Spend even a few minutes with Bobby Pollock and you’ll quickly understand why his Glasgow 2014 memories still shine so brightly. His stories don’t just recall the past, they bring it to life, filled with heart, humour and that unmistakable Glasgow spirit.

A retired housing manager with more than 30 years of service in communities across Glasgow, Bobby is the kind of person who proves that when people say "the people make Glasgow," they mean it.

Back in 2014, Bobby wasn’t just a face in the crowd. He was both a Queen's Baton bearer in Castlemilk and a Host City Volunteer right in the heart of the Merchant City. That week alone would be a highlight in anyone’s life, but for Bobby, it lit a fire that’s still burning more than a decade later.

"When I found out I was going to carry the Baton, I couldn’t believe it. I joked about it with my family, but when the letter dropped through the door, I was like a wee kid at Christmas," he recalls. "I still talk about it today.”

He carried the Baton through Castlemilk at 8.30 in the morning, during the school holidays. Expecting quiet streets, Bobby had gone door to door in the days before, handing out leaflets and making sure locals knew what was coming. His efforts paid off. The pavements were filled with neighbours, some in dressing gowns, some waving from balconies, all sharing in the moment.

"It was a pure buzz," he says. "I was proud for myself, but proud for my family and my community too. Castlemilk turned out.”

And that was just the start. Bobby spent the first week of the Games as a Host City Volunteer, based in the Merchant City. He worked seven out of ten shifts that week, offering directions, helping visitors and making sure everyone felt welcome. With the sun splitting the skies and cafés spilling out onto the pavements, he says Glasgow felt like a city on holiday.

"Folk kept saying it was like Paris. I’ve never been, but I got the idea," he laughs. "The energy was something else. You’d speak to people from all over the world, but they all said the same thing — they felt at home here.”

For Bobby, Glasgow 2014 was more than a two-week celebration. It was a moment of personal reflection and renewed purpose. Already a seasoned volunteer with decades of service behind him in roles with Glasgow Children's Panel and Citizens Advice, but to name a few, he credits the Games with reinforcing just how much he valued giving back.

"I might have been thinking about slowing down, but 2014 changed that," he says. "It gave me a boost I didn’t know I needed. Since then, I’ve kept going. Even though I've retired, I now volunteer as a driver for the NHS Children’s Hospital and I mentor young people in schools through a City Council Programme. I still feel like I’ve got something to offer.”

That sense of renewed purpose is matched by a strong belief in what the Games meant for the wider city. Bobby sees the legacy not only in venues like the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, where he’s volunteered many times since, but in the way the city carried itself.

"Folk ask what Glasgow really got out of 2014, and I tell them it gave us confidence. It reminded us who we are. The people came together, and that feeling’s never really left.”

Bobby's efforts over the years haven’t gone unnoticed. His dedication to volunteering has been recognised by the NHS, Glasgow City Council, and even the Princess Royal. His face has appeared in newspapers, plaques and signage across the city, including a feature within the People's Palace, celebrating his time as a Host City Volunteer and giving thanks for his wider volunteering efforts.

So when he heard the Games were coming back in 2026, it was never in doubt that Bobby would want to be involved once more.

"I couldn’t believe it when I heard. I thought 2014 was my one shot. But now? I’ve already put my name down. I’ll be there in whatever way I can.”

His advice for anyone considering volunteering is simple: just do it.

"You’ll meet brilliant folk. You’ll feel part of something. And you’ll see Glasgow at its best. That’s what makes it worth it.”

In Bobby, you see how the Games can leave a lasting mark. Glasgow 2014 didn’t just inspire him for a fortnight, it reignited a passion that’s continued to shape his life and his community ever since. It reminded him, and the city, of what’s possible when people come together with purpose.

That sense of purpose, belonging and pride is what Glasgow 2026 hopes to inspire once again, not just in volunteers, but in everyone who plays a part in the next chapter of the Games.