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Gallowhill generations team up for history project

Residents of Gallowhill have bridged the generation gap to put their minds together and document local social history.

P7 kids from Gallowhill Primary School teamed up with older residents of the area’s Glencairn Court flats for a social history project about ‘old Paisley’.

The project is part of wider housing regeneration activity in Gallowhill – with Renfrewshire Council investing £6million to transform the multi-storey flats at Gallowhill Court and Glencairn Court as part of a housing investment programme. A new system of choice-based letting has also been successfully piloted in the same blocks.

Gallowhill residents and school pupils team up for history project

With the pupils using their research skills and the elderly residents sharing their memories of life in Paisley in the 1950s, a wealth of information about the area’s social history was uncovered.

The project was supported by Renfrewshire Council’s Libraries staff, who showed the pupils and residents how to research the topic using some of the online resources available and supplied iPads to help facilitate this research.

Two ‘memory boards’, titled “Gallowhill and Paisley Generations” and displaying images of some of the information gathered, were presented to the school in recognition of the pupils’ work.

Smaller versions of the boards will be displayed in the new social space in Glencairn Court due to be completed next year.

Councillor Tommy Williams, Renfrewshire Council’s housing convener, said: “This was a tremendous project which brought together Gallowhill residents, young and old, to learn from each other.”

“The work we’re doing to provide modern, energy-efficient homes for our Gallowhill tenants is contributing greatly to overall regeneration of the area. Our older residents will have seen a lot of changes over the years and by sharing their memories with our children, they help build the community spirit that means so much to the area.”

School head teacher Sheila Hood said: “Working with the residents was a very rewarding experience. It’s certainly one that will be remembered due to the wonderful memory board created at the end.”

Pupil Matthew Baldwin said: “The residents were very friendly. They gave us information on the past and we showed them how to use iPads. I found it very interesting.”

His schoolmate Chloe Shields added: “It changed my view on Gallowhill because I now know what life used to be like. I had a fantastic time working with the residents of Glencairn Court.”

www.renfrewshire.gov.uk

Author

Founder of Paisley.org.uk in 1998 and constantly strives to change peoples attitudes to the town, Brian is a self described Paisley Digital Champion who promotes Paisley via any means necessary. You can also follow me on X