Oral History, Page 3 - Kibble, A Lasting Legacy. Residential, secure, education, fostering, social enterprise, training for young people and youths.

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Oral History

Enterprise

Early sources of vocational training and enterprise included shoemaking, tailoring, farming and market gardening — perhaps ironic since so many of our earliest residents were sent here for stealing shoes, clothing and/or food! These activities allowed a measure of self–sufficiency for the school, as well as training for boys and enterprising sources of income.

“And then the Kibble was virtually self–sufficient, as far as food was concerned. We had the farm…they had huge greenhouses that grew all the tomatoes and peppers…everything…we had two huge henhouses and a herd of dairy cattle. And we also rented a field down at Beith where we kept beef cattle. And every Friday, they used to sell the produce and you would have folk fae all over the Short Roods, Springbank Road, Greenock Road area. They were down there wi’ prams, bogeys – everything. And they used to go in there and they used to get cabbage, turnip, carrots, big bag of tatties, you know? £2 or somethin’, you know, a pound, two pound… pure fresh, I mean it was just pulled out the ground. It was only probably cut that morning or the morning, you know, the day before. But och it was amazin’…whit they made off it paid for whit they didnae have, you know for food within the school, you know?”

(Sam Hill, Carpentry Teacher at Kibble 1963–1995)

Current creative new enterprises

Current enterprises include music composing, promotional items, internet radio, picture framing and catering

Enterprising activities were not limited to sale of produce; services were also provided to the community. This was particularly true with regard to farming, with boys going out to work on neighbouring farms:

Car mechanics and maintenance

One of the current enterprises available through the KibbleWorks portfolio of enterprises is Car Mechanics and Maintenance

“But I took every opportunity that was going in thae days; I took a’ the workin’ opportunities. I took…I was workin’ on a farm. I went and done the tattie pickin’ and I managed tae get the job on the farm.”

(Matt McCartney, Kibble pupil 1974-1976, Kibble staff member 2000 -2008, firstly as a Classroom Assistant and subsequently Mechanics Instructor)

A Lasting Legacy