Young people build garden for disabled adults in Kilbirnie

Young people in the North Ayrshire town of Kilbirnie are improving the lives of adults with disabilities, while skilling up for a competitive jobs market as they prepare to leave school and enter the world of work.

School pupils from Garnock Community Campus were selected by engineering firm Amey following an interview process to help create a therapeutic garden at The Salvation Army’s George Steven Community Hub. The hub is open every weekday from 10am to 3pm as a welcoming space for disabled people.

The work placement is part of a social impact scheme by Amey's Southwest Trunk Roads Unit and is being supported by The Salvation Army’s Employment Plus team. It will provide ongoing, work-related training at the hub. Further training will be provided by the Ayrshire Construction Training Group. 

Caroline Dalrymple, Employment Development Coordinator for The Salvation Army in Kilbirnie, said: “This is the first initiative of its kind at the George Steven Community Hub – and a first for the school and the area. It’s an incredible opportunity to give young people in our community a practical introduction to the world of work, mirroring real-life situations. The pupils worked hard and had a great time. They wanted to keep working and the one day we had planned ended up as three days.

“This is more than just work experience. It’s a commitment to the young people of Garnock Valley and a powerful example of what happens when churches, charities and industry or commerce work together.”

School teacher Richard Nimmo, who is responsible for skills development as well as being a PE teacher at Garnock Community Campus, was on hand to help on the day. He said: “Projects like this are exactly the kind of opportunities we want to promote in the Garnock Valley. Given our rural location, pupils at Garnock Community Campus don’t always have the same access to experiences as those in more urban areas, and limited public transport can be a real barrier. That’s why it’s fantastic to see our young people gaining hands-on work experience in a trade they’re genuinely passionate about, right here in the local area.

“The entire process, from CV preparation to interviews and the placement itself, has been incredibly valuable, giving pupils real-world skills that will help them to find work. We’re already in early discussions about how to build on this success and offer the opportunity to another group of pupils after the summer.”

Christopher Weir, construction manager for Amey's SouthWest Unit, said. “We supported The Salvation Army hub by doing some groundwork. We returned this time to level and resurface more walkways and were delighted to bring in pupils from Garnock Campus.

“It was great to see them progress through the employability day which was supported by The Salvation Army’s Employment Plus programme and colleagues from The Lennox Partnership. It’s great to support the local community that are interested in coming into the construction industry.”