Kibble, a national charity for young people, is supporting Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice through a new social enterprise partnership at its specialist Skills Academy in Hillington.
Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice is using a dedicated space at the Skills Academy to store and sort items of clothing, jewellery, furniture and a range of household items to sell within their charity shops while upskilling young people in the process.
Working collaboratively, the Hospice staff will train young people to sort, label and manage inventory of the product which provides hands-on experience and skills development opportunities in retail.
The Skills Academy offers education and training programmes to meet the needs of each individual young person, allowing them to hone their own skills in an environment that is suited to their needs. As a result, young people develop their abilities, gain confidence and secure qualifications which in turn will increase their chances of finding and sustaining employment in a role they enjoy.
Kibble has an existing relationship with Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice from a fundraising perspective, but this social enterprise takes it to a new level. As the partnership develops, it is hoped young people can support on updating the Hospice website catalogue, finessing their digital skills for ecommerce, website management, search engine optimisation and copywriting. There is also potential for young people to participate in future work placements in the Hospice shops.
Mark Macmillan, Kibble Director of Corporate Services: “Kibble’s Skills Academy exists to equip young people with the confidence and the skills they need to enter the world of work and this partnership is a prime example of this in action, while also supporting fundraising efforts for Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice.
“It’s been great to repurpose a vacant warehouse space at Skills Academy to store and sort charity donations while offering a learning experience for our young people. There are opportunities for this partnership to grow benefiting both the young people at Kibble and the Hospice and we’re excited to see what comes next.”
Kibble Group has bases across central Scotland and supports at risk children and young people (aged 5-26) across the UK. Many of the young people have experienced significant trauma in their lives and Kibble offers dedicated care and support to help them move forward.
Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice is currently accepting donations of clothes, shoes, linen, children’s toys and equipment including prams, cots and highchairs across all of its Hospice Shops.