GLASGOW CITY MISSION
PROVIDING HOPE FOR TODAY, TOMORROW, ETERNITY
Glasgow City is the world’s first City Mission. Since 1826, we have been
showing Christian care to vulnerable adults and children by fighting against
poverty and disadvantage in Glasgow.
THE WORLD'S FIRST CITY MISSION
In 1826, a Glaswegian with the social and
spiritual concern for his fellow citizens
started Glasgow City Mission to respond to
the needs of its people.
David Nasmith had a vision for a pioneering
method of Christian care where he would meet
people's physical, emotional and spiritual
needs. Nasmith went on to start City Missions
throughout the UK, and from this model, the
City Mission movement spread around the
world.
Pioneering Christian Care
Glasgow City Mission realised that to share the Christian message you had
to help the whole person. Glasgow City Mission responded to high illiteracy
rates by being one of the first charities in the world to provide evening literacy
classes for adults in the 1830s.
They had an equal concern for young people and provided ground-breaking
evening 'Chimney Sweep Schools for children' who had to work at the cost of
their education.
As living standards in Glasgow improved, Glasgow City Mission was careful
to meet the changing needs of the city and gradually focused its work on
supporting people that were on the very fringes of society.
They also had a community and responsive focus. In 1986 Glasgow City
Mission started a Child and Family Centre in Govan, to take action in a
community that had become engulfed by deprivation and unemployment.
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