Young people at Kibble are the club’s new Ball Attendants for the season, with the volunteering hours counting towards their Saltire and Duke of Edinburgh Awards.
Since 2020, Kibble part-own St Mirren with a 27.5% stake in the local club along with its fans and the St Mirren Independent Supporters Trust (SMISA). Our partnership with the league team combines our youth-centred, educational and commercial expertise with St Mirren’s own first-class sporting facilities and profile.
Through the collaboration, we can offer a steady stream of valuable work and life experience to young people, giving them the opportunity to learn within a real, thriving business that caters to around 5,000 avid football supporters through its turnstiles at each match. Young people are given training and experience within front of house roles through these placements, working within the hospitality suites, in addition to learning about maintenance of the facilities and supporting the needs of the Scottish Premiership club.
The new Ball Attendant position puts the young people at the heart of the game – an incredibly exciting opportunity for those involved. The experience has increased confidence levels massively as young people have felt a sense of achievement and are on-track to gain the prestigious Saltire and Duke of Edinburgh Awards (DofE).
By accomplishing the awards and succeeding in the high-profile voluntary position, young people build skills and self-esteem, ultimately helping motivate them to set future aspirations and believe in themselves.
“I’m looking forward to being involved in the action at the games. It’s great to be part of a Premiership Football team and to learn more about what happens behind the scenes at the club. Not many would get the chance to call this work.”
One young person taking on the role of Ball Attendant
Jim Gillespie, CEO of Kibble and Board director at St Mirren FC, said: “We have been working in tandem with St Mirren FC since the partnership began to develop fresh ways to offer our young people the opportunity to learn and grow within a thriving local business. The Ball Assistant roles are an ideal way to not only help them gain this experience, but also encourage engagement and capture interest from the young people involved.
“Through each of the initiatives created with St Mirren, we strive to give our young people the chance to try something new, providing real value to their lives and futures, in addition to strengthening links with the local community and supporting the St Mirren team in the long run.”
Keith Lasley, COO of St Mirren FC, said: “This is an excellent initiative for the young people at Kibble to experience the buzz of match days at St Mirren, whilst earning valuable volunteering hours. It showcases the partnership between Kibble and St Mirren, and allows us to develop further opportunities to make a difference to the future of young people.
