Shortroods Archives - Paisley Scotland

Nominations are now open for the 2018 Renfrewshire Employability Awards celebrating the successes of people supported through Renfrewshire’s Local Employability Partnership programmes.

RDC Invest awards 6.9.17 Celebrating Success
Renfrewshire Employability Awards
6.9.17
Paisley Town Hall

It is the fifth year of the popular awards organised on behalf of the partnership by Renfrewshire Council’s economic development service Invest in Renfrewshire.

Invest work closely with more than 1000 local businesses to support Renfrewshire residents from its base at Paisley’s Russell Institute building.

Together, the programme provides direct access to vacancies, work experience, training, personal support and finance.

There are nine awards across a range of categories including Most Promising New Entrepreneur and Apprentice of the Year. The awards also recognise school pupils and people building their CV through volunteering as they prepare for the world of work.

Last year’s glittering celebrations recognised top intern Debbie Campbell, whose work with award-winning community charity I Am Me Scotland raised awareness of disability hate crime.

Johnstone High School pupil Morgan Spence won the Youth CV builder award, the Kilbarchan teenager’s stop-motion film-making skills being viewed more than a million times online.

Renfrewshire Council Leader Iain Nicolson said: “The Renfrewshire Employability Awards are always an excellent event, recognising new employees making a real difference to local businesses and celebrating the successes of those who transform their lives and future careers through involvement in Renfrewshire’s employability programmes. I would encourage people to submit their nominations as soon as possible.

“Invest in Renfrewshire organises these awards on behalf of the Local Employability Partnership in recognition of Renfrewshire’s success in this area and the hard work and effort put in by our local people.

“The Invest team themselves have built strong partnerships with the local business community and together are creating work and training opportunities for more than 1400 people each year. This is hugely important, reducing unemployment and enabling our local economy to grow.”

Deadline for nominations is Friday 14 September 2018 with the awards ceremony taking place at Paisley Town Hall in November.

The ever-popular event is also an opportunity to thank local businesses for their contributions which has helped the Renfrewshire economy grow significantly in recent years.

“In June we set out a five-year commitment to help the people most in need into work,” added Councillor Nicolson. “We will help communities facing deprivation and those unemployed and underemployed, changing people’s opportunities and making the most of the major areas of growth coming to Renfrewshire in areas such as childcare, tourism and manufacturing.

“These annual awards are a great way to celebrate the successes and acknowledge the many partners playing their part in creating a thriving Renfrewshire, open for business.”

For full details of the awards and to make a nomination, visit: www.investinrenfrewshire.com/awards-2018/

17/08/2018/by Paisley

ORGANISERS of this year’s Paisley 10k Road Race and Fun Run are making last-minute preparations for the popular event on Sunday. (August 19)

And with the deadline of noon on Friday (August 17) looming for entries, people are being urged to sign up before they miss their chance to take part .

The Paisley 10k organising team from Renfrewshire Leisure are expecting to match last year’s record-breaking entry of 3600 runners and if there is a last-minute surge in entries to the race and fun run, that figure could even be overtaken on the final straight.

Macmillan Cancer Support is the Paisley 10k Race and shorter Fun Run official charity partner for the fourth year and the event is sponsored by sports and outdoor retailers Decathlon.

Chief executive of Renfrewshire Leisure, Joyce McKellar said: “The route for the 10k and Fun Run is through the centre of Paisley and is relatively flat. It’s ideal for both experienced and novice runners.

“It’s a great route to run as people will pass the town’s famous landmarks and hundreds are expected to line the route giving encouragement to the runners.

“There’s a fantastic atmosphere throughout the day with lots of families, clubs and groups coming along to take part in the fun run as well as the more serious athletes who will be giving their all to be first to cross the line in the big race.”

The activities start in Paisley’s County Square at 9.40am on Sunday with Renfrewshire Provost Lorraine Cameron welcoming the runners and their supporters. The Paisley 10k Race warm-up is at 9.45am and the race starts at 10am. Winners will be presented with their medals around 11.30am.

The Fun Run warm-up starts at noon with the starting gun fired at 12.15pm and the presentation if prizes expected around 1pm.

There will also be hoops of fun in County Square during the day as BasketballPaisley will have a basketball stand set up for youngsters to try their hand at the sport.

Joyce added: “This is always a great day for Paisley with a carnival atmosphere showing of the town at its best.”

15/08/2018/by Paisley

Primary One pupils at a Renfrewshire school are learning how to read and write from aptly named teachers – Mrs Reid and Mrs Wright.

Ms Reid and Wright at Brediland Primary School Renfrewshire 15.8.18

As Brediland Primary School in Paisley welcomes its latest intake, the teachers admit that their pairing has raised a chuckle among colleagues.

Maureen Reid, 48, who’s taught at the school for 14 years, said: “Neither of us actually realised at first, it was a colleague who made the connection and he certainly found it very funny.

“I don’t think the younger children will make the connection but I’m sure the older children and parents will.

“We will work very closely together with lots of interaction between the two classes so I’m sure there will be lots of comments.”

Her fellow teacher, Audrey Wright, 40, said: “I’ve been at the school for eight years and this is my first year teaching primary one. I’m really looking forward to it. I think our names will raise a smile from the parents.”

Depute Head Teacher Lisa Robertson said: “The new Primary One children that we welcome to Brediland this session have had a head start. What better way to begin to learn at school than with a teacher called Mrs Reid and a teacher called Mrs Wright?

“Surely only good things can come from this.”

Schools across Renfrewshire are recording improvements in pupil’s reading, writing and numeracy skills thanks to the innovative projects introduced as part of the Scottish Government’s Attainment Challenge.

One pioneering project between Renfrewshire Council and the University of Strathclyde has led to an improvement in children’s literacy attainment regardless of their background.

The Renfrewshire Literacy Approach, funded by the local authority and the Scottish Government, is a teacher and leadership training programme designed to enhance knowledge and skills in the teaching of reading.

There have been improvements made in pupils’ reading age scores across primary three to seven, while further analysis also indicates that the teaching programme may have had the greatest positive impact on children living in the most deprived areas.

It also shows a positive increase in pupil attainment at all stages, particularly for those children who have previously struggled with aspects of learning to read.

15/08/2018/by Paisley

Thousands of people turned out in Johnstone on Saturday to see fire engines, past and present, showcased in the town centre.

The day kicked off with emergency vehicles from across the years parading from Johnstone Fire Station into Houston Square, where they remained for the afternoon, giving everyone the chance to climb on board and learn how firefighting has advanced through the years.

Johnstone Fire Engine Rally 11.8.18

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service undertook several demonstrations throughout the day, showing people what the impact can be when a chip pan bursts in to flames.

The event was hosted by Renfrewshire Council in partnership with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Heritage Trust.

Renfrewshire’s Provost Lorraine Cameron said: “The Fire Engine Rally is always a highlight of our events calendar and a firm favourite for the people of Johnstone.

“Events like this really benefit the local communities as they bring visitors in to the town and increase footfall to local traders.

Renfrewshire’s packed events schedule continues for the rest of the year, so make sure you check out what’s coming up next!”

For upcoming events in Renfrewshire visit www.paisley.is or www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/events.

14/08/2018/by Paisley

Hundreds of children across Renfrewshire have enjoyed a summer of fun attending Families First holiday clubs.

Families First Johnstone Campus
L-R Hayley McGuire, Newlyn Harris and Kai Lynch

Running at 10 school venues, children have taken part in sporting activities and arts and crafts, as well as being served a healthy, nutritious lunch.

Around 6,000 two course hot meals have been served over the six week programme.

Families First Johnstone Campus
Miaya Docherty

Pupils from primary one to primary four who are in receipt of a school clothing grant were invited to attend the free camp, while older siblings in primary five to seven at the same school were also welcomed when accompanied by their brother or sister.

Families First Johnstone Campus

Children enjoyed the three hour daily clubs the West Johnstone shared campus, St James, St Fergus, Gallowhill, Heriot, Langcraigs and Todholm Primary Schools and Paisley Grammar, Linwood and Castlehead High Schools.

The mobile library service, the Skoobmobile was also part of the programme, with four of the venues hosting a weekly visit to encourage children to sign up to the Summer Reading Challenge, while the remaining six venues enjoyed at least one visit.

Families First Johnstone Campus

The clubs ensure that as many kids as possible get physical activity and have a tasty and nutritious meal every day, as well as encouraging them to try a wider range of foods than they may not otherwise eat. They can also provide valuable social interaction for children.

Education and Children’s Services convener, Cllr Jim Paterson said: “It’s great to have had so many children coming along to socialise with their peers and enjoy sporting activities which can help them stay healthy and active.

“By providing free school meals outside of term time we can also take some of the pressure off the family food budget and ensure that all children can get a nutritious meal.

“We are committed to ensuring that every child in Renfrewshire is given the best chance in life to reach their full potential and supporting families is essential to raising attainment for all and closing the poverty-related attainment gap.”

The Families First holiday clubs started in 2013 and run across most school holidays.

10/08/2018/by Paisley

Gavin Newlands, SNP MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North, has met with a local energy efficiency agency to find out more about the latest work they’re doing to help people in Renfrewshire who are living in fuel poverty.

Local Energy Action Plan (LEAP) operate across Renfrewshire and offer a range of services to local people to help them reduce their energy use and also to help lift them out of fuel poverty.

The Member of Parliament for Paisley and Renfrewshire North also spoke to them about the hundreds of households in the constituency who were mis-sold energy efficiency measures by the discredited HELMS.

HELMS have now gone into liquidation. They were an approved Green Deal installer, with the Green Deal programme being the flagship policy of the UK Government.

Gavin Newlands, SNP MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North, said:

“It was great to catch up with Scott from LEAP today to find out more about their latest work across Renfrewshire to help households reduce their energy use.

“LEAP plays an important role in helping to lift people out of fuel poverty, and they’re one of the reasons why the fuel poverty rating in Renfrewshire is lower than the national average.

“I also appreciated speaking to LEAP about HELMS’ mis-selling, this is an issue which I have been working on over the past couple of months. Hundreds of people from across Renfrewshire have been thrown into debt due to the scandalous behaviour of HELMS. HELMS may now be out of business, but they were an accredited Green Deal company, and as such, the UK Government has a responsibility for helping those in Renfrewshire who were exploited by this discredited company.

“However, in the meantime, LEAP can offer a range of excellent energy advice to households across Renfrewshire. They have a solid track record of being able to help people and I would encourage all local constituents to get in touch with them to find out how you can reduce your energy use and help save on your fuel bills.

Scott Duncan, Project Manager from LEAP, said:

“It was great to be able to catch-up with Gavin Newlands MP to highlight the important work that we’re doing in the area. Our staff and volunteers work hard to help lift people out of fuel poverty and to assist households to minimise their energy use. We work in a number of the towns and villages in Renfrewshire and happy to provide a range of energy advice to local households.”

09/08/2018/by Paisley

West College Scotland’s Ferguslie Learning Centre provides certificated learning opportunities at beginner’s levels within a friendly, community environment.

The courses on offer have been designed to assist adult learners who have little or no formal qualifications, which will help them increase their confidence and personal wellbeing, employability skills and career opportunities!

If you are not sure what to study then please pop into the Centre between 10am-2pm on 22-24 August, and have a chat over a cup of tea or coffee. Our Communities Team will be able to help you decide which programme would suit you best. For more information on our courses click here (link to: http://www.westcollegescotland.ac.uk/communities-and-outreach/ferguslie-learning-centre/)

Courses available include:

Building Learning Opportunities in our Communities
Working in Early Education and Childcare
Furniture Upholstery Application
Care: Values and Principles
Preparing for Employment
Developing Further in IT
Getting Started in IT
IT Office Skills
Gardening

09/08/2018/by Paisley

As exam results were released across Scotland, Renfrewshire school pupils who attended a leadership programme have revealed how the skills they gained helped them achieve success.

Pupils from Linwood High School who attended an ‘Aspiration Course’ at the Outdoor Education Centre on the isle of Arran returned with an increased sense of self belief and improved problem-solving skills according to head teacher, Gillian Macartney.

One student even found the trip so motivating that it gave her the confidence to put herself forward to become the school’s Head Girl.

Hannah Sloan, who gained four Highers in English, Music, Biology and Chemistry, said: “I am really pleased with my exam results, especially in English where I’ve always lacked confidence and was full of self-doubt.

“Being on the course really helped with that and actually sitting in the exam hall this year I felt much more confident and knew I had the knowledge and skills to achieve what I did.”

The 17-year-old added: “It also gave me the confidence to apply and become Head Girl in S6.”

Fellow pupil Beth Compston, 15, said: “I got six National 5s this year and I’m proud of myself. I learned how to be far more positive when I was in Arran and deal with things better. I definitely think it helped me to go to my exams believing that if I try my best and work hard, I can do well.”

The trip was funded by the Scottish Government’s Attainment Challenge and 24 senior pupils were helped to develop their leadership skills and build resilience through a mix of classroom and outdoor tasks.

The course also aims to enable young adults to realise their own potential as well as raising attainment.

The head teacher said: “There’s a massive legacy from their time on Arran which can be seen in the school.

“Since we came back I’ve heard a number of pupils saying the course has actually changed their whole outlook. Many of those who were on the course are the ones now vying for leadership roles within the school.

“If they were tackling something tricky in class they would now think about how they could achieve it.”

The young people, who were a mixture of fourth and fifth year pupils aged from 14-16, initially worked on ‘ice breaker’ tasks. They also worked in teams on problem solving tasks.

Many of the activities at the centre are designed to reinforce a positive mindset, with outdoor activities including an orienteering challenge, building tasks including a rope maze and paddling a canoe while blindfolded.

Another task during the trip last November was moving their team by using only oil drums and planks of wood on land they were told to believe was mine infested.

Gillian Macartney added: “Some got frustrated and some wanted to give up, but you’d be letting your team down so there was that element of responsibility.

“It’s about having the self-belief and the ability to work with others to problem solve and to ensure they are setting themselves aspirational goals.

“Many found the abseiling task the most challenging but some were so chuffed when they got the bottom they burst into tears at achieving something they thought they could never do.

“I’m very proud of them all and it was great to see how the experience helped spur them onto achieving their full potential with this week’s exam results.”

Renfrewshire is one of the nine Scottish Government Attainment Challenge authorities to share a £750m national pot for projects designed to help improve the results of pupils from less-affluent backgrounds.

Since becoming a challenge authority in June 2016, data gathered indicates that the gap between the most and least deprived pupils has been reducing in listening, talking, reading and writing, and numeracy measurements.

08/08/2018/by Paisley

Renfrewshire’s young people continue to achieve success in their exam results with around a fifth of S5 pupils gaining five or more Highers, an increase of two per cent on last year.

In S4, more than 90 per cent of pupils gained National 4s, with 63 per cent achieving three or more National 5s, an increase of one per cent on last year.

Almost half – 45 per cent – gained five or more National 5s.

Around a fifth of S6 pupils achieved three or more Highers this year and one or more Advanced Highers.

Across the board, Renfrewshire’s exam results are in line with last year’s, which was the most successful results so far.

Education and Children’s Services Convener for Renfrewshire Council, Councillor Jim Paterson, said: “I’d like to congratulate all of Renfrewshire’s young people on their exam results. Each of you have worked incredibly hard and should be proud of what you have achieved.

“I also thank all the teachers, school support staff and parents who supported our pupils through their exams.

“Renfrewshire is ambitious for all its children and young people to have the best start in life and reach their full potential. Our exam results are encouraging, and we remain committed to do more to help children and young people into positive destinations, regardless of their background or start in life.

“Exam results are a big deal, but it is also the work that young people put in across the year and in subsequent years that counts. No matter what your results are, there is no wrong path. There are always a number of paths you can take towards your goal.

“If you need support, get in touch with the Skills Development Scotland helpline or visit the UCAS website for advice on clearing.”

For the Skills Development Scotland helpline, call 0808 100 8000.

To get support with clearing, visit www.ucas.com.

_______________________

Gryffe High School pupils celebrate their exam results

Pupils from Gryffe High School in Houston, Renfrewshire, were excited to open their exam results.

One teenager whose results are taking him all the way to Oxford is S6 pupil Euan Huey.

Euan, who opened his results at the school, said: “I was sitting with a conditional offer to study History at Oxford this morning. Everything was resting on these results. It was terrifying and has been for a good couple of months. It’s such a relief to open them today and find out I’ve got three As at Advanced Higher.”

Keeping it in the family, Euan’s twin sister, Maisie, also gained three Advanced Highers. She said: “I got two As and a B at Advanced Higher. I had an unconditional offer to study English Literature at Glasgow University, so while I didn’t need these results to get in, it was a good year and I learned a lot.”

Colin Johnson, Headteacher at Gryffe High School, said: “Exam results day is nerve-wracking, and I’m pleased that so many young people in our school have achieved what they wanted. All pupils worked exceptionally hard and they have been supported by dedicated teachers, school support staff and their parents. It’s a joy to see their faces as they open their results and celebrate with their friends.”

07/08/2018/by Paisley

Parents of children heading back to school are being urged to make sure they apply for school clothing grants.

Renfrewshire pupils are now entitled to £100 school clothing grant if they meet the criteria.

Clothing grant applications can be made whether parents have already bought their school uniform or have yet to buy one.

Parents who have received a clothing grant in the past won’t need to do anything and will automatically receive £100 per eligible child for the 2018/19 school term.

Anyone who has never applied for a school clothing grant, can visit www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/schools and download a clothing grant application under the Information for Parents section.

Education and Children’s Services Convener for Renfrewshire Council, Councillor Jim Paterson, welcomed the increase in the grant. He said: “Ensuring parents have the right resources to send their child to school is vital. Now that the school clothing grant has been increased to £100 per eligible child, this will help many parents as they prepare to send their child to school.

“We also offer parents on low incomes support through the Cost of the School Day fund, which is available through each child’s school. Speak to your headteacher to find out more about accessing this fund.”

Checklist

Parents are also advised to:

apply for free school meals (if child is in P4 and upwards)
apply for transport (if more than one mile from primary school or two miles from secondary school)
encourage teenagers aged 16 and above to apply for Education Maintenance Allowance if they are staying on at school
ask their school about breakfast clubs
seek further information from the school’s handbook or website
sign-up for the schools and nurseries e-alerts at www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/e-alerts

06/08/2018/by Paisley

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