Scotland Office Minister David Mundell visits Paisley and Glasgow
David Mundell visited Kibble Education & Care Centre and Clyde Gateway Regeneration Project to see social enterprises and how the East End of Glasgow is being regenerated for the better.
Scotland Office Minister David Mundell visited Paisley and Glasgow today.
The day began at Kibble Education & Care Centre in Paisley where Mr Mundell met staff who work at the centre. The centre is a specialist provider for high-risk and high-dependency adolescent males aged 12 to 24. The services have been designed to ensure that Kibble are ‘Getting it right for every child’, including those posing significant challenges to mainstream services.
Following the visit Mr Mundell said:
“I am greatly impressed by the work being carried out here. The staff have amazing skills which they are using to benefit the children they are looking after. The social enterprises offer a range of employment and training opportunities to young people, it is this type of project that will benefit these young people long after they have left Kibble.”
The Minister then went on to visit Clyde Gateway Regeneration Project where he was met by Ian Manson, Chief Executive and Jim Clark, Senior manager. Mr Mundell was given a brief presentation of the Clyde Gateway showing the Minister the scale of the work involved in regenerating the 840 hectares (equivalent to 1,200 football pitches); the project has been charged with achieving huge social, economic and physical change to an area. He was shown how the local communities will be given a new look along with how the M74 extension is already changing the physical appearance of these communities.
He was also shown how the hosting of the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow will be significant, as new sports facilities and the athletes village will be built in the very heart of these communities, with the hope that the games will bring a once in a lifetime opportunities, with new jobs and new homes being built.
Following the presentation Mr Mundell was given a tour of the site to see first hand some of the changes that already been achieved and where the future changes will be made that will be developed over the 20 year lifespan of the project.
Mr Mundell said:
“The City of Glasgow should be proud of what it is achieving here. Not only is it developing the physical landscape for the better, it is also transforming people’s lives with the creation of new jobs and homes under the 2014 Commonwealth Games. The 2014 Games is also an opportunity to inspire young Scottish athletes across the country for generations - the facilities here will be world class.
“As a Scot I am proud of what we are doing here to regenerate an area blighted by economic problems. Glasgow City Council and the Regeneration project should congratulated on their achievements and there goals in taking on a job of this complexity.”