Kibble Admin

Touched by the current homelessness crisis, a selfless group of young people in Kibble’s Safe Centre and care staff stepped up to raise the incredible sum of over £3000 to help end homelessness in Scotland.

This amazing contribution has been raised for Sleep in the Park, a mass sleep-out event, and five year strategy by Social Bite which aims to eradicate homelessness in Scotland for good. Through a range of fundraising events and activities led by young people in the Safe Centre and across campus, the young people’s amazing spirit and drive to make a difference to those less fortunate, has shown no bounds. Young People at Kibble continue to demonstrate their compassion for supporting others facing situations more difficult than themselves.

Perhaps the most notable of all of the fundraising efforts was the Safe Centre sleep out which took place on Wednesday 29 December. A group of young people, and care staff slept out all night in freezing conditions in the quadrangle of the building. The event raised a huge sum of money and despite the cold, young people were entertained with a talk by The Homeless World Cup and Carlton Athletic, who also held a football match against young people and staff. The evening saw young people sit around a camp fire, toasting marshmallows and playing guitar as they helped raise vital funds. While the young people couldn’t take part in the mass sleep out for Sleep in the Park, this enabled them to experience a taste of the cold temperatures that homeless people endure each night.

In addition to the sleep out, fundraising efforts included ‘The Big Breakfast Roll Shop’ which served 600 hungry staff a delicious breakfast to set them up for the day. Young people in the Safe Centre took charge of the busy kitchen to manage the orders and prepare the food. Next up was the staff Race Night on Saturday 4 November where staff, friends and families donned their glad rags and rummaged deep into their pockets to support fundraising efforts in a fun, albeit competitive evening!

In the run up to Christmas, young people organised a Christmas Fayre selling a range of homemade arts and crafts, and delicious home baking to Kibble staff. The senior managers and Board were also treated to an evening of fine dining in the Safe Centre as young people and staff set up an extravagant pop-up restaurant to rival all Michelin starred establishments, under the watchful eye of Donald Munro – Executive Chef at Kibble. Young people helped prepare a delicious 3-course dinner, provided silver service and even entertained their dinner guests with songs and musical performances. Other activities included a ‘welly walk’ where primary children at Kibble’s Garnock Lodge Primary school did a muddy sponsored walk around Castle Semple County Park, and a silent auction for Kibble staff.

Sinclair Soutar, Executive Director of Secure Care, said:

“When we set the ambitious fundraising target of £3000, we knew it was going to be tough but we didn’t just meet it, we smashed it! This is testament to the incredible young people who continue to amaze and inspire us with their generosity and commitment to supporting those in worse situations than themselves. We’re so proud of what they have achieved and hope the money will help contribute to helping the lives of those living on the streets.”

Two young people from North (residential care house) are selflessly giving up their Christmas night and heading out to deliver essential items and some festive cheer to homeless people across Glasgow and Paisley.

The two boys, alongside child and youth care worker Craig Martin, launched an appeal at the beginning of the month that encouraged Kibble staff to donate items that will be packed into shoe boxes and gifted to homeless people on Christmas night. The boys asked staff to bring in warm items such as hats and gloves, snacks like cereal bars and chocolates, and toiletries.

The boys have been sorting through the donated items and packing them into shoe boxes. Thanks to a massive response from Kibble staff, the youngsters have been able to make up 15 male and 15 female shoe boxes which have been wrapped in festive Christmas paper with support from the admin team. The boys have also been able to fill large bags with food donations, various toiletries and other items that will be handed out in addition to the shoe boxes on Christmas night.

The young people wanted to spend their Christmas doing something meaningful and helping those who are less fortunate, and so the shoe box appeal idea was born. After they enjoy their Christmas dinner on Monday, the two boys, along with Craig, will head out to Paisley and Glasgow to deliver the filled and wrapped shoe boxes to people sleeping rough throughout the city.

The team are extremely proud of these young people for getting involved in such a worthwhile appeal, and for collecting an incredible number of essential items for homeless people bracing the cold weather this Christmas. Jim Crawford, executive director of Kibble’s residential services said:

“The young people involved in the shoe box appeal are a credit to Kibble. Giving is not just about making a donation. It’s about making a difference. Merry Christmas to all who need support at this time.”

On Sunday 10 December, a group of young people, care staff and their families donned familiar red suits, white fluffy beards and a pair of trainers to race through Glasgow’s streets, all in the name of charity.

The enthusiastic Kibble team braced sub-zero temperatures at Glasgow’s 2017 Santa Dash, joining 8500 other runners to race through Glasgow’s frost-covered streets. This is the fifth year that a team from Kibble has taken part and is a great opportunity for young people and staff to get together, have fun and raise vital funds for a worthwhile cause. This year’s chosen charity was the Beatson – an incredible charity that supports cancer patients and their families. The fundraising efforts were led by a group of dedicated young people from Uist (residential care house) who raised almost £900. They were joined on the day by young people across the campus to take part in the festive race.

The team are extremely proud of the hard work and commitment of the young people in raising such a phenomenal amount that will help provide vital care and support to those affected by cancer. The young people are planning to visit the Beatson facility in the coming days to personally hand over the check  and find out more about the great work that the charity do.

The infamous Santa Dash, which sees Glasgow’s streets come alive with thousands of energetic Santa’s racing their way through the scenic 5km route, has been running since 2006.

Claire Lunday, Depute Head Teacher of Kibble’s Safe Centre said:

“This was another great event that the young people and care team loved being a part of. It’s quite a surreal experience being surrounded by thousands of other Santa’s, but there’s no better way to get in the festive spirit while supporting charity. We couldn’t be prouder of the fundraising efforts of the young people and are already talking about next year’s event!”

A programme aimed at tackling Scotland’s care worker shortage has taken on its first group of trainees. The ‘People Can Care’ programme run by Kibble gives people interested in becoming child and youth care workers the chance to train within Kibble’s nationally recognised training system whilst gaining invaluable experience in a real working environment.

Trainees on the programme will work in Kibble for 12 months and will learn about every aspect of what it takes to work with some of the most vulnerable young people in the country. A study by Scottish Care from April 2017 found that 90% of organisations have difficulty filling support worker vacancies and that over half (58%) have said recruitment is harder this year than last.¹

Chief Executive of Kibble, Jim Gillespie, said:

“I am delighted to welcome the first 6 trainees to our new programme, ‘People Can Care’. We know that Scotland is facing a shortage of care workers and that organisations like Kibble must do more to encourage people to consider child and youth care as a career. Kibble is one of Scotland’s leading child and youth care charities and as such trainees are well placed to learn here.

“Our new trainee programme is the first step in the journey to help tackle Scotland’s shortage in care workers and give these trainees the chance at becoming confident, skilled child and youth care workers. Working in care can sometimes be tough but it is a rewarding and fulfilling career knowing that you help young people achieve their potential.”

The first cohort of trainees will work alongside full-time staff for 12 months as they learn exactly what it takes to work in child and youth care. Trainees will learn by direct observation, practice experience, direct teaching and mentoring. After working in all aspects of Kibble for a year, the trainees are guaranteed a job interview with a view to being given permanent positions.

Marie Duncan, Learning and Development Manager at Kibble said:

“Every trainee is assigned a mentor who will be on-hand to offer guidance and support throughout their time at Kibble. We take great pride in making sure that our staff have every opportunity to develop new skills, and our trainees will be just the same.

“This is just the beginning of the programme, and we hope that we will be able to offer more opportunities like this in the future for others considering a career in child and youth care.”

A new venue offering arts, music and community events along with the chance to learn more about social enterprise has now opened in Glasgow city centre.

Based in Buchanan Galleries, ‘good’ is a different type of space, letting organisations and people connect allowing Glasgow’s communities to flourish.

Over the next few months, ‘good’ will host organisations within Buchanan Galleries including Kibble Services, Glasgow Social Enterprise Network, Indigo Childcare, Visibility Scotland and others.

Kibble – one of Scotland’s oldest charities and leading social enterprise with expertise in youth training and employment – will manage the new venue, working in partnership with the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations.

As well as showcasing a wide variety of third sector organisations, visitors to the venue can also use the children’s play area, grab a selfie in an electric go-kart and record their very own Glasgow stories in their specially designed recording studio, the Blether Booth.

Chief Executive of Kibble, Jim Gillespie, said: “This is an exciting opportunity for people in Glasgow to find out more about what social enterprises do to help people and communities every day. We also want people to get involved with what is happening in the venue, including telling us their Glasgow stories within our Blether Booth.

“All of our events and activities on offer are free of charge and open to everyone, so please drop by next time you are in Buchanan Galleries.”

Members of the public are encouraged to visit ‘good’ to find out more and the space will be open from 10am to 5pm every day.

Kathy Murdoch, centre manager at Buchanan Galleries, said: “’good’ will provide a unique space for various charities and social enterprises to engage and educate the public on the great work that takes place within Glasgow’s communities. The venue is up and running and we hope groups from across the whole of the city come forward and make full use of all the facilities the team have on site.”

John Ferguson, Director of Development at SCVO, said:

“SCVO is delighted to be supporting Kibble and good in this exciting initiative by installing a bank of PC’s which provide free access to a range of websites promoting jobs, fundraising, volunteering and the activities of charities.

“It’s a marvellous gesture by the Galleries’ owners, Land Securities, to donate use of the space and SCVO will keep helping good by promoting awareness of its free availability to communities and charities around the West Coast.

“Any activity which brings people together and highlights the fabulous work social enterprises, charities, community groups and individual volunteers undertake to benefit society is surely a good thing. Come on Glasgow – get involved!”

Groups and members of the public who are looking to get more involved are encourage to visit good.scot or by emailing good.scot.info@kibble.org

Young people from Kibble wowed a packed audience at their annual ‘Kibble Allsorts’ revue show last week. They were joined on stage by dancers from West College Scotland, and Paisley’s latest music sensation Mandula & Hepzibah.

‘Kibble Allsorts’ is run in partnership with The Big Lottery Young Start Fund. The fund is designed to support events that encourage young people to take part in the arts. External tutors have been working with the young people for several months to prepare them for their performances.

The Kibble Band impressed with their versions of pop hits Go Your Own Way by Fleetwood Mac, Shape of You by Ed Sheeren, and Just Can’t Get Enough by Depeche Mode. The student dancers of West College Scotland went back to the 70s with their disco repertoire complete with vintage outfits.

The evening also saw Mandula & Hepzibah warm up for their supporting role for Paolo Nutini at the SPREE Festival by playing their own hit that will feature on the Paisley 2021 album.

Speaking after the event, Principal Teacher of Expressive Arts Laura Cairns said:

“Having events like Kibble Allsorts allows the young people to learn and develop new skills and confidence. Throughout the whole process, everyone worked tirelessly to put on such a fantastic evening.

“There are many hours of practice that our musicians dedicate to making the live performances such a success – I want to pay tribute to all of them.”

Chief Executive of Kibble Jim Gillespie said:

“Yet another fantastic evening showcasing the talent this school has to offer. What’s less easy to appreciate is the skillful, thoughtful support that brings the youngsters to this point.

“The confident performances don’t just happen and weeks of hard work allow the boys and girls to conquer their nerves and deliver in front of a packed audience. When feel incredibly proud of this school.”

Social enterprises from across the world will visit The Experience in Renfrewshire as part of the biggest ever gathering of its type in 2018. The move was announced after the Social Enterprise World Forum confirmed that it would be holding their annual conference in Scotland.

Delegates from across the globe will visit The Experience in Hillington Park, a social enterprise owned and operated by Paisley charity Kibble. The two day event will focus on the environment and the social enterprise business model.

The Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF) was established in 2008 to promote the social enterprise business model, where companies operate with a social mission and profits are reinvested instead of being paid to shareholders. The inaugural event was held in Edinburgh in 2008 with subsequent forums in Melbourne (2009), San Francisco (2010), South Africa (2011), Rio de Janeiro (2012), Calgary (2013), Seoul (2014), Milan (2015), Hong Kong (2016) and Christchurch (2017).

Chief Executive of Kibble Jim Gillespie said:

“Kibble has been a big supporter of SEWF right from the very beginning. We are delighted that our own social enterprise The Experience will be hosting a two day environmental working group as part of their conference next year.

“The Experience is maybe not what you would expect from a typical social enterprise. As well as being a Visit Scotland 5 Star accredited go karting and conference centre, it also hosts a range of social programmes including giving young people the chance of training and employment.

“Visitors from across the world will be able to see the important work that we are doing at Kibble and our other social enterprises like The Experience and Oskars (Kibble’s recycling social enterprise).  By sharing learning and expertise, we want to be able to provide even more opportunities for young people in Renfrewshire.”

Gerry Higgins, CEO of the 2018 organisers Community Enterprise in Scotland (CEIS) said:

“Since organising the first event in Edinburgh in 2008 we could see there was a real passion to establish social enterprise as a viable business model for non-profits looking for sustainability and entrepreneurs seeking to create businesses that benefit society. Visitors to Scotland in 2018 will engage with our unique Scottish and UK social enterprise scene, where social enterprises and government work together to tackle inequality, build healthy communities and create vibrant local economies.

“We are preparing to welcome 1200 participants from over 40 countries to Edinburgh in September, as SEWF 2018 provides a unique opportunity for the social enterprise community to collaborate and network in an inspiring and supportive setting.”

Interested in working with children to help make a difference to their lives? Come along to our recruitment days this September to find out about the range of roles available at Kibble’s local children’s care home in North Ayrshire including:

• Child and youth care staff (part time, weekends and sessional)
• Foster carers (full time, or respite care)
• Volunteers (min. 4 hours per week)

When?

Fri 22 Sep, 1pm – 7pm
Sat 23 Sep, 9am – 1pm

Where?

Clark Memorial Church
Bath Street
Largs, KA30 8BL

Tell me more?

If you think you’ve got what it takes, or would like to find out more, please drop in to one of our recruitment days. We look forward to welcoming you!

Social enterprise Doggy Chillin brought along an excitable 4-legged dog ‘Jenna’  to our school’s special assembly. Pupils were taught an invaluable lesson on how to be safe around dogs and to better understand their behaviours.

Doggy Chillin is a Paisley based social enterprise set up by qualified dog whisperer Colum Scriven alongside Catherine Quinn, a former teacher, and Jim Glancy Durning, a qualified social worker. They have designed a series of courses which can be delivered in schools to enable young people to grow in confidence around dogs through a heightened appreciation for their nature.

While the teenage pupils weren’t quite as bright eyed and bushy-tailed as Jenna the dog first thing in the morning, they loved the opportunity to learn more about the animal’s behaviours. This type of learning is particularly valuable for young people at Kibble, as many have a history of trauma or neglect. As a result, some pupils can find it difficult to engage in traditional methods of learning. By safely introduced dogs to this learning environment, the focus is shifted from the pupil to the dog and this can have a positive impact on their educational development.

Of course, dogs are no strangers to Kibble’s campus! One of our Duty Managers Maggie Ramsey brings dog Jasper to work with her regularly and the pupils adore him.  He’s forever racing around campus at 100mph lapping up the attention of young people and the care team.

KibbleWorks has received support to help young people gain skills for the construction trade. Toolstation made the £1000 donation from the money generated by the 5p carrier bag charge at their stores across Scotland.

The state of the art tools purchased from the money have allowed young people to learn about joinery and mechanics. KibbleWorks in McKean Street operates an exciting and diverse range of vocational programmes aimed at young people who may have felt challenged or out of place in a mainstream educational environment.

Eileen Cummings, Head of Young Workforce Development at KibbleWorks, said:

“Kibbleworks are really grateful to Toolstation for their continued support and generous donation to assist in helping young people in Paisley and surrounding areas gain qualifications and experience in the construction industry.”

Graeme Boyd, regional manager at Toolstation for the area including Paisley, said:

“We’re very pleased to be able to donate to charities such as KibbleWorks, which is located close to several of our branches. The work they all do in providing practical training, qualifications and support in construction skills to disadvantaged young people across the country not only makes a huge difference to individuals and communities, but also helps the industry benefit from new and enthusiastic talent at a time when skills shortages in the construction trade are growing.”