Who we are

GalGael are a working community based in Glasgow, Scotland. We work together on demanding common tasks that demonstrate ways of living with more humanity in our times. In this section you can find out a bit more about our story, what GalGael means and how we came to be building boats as well as how we're organised.

What GalGael means

The name 'GalGael' is our way of re-rooting notions of identity and belonging in ways that are inclusive not exclusive – recognising there is both a bit of the stranger and a bit of the native in us all. Read more

Our story

Our story is crafted by many people. It starts in one of the most deprived areas of Glasgow, where the GalGael grew from an environmental campaign. We created GalGael as a vehicle to take forward what we’d learned and to move from being about what we didn’t want to what we did want. Read more

How we're organised

GalGael consists of the GalGael Trust, a registered charity and GalGael Enterprises a social enterprise - wholly owned by the Trust. Find out more about how we're structured and how we make decisions. Read more

Latest

AGM 18 February 2021

GalGael's Annual General Meeting reporting on the year April 2019 to March 2020
virtual Burns Night

So we're having a bash at an online version of our Thursday Night Gatherings – kicking off with a Virtual Burns Night, on the 28th January.
Gathering Up A Storm

Exciting things happening in our yard in Ibrox! A team of volunteers have started assembling our green oak shelter, which will provide us with an outdoor space to meet over the winter months (and beyond).
Pandemic Times Discussion Group

Timber and firewood

We produce a number of Scottish hardwoods - often by working with partners within Historic Environment Scotland and Glasgow City Council to bring locally produced timber for sale to the public and for use in our products.
Boat building

GalGael works together on demanding common tasks that build community and demonstrate ways of living with more humanity. Working together on boats of all shapes and sizes is one of the ways in which we do just this.
GalGael Next?

Big changes at GalGael
How to participate

There are many ways to get involved in our work. Find out how to become part of what we're doing, visit us or stay connected.
Why we need volunteers

GalGael offers activities that help people reclaim skills, agency and sense of worth. Without our crew of dedicated volunteers we these activities wouldn't happen nor would the many other adventures we have.
About our social enterprise

Our range of products and services - activities that generate meaning and income to help us become self-sustaining.
Where we are

This is where you'll find us. We work and gather around tables and workbenches, at events, at cultural sites and in the great outdoors.
Very human humans

This is not your typical ‘success story’ with happy endings. Brendan arrived at GalGael’s workshop with a cynicism bordering on healthy - "I thought GalGael was just another programme to keep the DWP off my back for a few more months while I got on with the business of drinking myself to death, no big deal".
How to refer

GalGael’s activities offer folk a place of work, some respect and some tools. We work to create a therapeutic environment however what we offer is firmly based in practical skills. So we are reliant on ongoing working relationships with our partner agencies in supporting people with complex needs.
Open Workshop Nights

We have a workshop with tools and benches so every Thursday we open that up to the wider community. Thursdays are open format - they very much depend on who shows up and what they bring. But we can promise workshop space, a basic meal and some banter.