city centre street READ MORE: Artist behind Billy Connolly mural's mission to get artwork to iconic comedian READ MORE: Mural painted in memory of tragic ex-football starlet 'murdered' in Glasgow home An outline completed so far appears to show a female figure wearing lots of jewellery and holding an old-fashioned style ornate candle and a cocktail glass. The Social Hub commissioned the artwork and spoke with us about the project. Ben McLeod, General Manager at The Social Hub Glasgow, said: 'We've been blown away by the attention the mural's getting — and it's not even finished yet. "It shows just how much people in Glasgow appreciate great street art, and we're proud to be adding to that tradition with a piece by a brilliant local artist. "Street art is a huge part of what makes Glasgow such a vibrant city — especially in this part of town, with Rainbow Street just around the corner on Wilson Street and the iconic Billy Connolly mural across the road on Old Wynd. "The mural should be complete in the next couple of weeks — so keep your eyes peeled.' Smug is having to use special lifting equipment to reach the wall (Image: Supplied) Smug is also known for other multi-storey artworks that add bursts of colour to the cityscape, including one on Mitchell Street depicting a girl with a magnifying glass, amusingly named Honey… I Shrunk the Kids. This new mural is even bigger, it's understood that it could be the biggest mural in Scotland once completed. The 494-room, 20,000-square-metre Social Hub combines hotel, student, and extended-stay accommodation with co-working, event, and community spaces.
The Herald Scotland
16-06-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Hybrid hospitality chief says firm serves 'diverse audience'
Read more in our exclusive Q&A here: Name: Ben McLeod What is your business called? The Social Hub Glasgow Where is it based? Glasgow What does it produce/do? We're a hybrid hospitality concept that combines hotel accommodation, with student and long-term stay rooms, coworking spaces, meeting and event venues, food and drink venues – all under one roof. It's a place where travellers, students, locals, and professionals can meet, learn, stay, work, and play. To whom does it sell? Our audience is incredibly diverse, from international students and business travellers to tourists and Glaswegians who come for a coffee, run their businesses from our coworking spaces, or to attend events to network, or simply have fun. We're also a growing destination for corporate and private event bookings. It's a community-first space designed to serve a wide cross-section of people with beautifully designed spaces aimed at building communities. How many employees? We currently have a team of 55. Why did you take the plunge? To be honest, I wasn't actively looking for a new role — I was headhunted through a recruiter. At the time, I was Head of Operations for a family-run hospitality group with multiple venues and hotels across Central Scotland. What intrigued me about The Social Hub was the uniqueness of the concept. The more I learned, the more excited I became. It felt like an opportunity to build something that hadn't been done before in the UK – certainly not in Scotland. READ MORE: 'Scotland's largest hotel' opens on site of famous former department store I've always loved hospitality. I got my start years ago in Grantown-on-Spey, working in bars and clubs while studying. Over time I took on more responsibility, worked across independent and branded operations, and spent time in Australia and the Middle East. What kept me hooked was developing people and seeing guests enjoy the experiences we create – that's the essence of hospitality for me. More than financial success, that's always been the pull. What were you doing before? I was head of operations for a family-run hospitality group, overseeing around 11 venues. It was fast-paced, hands-on, and a great grounding for the challenges of a launch like this. What do you least enjoy? There are always day-to-day challenges – mainly around managing people with different needs and communication styles, which requires constant adaptation. But that's also what makes it interesting, and also what makes our offering so unique – that mix of backgrounds and experience. The beauty of this role is that I'm not buried in paperwork. The business is well structured, and I have a fantastic team around me. That makes a huge difference. What are your ambitions for the firm? We want to be Glasgow's number one impact-driven hospitality venue… the go-to place for students, long and short term stay accommodation, dining and meetings and events. We aim to be the place to be in the city to meet people from all walks of life in a dynamic environment, and honestly, it feels like we're well on our way. We've already surpassed everything we thought we could achieve in our first year. The team has done a phenomenal job of showing Glasgow what The Social Hub can be. What single thing would most help? Continued support from our community and city stakeholders. We want to keep building something meaningful for Glasgow, and local backing makes a massive difference. What is the most valuable lesson you have learned? Trust your team. Give them the tools, space, and support to learn, grow, and make mistakes. You can't do it all yourself, although it's human nature to try. The real job of a leader is putting the right people in the right places, then letting them do their thing. What was your best moment? Helping to launch and build something entirely new in the UK has been incredibly rewarding. A real highlight was in May when The Social Hub Glasgow hosted its Better Society Academy – an event that brings together next-generation business leaders from across Europe to help the business world address Net Zero challenges. First Minister John Swinney was the headline speaker and toured the building as part of it. He absolutely loved it – and the community we've built. The nation's media was here, and seeing the First Minister's reaction to The Social Hub, and the positive change we are trying to drive in society was amazing. I also look back fondly on my time in the UAE, growing brands in a tough and complex market. It was highly international, and creating a culture where every voice mattered stood out to me. Working with Stewart Black, a former CEO I hugely admire, was another pivotal experience. He believed passionately in building profit through people and culture, and that changed the way I viewed leadership. I have another inspirational CEO now in Charlie MacGregor, and am learning so much from him too. What was your worst moment? Burning out at 25. I took on too much, too fast, convinced I was better than I was, and eventually walked away from hospitality altogether. I sold everything and travelled the world. In Australia, I had no intention of returning to the industry, but I ended up doing a trial shift at The Meat & Wine Co in Darling Harbour. I was supposed to be there for three hours, but I ended up staying until 11pm and I was hooked all over again. The culture was different, hospitality was a respected trade; people were career waiters and bartenders; Sundays came with a service charge that went straight to staff. It was thoughtful, balanced, and inspiring. I was offered the chance to stay, but the pull of family brought me home. Still, that experience gave me a new perspective and reignited my passion. How do you relax? Family is everything. I've got three very active kids, and I try to spend as much time as possible with them, whether that's swimming, being outdoors, or playing golf. I love getting to the driving range or squeezing in a round when I can. One of the best things about working for The Social Hub is that work-life balance is genuinely prioritised. I'm not contacted outside of work hours, and that's down to having a strong team and the right culture. It makes all the difference.
Scottish Sun
29-05-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Scot went from car salesman to boss of a $2billion business
'My first job was at the Toyota garage down in Cameron Toll. They used to push me out in front of the old, posh customers, because I could 'speak posh' TOP GEAR Scot went from car salesman to boss of a $2billion business CHARLIE MACGREGOR quit private school at 16 to become a trainee car salesman – and found the drive to build a European hospitality empire. The businessman revealed he was 'crap' in the classroom and couldn't wait to join the working world. Advertisement 4 Charlie started out life as a car salesman and now is CEO of The Social Hub. 4 The Social Hub Glasgow is the biggest hotel in Scotland. 4 Charlie relaxing in one of his hotels and the sort of activities guests can enjoy. His first job after leaving Merchiston boarding school in Edinburgh was flogging motors at Western Toyota in the city's Cameron Toll, where he used his privileged background to woo posh buyers. Growing in confidence, he later joined the building trade before turning his attention to hospitality. Charlie — whose dad, Charles, built Scotland's first student digs in 1980 for Edinburgh University — now owns 21 hotels in eight European countries under The Social Hub banner. They provide a mix of short and longer stay accommodation, plus co-working and event spaces. Through his Dutch-based firm, the entrepreneur last year opened his first UK venue — the £90million, 494-room, 4star Glasgow Social Hub. Advertisement Charlie, 49, from Haddington, East Lothian, recalls: 'I found school quite hard. I later discovered I was dyslexic before dyslexia was a thing. 'I was being told all the time that I was crap at everything and ended up leaving as early as I could. 'My dad was not so happy with me leaving school at 16, so told me to start earning a living. 'My first job was at the Toyota garage down in Cameron Toll. There was an old guy there who used to push me out in front of the old, posh customers, because I could 'speak posh', according to him. He told me to put on the 'posh school boy act' and I played up to it. Advertisement 'That helped build my confidence, but I guess I really found my mojo working on a building site. 'I discovered quite early on that I wasn't afraid of work the way I had been at school — it's just in the classroom I didn't understand what the hell was going on. 'But I worked like a dog and loved being part of a team. At work, I was the happiest I have ever been and have worked and worked since then.' Dad-of-four Charlie built his venues — which provide around 10,000 rooms — after raising almost £1.5billion from investors. Advertisement All are based on the same philosophy of offering luxury rooms for leisure and business travellers, as well as students and extended-stay guests. They also feature turntables and table tennis with bars, some with rooftop pools, restaurants, function rooms, a laundry and a gym. The most recent addition to the chain is Social Hub in Rome. Charlie reckons the key to his success is giving people more meaningful social experiences on a greater scale than they would get in the street or over a coffee. Advertisement He says: 'Bringing all these people together is only what we all experience on a bus or in Starbucks. Hotels seem to focus on one group or another, like, 'This is a business hotel, this is a leisure hotel, this is a health hotel'. And God forbid the locals are not allowed in there because they're just gonna disrupt the place, right? 'So we've come along and, with no hotel experience and in our naivety said, 'Hey, let's just bring everybody together and let's make sure the locals are part of it, too'.' Charlie's idea for Social Hub came after he got into the student accommodation business like his dad, opening his first Student Hotel in the Netherlands in 2006. He says: 'I grew up thinking, 'Jeez, these places don't really motivate good behaviour'. But build a space where their parents could come to stay — well, it naturally makes you behave better.' Advertisement Charlie believes other hotels need to 'rip up' the rule book if they want to follow in his footsteps. He says with a sigh: 'Do you know that in the big hotel chains, there's a standard operating procedure on how staff should sneeze? We have a reverse philosophy where the front of house staff — cleaners, receptionists — they're at the top of the tree, with me as the CEO at the bottom, because they really are frontline staff who are there to make your stay the best it can be.' Charlie would now love to expand his Social Hub accommodation into other parts of Scotland and Britain. He revealed it is 'really heartwarming' to see the concept working, and is particularly proud of his Glasgow venture. Advertisement However, he cautions: 'I wouldn't recommend to my own children to leave school at 16, but for me, getting out into the workplace really was the best thing I could have done.'
STV News
08-05-2025
- Business
- STV News
Scottish brewer launches search for year long 'beer tasters'
An award winning Scottish brewer has launched a search for year long 'beer tasters'. Innis & Gunn have teamed up with video interview platform Willo to search for five candidates to be offered the position of Beer Taster for a full year, effective from July 1, 2025. Successful applicants will gain early access to new beers and will receive VIP tickets to some of Scotland's top cultural events, including Belladrum, Edinburgh Christmas Market, Celtic Connections, and even The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. Full training will also be provided at the Innis & Gunn taproom. The process started with a pop-up booth at The Social Hub in Glasgow, where passer-by's were invited in to ask questions, ranging from 'describe the flavour of a pint in five words' to 'let's see you pull an imaginary pint'. You apply for the next pop up booth on the Innis & Gunn website. Dougal Sharp, founder and master brewer at Innis & Gunn said: 'Glasgow's got personality by the pint, so it made perfect sense to kick off our search for Scotland's top beer taster right here. 'We wanted to do something that felt less like a job interview and more like a laugh down the pub, and that's exactly what happened at The Social Hub. 'With help from our friends at Willo, we've captured some brilliant characters who know their way around a beer, and we can't wait to see who else throws their hat in the ring. This could genuinely be the best gig in the country – so get your applications in as soon as you can.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
