Elderslie | Paisley Scotland

Our Choose your Career Open Days across each of our main campuses will provide a showcase of our departments and support services.

Come along To West College Scotland on Tuesday 25 February, and find out more about our full-time, part-time and evening courses as well as apprenticeships, learning support and funding.

Staff and students will be on hand throughout the day to give information about our courses and career paths as well as assist with applications.

Our marketplace stalls will showcase demonstrations from our departments, and there will be an opportunity to have a tour of the campus facilities and see what being a student at WCS is all about!

The events will take place at the following dates & venues from 9am-3pm, 5-7.30pm:

TUESDAY 18 FEBRUARY – CLYDEBANK CAMPUS

THURSDAY 20 FEBRUARY – GREENOCK FINNART ST CAMPUS

TUESDAY 25 FEBRUARY – PAISLEY CAMPUS

13/02/2020/by Brian McGuire

Introduction of new recycling stations offer sustainable solution for disposal of thousands of coffee cups –

Glasgow Airport’s new recycling stations have arrived with a sustainable solution for the disposal of single-use coffee cups in the terminal.

Three stations have been introduced in the James Martin Kitchen, Panopolis and Starbucks catering outlets in the main departures area with a further four stations set to be installed.

The stations feature three collection tubes to allow passengers and staff to the recycle single-use coffee cups, lids and their contents where previously they could only be disposed of in general waste bins.

Glasgow Airport introduced the first station in James Martin Kitchen last summer and since its introduction more than 12,000 cups have been recycled.

Kirsty Webster, Glasgow Airport’s Sustainability Assurance Manager, said: “As a responsible business we are committed to reducing our environmental impact. As disposable cups are composed of paper with a thin plastic liner to keep them from leaking, recycling them requires a specialised process.

“The remaining liquid has also been a barrier to recycling as if there’s nowhere to hand to empty the contents of the cup, they are often tossed in the general waste bins.

“These stations provide both staff and our customers with the means to dispose of their leftover drink and the disposable cup in a sustainable manner and they are proving really popular.”

The new recycling stations were introduced as part of Cup Movement® in Glasgow, a city-wide initiative from environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful. It is aimed at reducing the waste associated with single-use cups through cross-sector reuse and recycling solutions. Glasgow Airport joined Cup Movement in the summer, gaining access to Scotland’s first cup collection and recycling service delivered in collaboration with Simply Cups.

Kirsty added: “We are proud to be part of the Cup Movement in Glasgow, which ensures that through the support of Keep Scotland Beautiful and Simply Cups we are able to make use of the appropriate collection facilities for the segregated cups used across the airport.”

It is estimated that more than 500 million single-use cups are used in Scotland each year with just 4% being recycled with the remaining amount either going to landfill or littering the country. Around 95 million are used in the Greater Glasgow area each year.

Paul Wallace, Campaigns and Social Innovation Manager at Keep Scotland Beautiful, commented: “Transport hubs like Glasgow Airport are a key part of our take-away coffee culture, with thousands of travellers reaching for a drink in a disposable cup each day, as they wait for their flight to board.

“We are delighted the airport has made a success of its cup recycling efforts and look forward to working with Kirsty and the team to further reduce single-use cup waste as part of our Cup Movement.

“Having an initiative like this in a key hub in and out of Glasgow helps send a strong message to locals and visitors alike about the importance of waste reduction. Every step counts as we transition towards lower impact ways of living.”

The introduction of the recycling stations is one of a series of sustainability-focused and waste management projects underway locally at Glasgow Airport.

Last year Glasgow Airport handed out reusable water bottles to over 5000 staff with the help of pupils from Sunnyside Primary School, known as the Ocean Defenders.

Glasgow became the first UK airport to introduce a fleet of full-electric buses to its long-stay car park operations and also replaced eight diesel airfield vehicles with more fuel-efficient plug-in hybrid Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV 4x4s.

Thousands of pieces of crockery and cutlery that were no longer required by the airport’s Frankie & Benny’s restaurant and due for disposal were donated to Starter Pack Glasgow. The charity helps new tenants, many of whom were previously homeless, get started with household items they may struggle to afford when moving into a new home.

An unused airfield passenger bus that would have been scrapped was also donated to the charity Help the Homeless Glasgow to be converted into a mobile support unit.

To find out more about Cup Movement visit: keepscotlandbeautiful.org/cup-movement

12/02/2020/by Brian McGuire

A campaign is set to get underway to tackle contaminated recycling bins as part of a drive to further improve the quality of recycling in Renfrewshire.

From 17 February, collection teams will be checking blue recycling bins for anything that isn’t paper, card or cardboard in a bid to reduce the cost of processing and to improve the environment.

If bins are found to be heavily contaminated, then a red tag will be placed on the bin outlining that it will not be collected until the contaminating items are removed.

Residents will then have two days to contact the council, in line with the missed bin process, to advise it has been cleared and it will be collected from outside their home within the following five days.

Councillor Cathy McEwan, Convener of Renfrewshire Council’s Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board, said: “Firstly, I want to thank our residents for the way they’ve engaged with the new bin collection service as they’ve recognised the difference that recycling can make to our local environment.

“This is the next step is improving the recycling we collect even further, and we want people to recognise that they need to use their recycling bins correctly – with an initial focus on the blue bin before moving onto our other recycling bins in the near future.

“By ensuring you only place paper, card and cardboard in your blue bin, you will be making a real difference to our local environment as well as lowering the cost to process recycling and allowing us to reinvest this money in our key public services.

“More and more, people are recognising the importance of recycling and we’re here to support you with whatever you need to recycle effectively.”

The introduction of a new recycling bin in December 2018 for plastics, cans and glass has seen the recycling rate in Renfrewshire increase in every quarter since, although contamination remains a costly issue with the cost of disposal increasing depending on the level of contamination.

The campaign to tackle contamination is just one of a number of ways that Renfrewshire is improving its environment and tackling climate change, with the Clyde Valley Waste Project ensuring that at least 90% of Renfrewshire’s non-recyclable waste is turned into energy and diverted from landfill.

For more information on recycling in Renfrewshire, and an indicative list of what should and should not go into the blue bin, visit www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/mybins or contact the team via mybins@renfrewshire.go.uk.

11/02/2020/by Brian McGuire

Airport’s chaplaincy service and staff to raise funds for stroke charity this year –

Stroke Association Scotland has today (Monday 3 February) been chosen as the Glasgow Airport Chaplain’s Charity for 2020.

Chaplain Chris Connelly and his team will be supported by staff from across the Glasgow Airport campus in raising vital funds throughout this year for Scotland’s national stroke charity.

Chris Connelly, who took over as Glasgow Airport’s chaplain following the retirement of Keith Banks last year, said: “This year’s chosen charity Stroke Association Scotland has a special significance for me personally.

“I suffered two Trans Ischemic Attacks and a mini stroke 10 years ago. It was due to the diligence of the doctors and nursing staff, as well as being educated on the causes of why this happened to me, and what I could do to prevent it from happening again, that I can say without hesitation that Stroke Association Scotland is a worthy choice as the Chaplain’s Charity for 2020.

“There are over 15,000 cases of individuals suffering from strokes every year in Scotland that could be prevented by a campaign of education and health awareness. The aim of the Chaplain’s Charity 2020 is to raise as much money as possible to support the ongoing work of Stroke Association Scotland to help achieve this goal.”

Andrea Cail, Director of Stroke Association Scotland, said: “We are delighted to have been chosen as Glasgow Airport’s Chaplain’s Charity for 2020 and we are really looking forward to working with staff at the airport.

“Strokes kill around 4000 people every year in Scotland. There are currently over 128,000 people in Scotland living with the effects of their stroke, with about 27,000 of these people live in the Greater Glasgow & Clyde area.

“Our partnership with Glasgow Airport will allow us to support more people to rebuild their lives after a stroke and we are very thankful to have been chosen.”

Last year the airport’s chaplaincy raised a record £8,476.47 for Children 1st. Stroke Association Scotland together with Chris and his chaplaincy team are hopeful the total can top £10,000 this year.

Introduced in 2010, the Chaplain’s Charity has raised almost £77,000 in total for a number of national and local good causes. Previous beneficiaries of the Chaplain’s Charity programme include The Teddy Bear Foundation, CHAS, Robin House Children’s Hospice, Teenage Cancer Trust, The Salvation Army, Wish upon a Star, Make a Wish, the British Heart Foundation, Funding Neuro and ROAR.

This year’s fundraising got off to a flying start with a launch day donation of £1,000, which was raised through an annual staff survey with Glasgow Airport donating £1 for every person who took part.

To find out more about Stroke Association Scotland visit: www.stroke.org.uk. If you’d like to support the Glasgow Airport Chaplain’s Charity in 2019 contact chaplaincy@glasgowairport.com

04/02/2020/by Brian McGuire

MEMBERS of the LGBT+ community network group working for Renfrewshire Council have chosen two films to be shown at Paisley Arts Centre as part of LGBT History Month.

The film, But I’m A Cheerleader is being screened on Thursday, February 13 and the following night the movie, Pride is being shown.

The Renfrewshire Council LGBTQIA+ staff network group aims to improve the opportunities for LGBT+ staff to be involved in how the local authority supports and celebrates its diverse workforce.

The staff network group chose But I’m A Cheerleader as it highlights the fight against discrimination using creativity and humour.

And the film, Pride has been described as ‘an inspiration’ to members of the network group. The film celebrates the power of community and how two very different communities can work together to overcome prejudice and persecution.

Renfrewshire Leisure’s chairperson, Councillor Lisa-Marie Hughes said: “We support both the council’s LGBT+ staff and the wider LGBT+ community and these films are excellent choices for people to see.

“It’s well worth everyone coming along to Paisley Arts Centre to see these thought-provoking films.”

Visit www.renfrewshireleisure.com or call 0300 300 1210 to book tickets for these film showings.

04/02/2020/by Brian McGuire

PARENTS and carers now have an even bigger choice of fitness classes they can bring their babies along to while they work out.

Renfrewshire Leisure has recently decided to make many of their regular fitness classes buggy friendly and that means those attending can take their babies along and have them by their side.

The sports and leisure trust has increased more than tenfold – from six to 68 – their buggy friendly classes within their new fitness class schedule. It’s the first time in Scotland these types of sessions have been incorporated into a regular fitness programme.

One mum, Lauren Maynard who takes her one-year-son, Spencer to her classes reckons people looking after babies should keep going to their favourite fitness sessions – for the sake of their sanity.

Lauren, 28, from Inchinnan, in Renfrewshire, who aims to attend up to four fitness classes a week, said: “It’s a fantastic opportunity for new mums like me.

“Spencer comes with me to classes so I can work out as normal while he is sitting next to me in his buggy and I know he’s safe.

“New mums need to keep active and get out of the house and mix with people, as that’s very important for their mental health.

“After a fitness class you feel much happier, less stressed and generally it lifts your mood.”

Lauren added: “Some new mums may feel trapped or isolated if they are stuck in the house after their baby is born.

“Their husband or partner goes off to work and gets to mix with their work colleagues, but a new mum can lose contact with their circle of friends.

“So, it’s very important for a mum’s well-being to have a social contact with other people and mix with their friends. These buggy friendly fitness classes are ideal for that.

“Not everyone has family members they can rely on for baby-sitting duties during the day as they might be at work, but the buggy friendly classes can let you do this.”

Lauren continued: “What Renfrewshire Leisure has done is fantastic and a Godsend to mums with babies. They have given us a huge variety of classes you can attend with your baby.

“Some of their sports centres also have swimming pools where you can take your baby for free if they are under one year old.

“When I attend these buggy friendly classes it’s great to meet new people. Everyone is really friendly. Spencer is no bother and doesn’t make much noise, but if he does, everyone makes me feel really welcome even though I have a baby with me in the class.

“The babies seem to enjoy it as well and there is always plenty going on around them to keep them interested.”

Renfrewshire Leisure chairperson, Councillor Lisa-Marie Hughes said: “We are the only local authority or leisure trust in Scotland to have opened up an existing fitness class programme to new parents who want to bring their babies in buggies along with them to a fitness session.

“We took this ground-breaking step after one of the mums who came to one of our previous buggy-friendly spin classes asked us if we could extend the idea to other types of fitness classes, so we decided to take a radical approach.

“We have gone from having six, mainly spin classes that were buggy-friendly to 68 fitness activities for parents and their babies covering most types of classes.

“We wanted to make it as easy as possible for new mums to get the benefit both physically and psychologically of taking part in fitness classes.”

The Renfrewshire Leisure buggy friendly fitness classes are held at Paisley’s Lagoon Leisure Centre; ON-X Linwood; Erskine Sports Centre; Renfrew Leisure Centre; Johnstone Sports Hub and Ralston Community Sports Centre.

Classes include Body Pump, Attack and Combat; Zumba; Sosa Fitness; Yoga and Pilates; Spin Cycle; Metafit and even Ballroom Fitness.

Visit www.renfrewshireleisure.com for more information on the buggy friendly classes.

31/01/2020/by Brian McGuire

3. Cllr Nicolson with Mary Russell pupils

Renfrewshire’s top schools for the promotion of fair trade have been announced, with Mary Russell and Bargarran Primary taking home the glory for 2019.

The awards aim to recognise the outstanding work carried out by local schools to promote fair trade in Renfrewshire and ensure young people have the opportunity to learn about how they can make a difference to the world.

First-time winners of the John McDowell Award, which is named after the former Provost of Renfrewshire who established the campaign for fair trade in the area, are Bargarran Primary School.

They’ve established a Fair Trade Parliament consisting of 25 pupils from Primary 2-7, outlined their own fair trade policy for the school, run tuck shops and coffee mornings to promote the issue, and held whole school assemblies to talk about fair trade.

The school also renewed its FairAchiever status in 2019 with the Fairtrade Foundation – the highest award that a school can receive.

Liz Mackenzie, Depute Head Teacher at Bargarran Primary, said: “All our pupils are delighted to receive this year’s John McDowell Award for their commitment to Fair Trade.

“Having successfully renewed our FairAchiever Status in May 2019, the pupils from this year’s Fairtrade Parliament are continuing to promote Fairtrade by raising awareness within the school and local community.“

Mary Russell Primary were highly commended for their commitment to the campaign.

1. Cllr Nicolson with Bargarran Primary pupils

Their peers in Mary Russell Secondary though have taken home the Renfrewshire Secondary Schools award for the first time after their committed group achieved FairAchiever status from the Fairtrade Foundation.

Their monthly group hosted regular coffee mornings and events, including the visit of a Rwandan coffee producer, worked with fair trade organisations including the Scottish Fair Trade Forum and Rainbow Turtle, have embedded the issue into the school curriculum with all pupils having the chance to learn about fair trade in class and at school assemblies.

Julie McCallum, Mary Russell Head Teacher, said: “Our school is firmly committed to promoting the fair trade and sustainability agenda and we are delighted that this year the work we have been undertaking in Mary Russell has been recognised.

“Our Fairtrade committee led by our principal teacher Susan Hamill have worked hard to ensure that we continue to raise the profile of Fairtrade across our school and within our partnerships.”

Previous winners Gryffe High were highly commended for their fantastic ongoing work.

Renfrewshire Council Leader Iain Nicolson presented the awards to both schools and praised their commitment to the cause.

Councillor Nicolson said: “It’s fantastic to see our young pupils learning about the importance of fair trade and both schools have done so much throughout the year to deserve their awards.

“Their work within their school is ensuring that our younger generation recognise the difference that can be made by supporting fair trade and they’ve raised awareness in the local community too by hosting regular events.

“As a council, we are committed to promoting fair trade having become the first in Scotland to sign up to the International Fair Trade Charter in May last year and we will continue to support it wherever possible as we move forward.”

The Renfrewshire Fair Trade Steering Group meets regularly to discuss the issue of fair trade and outline how it can be supported within the council and more widely in Renfrewshire, and new members are always welcome.

For more information, visit www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/fairtrade.

31/01/2020/by Brian McGuire

Parents are urged to apply now for a nursery placement with 1140 hours of fully-funded early learning and childcare (ELC).

Johnstone mum, Karen Lafferty, says that longer days at nursery has helped her son, Oliver, 4, develop close friendships after receiving 1140 hours at Spateston Early Learning and Childcare Centre (ELCC).

Karen and Oliver - Spateston

She said: “Oliver going to nursery has changed everything for me. When I saw what Oliver got out of going to nursery and what the staff could do for him, it made me quit my job and retrain as a nursery support worker.

“Changing careers was a massive step for me. I used to work in a high-pressured job as a manger for a fast food franchise. It involved long hours and I was often stressed. Since changing careers just a few short months ago, I’ve felt much happier at work and at home.

“It’s a rewarding career and I’m already reaping the benefits, but it has also been amazing for Oliver. Since getting 1140 hours of early learning and childcare (ELC) in September 2019, he has gone from morning-only sessions to full-day sessions. It’s meant Oliver has been able to develop friendships much more quickly and he comes home talking about what his friends at nursery did and said that day.

“It’s also given Oliver a taste of eating together with other kids at lunchtime and I’m glad he got to have that experience at nursery as it will prepare him for going to school.

“There are also many more activities that Oliver can take part in as he can pop over to another corner of the nursery and try something else. I think having more time to develop his self-confidence is helping Oliver to explore more within the centre.

“Spateston Early Learning and Childcare Centre (ELCC) is a lovely nursery and I would love to work there once Oliver has moved onto primary. The staff are really caring and very supportive of the parents as well.

“It’s a fantastic nursery and I recommend going to your local nursery, meeting the staff and seeing the environment for yourself.”

Parents of children due to attend nursery from August 2020 are urged to complete an application form and return it to their local nursery as soon as possible.

Parents who have children that will return to nursery after August 2020 will be contacted by their nursery to discuss their options for 1140 hours of ELC.

To apply for a nursery place, visit www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/1140ELC.

30/01/2020/by Brian McGuire

Glasgow Airport’s FlightPath Fund will award £10,000 each to four environmental projects to mark a decade of supporting local communities

Glasgow Airport’s FlightPath Fund has today (Thursday 30 January) pledged £40,000 to support four local sustainability-themed projects.

To celebrate 10 years of the FlightPath, the Fund’s committee is urging local groups, charities and organisations to submit applications to support sustainability-themed projects aimed at improving the environment in the communities neighbouring Glasgow Airport and beyond.

A £10,000 award grant will be made available to projects based in each of the four local authority areas – Renfrewshire, Glasgow, East Dunbartonshire and West Dunbartonshire – supported by the FlightPath Fund during the last decade.

Glasgow Airport’s Sustainability Assurance Manager Kirsty Webster has joined the FlightPath Fund’s committee this year to help identify award submissions that best demonstrate a positive environmental impact.

Chair of the FlightPath Fund Archie Hunter said: “Supporting sustainability-themed projects and engaging with local community groups and organisations that focus their efforts on improving the environment has been a core value of the FlightPath Fund for the last 10 years.

“During this time, the FlightPath Fund has supported a number of environmentally-focused projects and organisations. These include the purchase of an electric vehicle for a car club, buying polytunnels for growing groups and support for community gardens and the preservation of local greenspaces.

“For several years now the FlightPath Fund has also made it possible for hundreds of school pupils to take part in the Clyde River Foundation’s tremendous Flying Fish programme, which teaches young children about the health and biodiversity of their local waterways.

“To mark our 10-year anniversary, we wanted to go further by making £10,000 available to a group, club or charity from each of the four areas working on a sustainability-focused project that shows their dedication and commitment to the improving or enhancing the local environment.

“The FlightPath Fund will continue to support and champion the many wide-ranging and diverse groups and projects it was set up to support in 2010, and I would encourage them to keep the applications coming.”

The FlightPath Fund was established in 2010 and since then more than 600 groups have been awarded over £1.6m with three key areas of focus – education, employment and the environment.

Mark Johnston, Glasgow Airport’s Managing Director, said: “The Fund was set up in 2010 to help support our neighbouring communities so that they could share in our success. It remains a source of great pride to myself and my colleagues that during the last decade Glasgow Airport has played an active and positive role our local communities.

“The FlightPath Fund committee’s decision to introduce a £40,000 Sustainable Communities Challenge is to be commended and supports Glasgow Airport’s continued commitment to balance the clear social and economic we bring as one of the region’s biggest employers with our climate change responsibilities.”

If you are a local club, charity or community group applying for the Sustainable Communities Challenge, your project should meet the following criteria.

To be considered a project must:

Create a significant and sustainable benefit to the community or local environment

Benefit a significant number of people

Applications must:

Provide clear evidence that the project will fulfil a local need

Provide clear evidence of the financial viability of the project

To find out more about applying for funding support, visit: www.glasgowairport.com/community and download the application form.

30/01/2020/by Brian McGuire

FlightPath Fund award will see pupils from seven schools take part in the Engineering Development Trust’s Go4SET programme –

Pupils from seven local secondary schools will take part in a national Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) competition thanks to a £7000 award from Glasgow Airport’s FlightPath Fund.

The project, run by the Engineering Development Trust (EDT), sees teams of six S2 pupils participate in the 10-week regional Go4SET programme. During this time, they will work with a company mentor to produce a report, model and a five-minute presentation on one of three STEM-related projects focusing on sustainability and the environment – Fit for the Future, Smart Surroundings and Future Proof or Designing Building for Climate Change.

As part of the project, the pupils will also take part in a site visit to their mentor’s company to see STEM application in the workplace.

Go4SET gives the pupils the opportunity to develop skills, inform subject choice and change perceptions about STEM by raising awareness of how studying these subjects can lead to a rewarding career. The pupils taking part in the Go4SET programme will gain an SQA Steps to Work Award SCQF Level 4 and a Bronze Industrial Cadet Award.

Support from the airport’s FlightPath Fund has ensured that 42 S2 pupils from the following secondary schools in Renfrewshire, Glasgow, East and West Dunbartonshire participate in Go4SET:

Bearsden Academy Gleniffer High School

Trinity High School Turnbull High School

St Peter the Apostle High School Clydebank High School

Drumchapel High School

Archie Hunter, Chair of the FlightPath Fund, said: “Our science, engineering and technology sectors face significant challenges in terms of skills and people shortages.

“STEM-sector related employment in Scotland is set to grow by 4% by 2027, so projects such as Go4SET are absolutely vital in ensuring these challenges can be met.

“The FlightPath Fund focuses its community investment in a number of areas including education, the environment and employment. Go4SET ticks each of these boxes and the £7000 award from the Fund will ensure that the pupils from the chosen secondary schools in our local communities gain an insight to the exciting STEM-related career opportunities that are out there.”

Research has shown that the exposure of younger age groups to STEM related employers, encourages more students to choose post-16 courses in these subject areas, eventually leading to the study of STEM degrees at university.

A regional section of the Go4SET programme was launched today (Thursday, January 23) at the University of the West of Scotland campus in Paisley.

Flora Lewis-Gotts, Partnership Manager for Scotland at EDT, said: “We are delighted that the Glasgow Airport FlightPath Fund committee has chosen to support the EDT Go4SET programme this year.

“The programme got underway today with a launch event at the University of West of Scotland, Paisley, where the students met their sponsor and company mentor who will guide them through the project and take them on a site visit.

“We are looking forward to welcoming the students back to UWS in May for the Celebration and Assessment Day, when one team will be crowned regional winner and go through to the National Final at the Glasgow Science Centre in June.”

In 2019, the FlightPath Fund award more than £110,000 to over 70 local clubs, community groups and charities. This amount was also boosted by a record £20,000 donated by Glasgow Airport passengers via six currency collection globes based in the terminal.

To find out more about applying for funding support, visit: www.glasgowairport.com/community,

26/01/2020/by Brian McGuire