Staff and boys from Kibble education and care centre transformed an industrial unit into a brand new centre for teaching and office space. Now their efforts have been praised by bosses at Kibble at the opening of KibbleWorks in the Greenhill Business Park, in Paisley. There are two new premises at the business park, which will be the new home for several projects run by Kibble.
And most of the internal building and refurbishment work was carried out by Kibble’s own maintenance team and the teenagers from Kibble’s Youth Enterprise project. Even the marble-effect reception area and desks were made by the boys in the Kibble’s Youth Enterprise project. The Youth Enterprise project, part-funded by the European Social Fund and managed by Jim Mullen, is for boys aged between 16 and 18 at Kibble and it teaches them practical skills and prepares them for work. Members of the Kibble maintenance team are Jim Ross, Jim Cairnduff and Pat Williams led by their clerk of works John Spence. Dozens of Kibble trustees, directors, management, staff and guests were at KibbleWorks for the opening to hear Dr Joan Mackenzie, head of education and youth training say: “Twelve weeks ago this space was a big empty shell and I came down here feeling depressed that we were going to ask people to come and work here. “But in that time there has been a remarkable transformation with a job very well done.” The 500 square metres industrial unit now has an IT training area, offices, interview rooms, reception kitchen and catering areas which will be used to train the boys from Kibble in catering skills. Both staff and pupils from Kibble will be trained on the premises in various skills. The Kibble’s Men Can Care project – also part-funded by the European Social Fund has moved to the KibbleWorks 1 premises. There 34 men will go through a 39-week training programme, which will help them qualify for a job in the care sector. Also on the premises Kibble staff will be working with the In Kind Direct charity, which is a clearinghouse for the big companies’ surplus goods, which are passed on to various charities. KibbleWorks 1 will be a showroom for these brand new but surplus goods like office supplies, furniture, household appliances, toiletries, sports goods, books, toys, arts and crafts, educational materials and clothing. Graham Bell, Kibble’s chief executive said: “There hasn’t been a great uptake of good from In Kind Direct in Scotland. So we hope Kibble will be able to encourage Scottish charities to take advantage of this. “The project also gives our older boys the experience of working in warehousing and distribution and learning skills like stocktaking.” Across the way is KibbleWorks 2, which is where the Youth Enterprise project workshop is based. There, youngsters from Kibble learn joinery and carpentry skills and there are plans to manufacture plastic lumber products like outdoor garden furniture. Graham Bell added: “We are developing our training for staff and the boys at Kibble. We now have a first-class training centre where young people and adults can work and learn together. “We are making sure our boys will be better equipped for working in a modern world when they eventually leave Kibble.”