News

Kibble Band talent spotted to perform at special event

THE Who Cares? Scotland ‘Time to Shine’ Festival was treated to a musical performance by a group of local youngsters with experience of the care system. The Kibble Band played in front of nearly 100 people attending the event last week (Saturday, 31^st October) in Community Central Halls, Glasgow.

The Kibble Band is made up of 4 young people who attend Kibble Education and Care Centre in Paisley. They were joined on stage by their music teacher Chris McDonald and classroom support worker Neil McGonagle. The Band was asked to play at the annual ‘Time to Shine’ Festival after being spotted impressing the audience at their own school’s variety show.

Speaking after the event, Arts Development Officer at Kibble Education and Care Centre, Gavin Sinclair said

“The work of Who Cares? Scotland in putting on the festival is important to anyone who has experienced the care system. The Kibble Band are an exceptionally talented bunch of youngsters, so to be asked to perform at ‘Time to Shine’ is a great privilege.

“Our aim at Kibble is to give all of the young people in our care the opportunity to flourish. Music is just one of those ways, and the chance to perform in front of so many people can make a huge difference to someone’s confidence.”

As well as having the Kibble Band perform, youngsters were treated to the genuine back stage experience of being a band on tour. Different tasks such as unloading and loading the van with equipment, setting up the PA system and completing sound checks made the whole day as realistic as possible.

Adding authenticity to the Rock and Roll adventures were the pupils of Kibble TV who recorded the entire performance. Students will use the footage recorded at the event as part of their formal studies in class.

For further information or comment contact Martin McElroy, 07944856796, martin.mcelroy@kibble.org

SINGING, dancing, film making, poetry and drumming were all on the programme as the young people of Kibble Education and Care Centre showcased their talents. The acts were part of the annual ‘Kibble Allsorts’ variety show performed in front of a packed audience at The Gannochy Centre for Expressive Arts on the Kibble campus.

Special guests from West College Scotland dancers, Listen2Us and Who Cares? Scotland also impressed. The newly reformed Kibble Band, along with other Kibble youngsters made the show a triumph.

‘Kibble Allsorts’ runs in conjunction with the Scottish Mental Health & Film Festival, and there are many more activities planned throughout the next few weeks in Renfrewshire and beyond.

Speaking after the event, Creative Arts Development Officer Gavin Sinclair said:

“Everyone worked tirelessly to put on such a fantastic evening. The young people learn and develop new skills and confidence throughout the whole process of putting on the variety show.

“From the ICT Class making the short film, the Art Class preparing for the exhibition, or the many hours of practice that our musicians dedicated to making the live performances such a success – I want to pay tribute to all of them.”

Head Teacher of Kibble Education and Care Centre, Neil Govan, said:

“Yet another fantastic evening showcasing the talent this school has to offer. I thought the performances were outstanding – the sheer quality shone through. What’s less easy to appreciate is the skilful, thoughtful support that brings the youngsters to this point.

“The confident, capable 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 it all comes together like it did this evening one can’t help but feel incredibly proud of this school.”

KIBBLE Education and Care Centre were celebrating this week (6^th October) after being highly commended for their innovative model for providing integrated care, education and employability services. The accolade was given in the ‘Best Service’ category at the prestigious GO Awards Scotland 2015/16 at a ceremony dinner in Glasgow.

The awards are the highlight of Procurex Scotland Live 2015, The Scottish Government’s annual procurement conference. This year, over 1200 delegates and special guests attended the SECC to learn about best practice and innovation in public sector procurement.

Kibble was given the prize after judges were impressed by Kibble’s innovative integrated service model which achieved improved outcomes for looked-after young people.

Jim Gillespie, Head of Service – Safe Centre, said:

“It is great for the staff to be recognised for their hard work. These national awards really are the benchmark for public sector organisations. We are leading the way with our integrated approach to service delivery.

“The team at Kibble are dedicated to helping disadvantaged young people and to be formally recognised in this way is a real privilege.”

Kibble Education and Care Centre was founded in 1859 after a wealthy Paisley textile heiress, Elizabeth Kibble, left a portion of her will to establish a home for “youthful offenders”. The organisation has grown to become Scotland’s leading organisation for providing care, training, education and employment opportunities to young people most removed from mainstream education.

Chief Executive, Graham Bell, said:

“Our staff work tirelessly to help the young people in our care, and it is an honour for Kibble to be recognised at a national award ceremony in this way.

“Whilst we remain committed to our original charitable mission, we will continue to ensure that our services are designed and delivered to meet the needs of the twenty first century.

As part of the upcoming Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival, running from 10-31 October, young people at Kibble are showing off their creative talents to help promote positive mental health and well-being.

In one artistic project, three of our young people are busy crafting a large banner to go on public display at Paisley Gilmour St station. As part of the Paisley Poetry Trail, the banner will be exhibited from Monday 5 October until the end of the month. The theme for this year’s banner is ‘Passionate about Paisley’ and using a variety of mediums and techniques, the young people are creating a banner based on Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken”. The banner will also feature inspirational words and quotes alongside it and young people from our Safe Centre have helped out by providing words and quotes that inspire them.

As part of the Festival, Kibble is also presenting Kibble Allsorts on Wednesday 7 October at 7pm. This is an evening showcase of live music, dance, film and other surprises. Taking place at Kibble’s Gannochy Trust Centre for Expressive Arts, the evening will have performances from the Kibble Band, poetry reading from the Listen 2 Us Group, and dance from West College Scotland students. All performances will reflect the theme of the evening, emotional wellbeing. Who Cares? Scotland will be offering their support on the evening and be available to talk to anyone interested in finding out more about their organisation.

The Mental Health Arts and Film Festival is one of Scotland’s most diverse cultural events. Attended by over 20,000 people, the Festival takes place in venues across Scotland and features; music, film, visual art, theatre, dance and literature. Now in its ninth year, the Festival supports the arts, and challenges preconceived ideas about mental health. It celebrates the artistic achievements of those with experience of mental health, the link between creativity and the mind, and promotes positive mental health and well-being.

Be sure to check out our banner as it sits pride of place at Paisley Gilmour St. Station on Monday 5 October. There will be an official launch on Friday 9 October and a trail on Friday 16 October that will visit all locations with banners in Paisley.

And, for a fun night out that’s guaranteed to get your toes tapping and hands clapping, please also come along to the Kibble Allsorts free concert on Wednesday 7 October at 7pm at Kibble Education and Care Centre, Goudie St Paisley, PA3 2LG. Doors open 6.30pm for a 7pm start. For details, please email laura.cairns@kibble.org. We look forward to welcoming you!

Hairmyres Hospital nurses were joined by foster carers and friends last Saturday as they battled through mud, water, fire and ice in Total Warrior 2015! 

The arduous team of nurses, known as the Hairmyres Hurricanes raised a staggering £800 to support Kibble’s Intensive Fostering Services (IFS), with donations still rising. The 9 strong team saw Jennifer Tait, Leah Proud, Lauren Frew, Lauryn Kennan and Lindsay Dingwall take on 30 punishing obstacles in the 10k race, along with foster carers Alec McGhee, Morag MacLean and friends Gemma and Gael Selkirk. The warriors endured being stung by electricity, jumping over fire, crawling under barbed wire, trawling through waist-deep mud and swimming through ice-cold water, all in aid of Kibble.

Jennifer Tait (26) said: “It was very physically and mentally challenging, definitely more than we had prepared for; pushing each other over obstacles and pulling each other out of mud whilst losing our shoes in the mud, that was the worst. In every photo, however, we’re all laughing.”

For the Hairmyres Hurricanes, Kibble was a charity close to their hearts as Alec and Morag, who took part in the event, provide intensive fostering for children. According to Jennifer “we all see the amazing difference this makes to children who have had very little, taken into a loving, warm home”.

With over £800 raised, the group are hoping to smash their £1000 target with the money being put towards refurbishing the games room within Kibble’s Intensive Fostering Services, including buying new games, toys and books. Children and young people use the games room to relax while attending the unit for meetings with families, carers and social workers.

“We asked the kids what they would want to do with the money we raised. They have a room where they go to relax, be children and meet their families for supervised visits and it’s in need of some TLC so that’s what we’re going to do.” Jennifer Tait.

John McHale, IFS service manager at Kibble said:“We’re totally overwhelmed by the generosity and support from Jennifer, fellow warriors, and all of those who kindly donated. This will make a huge difference to children and young people in our care by giving them a newly re-furbished games room with lots of new toys, games and books for them to enjoy.”

If you’d like to donate, please visit the Hairmyres Hurricane’s JustGiving page. Text donations can be made by texting HMHC99 £10 (or other amount) to 70070.

Kibble is committed to the safety and protection of all of the young people whom we support.  Our recent inspection reports have highlighted regularly that young people feel safe with us.  We are conscious, however, of the concerns discussed nationally regarding the historical abuse of young people in care and have participated actively in these discussions in order to continue to reflect on how best to support young people in the future.  There may be young people who have left Kibble who would wish to raise issues or concerns about their time here.  We are happy to offer support or should they wish, they could contact the organisation set up nationally to listen to the experiences of anyone who has been in institutional care when they were a child.  This organisation is called The National Confidential Forum and their contact details are noted below.

Freephone no: 0800 121 4773
Office phone no: 0141 352 2333
Email to: information@nationalconfidentialforum.org.uk

Post to:
Freepost RTLG-CKTH-ZTEB
NCF
PO BOX 27122
GLASGOW   G2 9LB

On Friday 21 August, The Experience played host to a spectacular Charity Dinner in aid of the Beatson Cancer Charity. The dinner was a huge success and raised £7900 for the charity.

A great evening was had by all as over 100 guests gathered for an evening of powerful and moving speeches, delicious food, a fun auction and great conversations!

The Beatson Cancer Charity raises funds to enhance the treatment, outcome, experience and well-being of both patients diagnosed with cancer and their families. They provide vital support as well as raise funds for specialised posts including; nursing, radiography, physics, and research-based staff. Money also goes towards enhanced medical equipment, innovative service developments, unique research projects and educational initiatives.

The Academy restaurant was transformed into a dining extravaganza as in-house Interior Designer Sharon Kane used a nature theme to signify new life. Taking inspiration from the Beatson, motivational quotes were placed around the venue, and beautiful fresh yellow flowers adorned every table.

The night kicked off with a drinks reception in The Academy where guests were welcomed with a glass of bubbly. The first speech was given by Kibble’s CEO, Graham Bell who welcomed guests to the venue and introduced Maureen Thomson from the Beatson. Maureen delivered a heart-warming and though-provoking speech, asking everyone in the room to stand up. She then asked everyone who had been affected by cancer, or knew someone who had, to sit back down. Not one person was left standing. The room was left in silence for the remainder of Maureen’s speech where everyone listened to the great work Beatson are doing in their mission to beat cancer. The final speech of the evening was given by Donald Munro, our Executive Chef and the reason behind this event. During the development of The Experience, Donald was diagnosed with cancer. Donald wanted to organise an event to raise money for the Beatson Cancer Charity. This event was a great way for Donald to give something back to the Beatson and to showcase The Experience as an events venue.

Donald worked in the kitchen during the event alongside The Experience Chefs and visiting Chefs, Robert Lintott and Stewart Jarvie, to prepare a delicious meal for the guests. After dinner, the auction and raffle took place. The auction was a huge success and everybody got involved in the fun. All auction and raffle prizes were very kindly donated to us. A special thanks goes to John Ferguson of SCVO who ran the auction and managed to get everyone to dig deep.

The night was a great success and we were delighted to raise funds for such a deserving cause!

Kibble is proud to have been awarded Investors in Young People (IIYP) Gold Accreditation.
The prestigious award is Scotland’s only people management award that recognises excellence in an employer’s recruitment and retention of young people. The award demonstrates Kibble’s commitment to helping disadvantaged young people gain the skills, experience and confidence to build rewarding careers with bright futures.
Investors in Young People is designed to help employers meet their business goals by harnessing the creativity and skills of young people. Peter Russian, Chief Executive of Investors in People Scotland, said “This is a fantastic achievement for Kibble and I and the whole IIYP team would like to wholeheartedly congratulate them. The Investors in Young People framework not only recognises and supports organisations in the employment of young people, but also marks them out as an employer of choice”.
The award comes at an exciting time for Kibble as we develop our youth training and employment opportunities. KibbleWorks, our collective of social enterprises that provides employment, education and training to disadvantaged young people has recently expanded its offering in leisure and hospitality. The Experience is our 5-star themed entertainment and events venue at Hillington Park with; electric indoor Go-Karting, Laser Experience, Slot Car Racing, The Academy restaurant and meeting and event space. It is a real hub of opportunity for young people facing barriers to employment. The Experience is providing valuable and rewarding work experience and training in roles including; leisure assistants, catering, customer service, design and print, and front-of-house.
We have been looking after, educating and training young people, so they can play a positive role in society for more than 150 years. Graham Bell.Chief Executive, Kibble
Kibble operates a number of programmes for at risk young people, including the BIG YES Programme for 16-29 year olds who are furthest removed from the job market. The successful programme delivers practical work experience, skills development and job search advice. Young people can also gain accredited SQA and City and Guild qualifications, equipping them for a fast-paced and exciting career in leisure and hospitality. In addition, KibbleWorks provides employment opportunities for young people in care, preparing to leave care, or those whose needs cannot be addressed in the wider community. Employment and training is provided in; furniture restoration at OsKars, vehicle maintenance, design and print, picture framing and gardening and landscaping.

Chief Executive at Kibble Graham Bell passed his appreciation and thanks to IIYP for recognising the good work we do with young people. Kibble look forward to working with IIYP to continue to strengthen the opportunities we provide to young people.

We’re delighted to announce the opening of Kibble’s Arran Villa Care Home this month. The new care home, located in the scenic seaside town of Largs, will offer care and support to young children (aged 5-12) with complex needs and/or challenging behaviour.

Arran Villa Care Home is an early intervention residential service for up to five at risk children. It has been developed to meet the increasing number of referrals for younger children with needs that are best met within a smaller children’s home service. The safe, secure and friendly environment at Arran Villa aims to ease transition to foster care, supporting the children in their foster care placements.
At Arran Villa Care Home, we want the children to develop trusting relationships and to support this; we have a high staff to child ratio. This ensures each child receives highly personalised and focused support, tailored to their individual needs. The children are offered additional support services including; integrated education, Specialist Intervention Services, befrienders and Family Respite Care services.

If you would like further information, please contact Kay Gibson, Operations Manager on 0141 889 0044. To make a referral, please visit our referrals page.

Kibble staff were delighted to welcome Deputy Chief Constable Rose Fitzpatrick of Police Scotland on a recent visit to learn how Kibble is helping build safer communities.

Deputy Chief Constable Fitzpatrick is the Building Safer Communities Champion for Ferguslie Park, and in her blog ‘An Enterprise of Hope and Opportunity’, she praised Kibble staff for guiding young people through uncertainty to “hope and opportunity”, as well as being valuable role models in young people’s lives and the wider community.

Kibble has a strong community connection and continues to strengthen its services for young people with complex needs and/or challenging behaviour. KibbleWorks, a Youth Employment and Training Facility is equipping young people with vital skills and recognised qualifications to open up greater employment opportunities, while supporting the local community. Young people learn new skills from; furniture restoration to catering; gardening and landscaping to picture framing. Work plans are tailored to individual needs, giving each person the skills and confidence to enter the job market, while aiding the transition from living in care to living independently.

The latest development from Kibble is The Experience – a 5-star themed entertainment and events venue that’s attracted much excitement in the local community. The large go-karting and laser complex, based at Hillington Park, is a social enterprise providing employment and training opportunities for disadvantaged young adults, equipping them with vital skills in leisure and hospitality – all in a fun, fast-paced environment!

“The overriding impression is that the project is genuinely equipping young people for life with qualifications and experience that will be credible with businesses and therefore transferable in the long term” and “This is real nuts and bolts social enterprise at its very best”.
Building Safer Communities Board Member, Police Scotland

The Experience also features The Academy restaurant where high-quality food is deliciously prepared using fresh local produce, many of which have been grown in their community garden.

One Building Safer Communities Board member described Kibble as:

“A new inspirational model for lifting young people with more difficult and deprived backgrounds out of a hopeless situation into training, employment and a sense of achievement and self-confidence”.

Read the blog by Deputy Chief Constable Rose Fitzpatrick on the Building Safer Communities website.