Mirin Academy’s Christmas Fayre

Mirin Academy’s Christmas Fayre was a massive success with LIVE music and colourful shopping stalls filled with sparkly Christmas decorations and delicious sweet treats.

Smiles All Round at the Staff Kids’ Christmas Party

An annual event that’s never to be missed! The Staff Kids’ Christmas Party has SANTA on the guestlist and everyone was in awe meeting Mr Claus and his helpers. 

91¶¶Òõ stepped into the spotlight with a hilarious adaptation of A Christmas Carol. 

Titled Ebenezer Scrooge, talented Goudie Academy learners re-enacted the Dickens classic to invited audiences at 91¶¶Òõ’s Gannochy Theatre at the beginning of December, before taking it on the road.

The panto followed the story of the miserly Scrooge who despises Christmas and all that it entails. That is, until he is visited by three spirits at the chime of midnight on Christmas Eve – the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future. By enabling him to observe past Christmases and the lives of those around him, including the plight of worker Miss Cratchit and son, Tiny Tim, Scrooge learns the kindness of humanity and the warmth of Christmas.

The cast took to the stage and brought the tale into modern times. The talented young people cleverly devised the script and even wrote the song lyrics. In true panto style, there was laughter, hearty singing and audience participation.

The performances at 91¶¶Òõ’s Gannochy Theatre were tremendous but the best show was at the Milldale Day Centre. The show travelled to Linwood to put on an event for the adults at Milldale who would now call themselves ‘theatregoers’ as they were in awe at the talented actors. There were massive smiles on everyone’s faces as the crowd were in awe with the characters, music and costumes.

It is unanimous that a standing ovation is well-deserved the cast and crew.

KidsOut

91¶¶Òõ donated Over 70 Christmas presents. At our Corporate Headquarters in Finnieston, a KidsOut ‘Giving Tree’ was placed and decorated with gift tags – each one had a child’s name, age and a Christmas gift they’d love to receive. The gift tags were from families and children who, without help, would receive very little or nothing at all.

The thoughtful initiative resonated with us and from one charity to another, we had to get involved. On the final day, the remaining tags were fulfilled by 91¶¶Òõ. A total of 74 gifts were donated to KidsOut through their ‘Giving Tree’ project with 17 being directly from staff members themselves. The gifts included a colouring set, a football, a cuddly toy, a sports bag and we hope all bring smiles to the children.

As well as helping others and giving gifts, 91¶¶Òõ has also received donations and presents from thoughtful businesses and individuals who wanted to make sure young people we support have an extra surprise on Christmas Day.

All children deserve to have happy memories and feel special. 

The Elves Have Been Causing Mischief

All across 91¶¶Òõ within our residential children’s houses, the elves have had plenty of fun. They’ve tried to shine shoes, turn the dishwasher into a car wash and hide candy cane sweeties for us to find.

Hear about Forest View’s Christmas Fayre

91¶¶Òõ’s Christmas plans began with Forest View’s magical Christmas Fayre, which raised money for Macmillan Cancer Support.

The primary school in Lochwinnoch organised a fantastic event with plenty of stalls and activities plus a raffle with sensational prizes.

Everyone arrived ready to shop for homemade crafts, Christmas decorations and garlands, jewellery, bookmarks and reindeer dust.

For the raffle, local businesses from Lochwinnoch and beyond got involved by donating valuable prizes. We were grateful to all for contributing to our fundraiser. Thank you to Lulu’s, The Village Barber Lochwinnoch, The Junction Café,  The Three Churches, Shrubs to Suds, Leondaro’s, Starbucks, Company Shop in Renfrew, Empire Coaching and Macfarlane and Young Estate Agents.

Overall, great fun was had by all!

Festive Fun at Goudie Academy’s Christmas Fayre

Goudie Academy held a Christmas Fayre in support of Darkwood Crew who have the mission to help the area of Ferguslie flourish. The joyful event successfully raised over £1,500.

Secondary pupils and the staff team invited everyone from 91¶¶Òõ. The room was full of shopping stalls, games and raffles. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed finding stocking fillers and gifts as candles, personalised items and handmade decorations were for sale.

Prizes were won too! Well done to Principal Teacher, Amy who won ‘Guess the Teddy’s Name’ with the entry of ‘Coco’.

Crowds entered into the Christmas Fayre and could clearly see how much organisation had went into the event, creating an atmosphere that had everyone feeling merry.

The holiday season often brims with a packed calendar, leaving many feeling overwhelmed. Yet, joyful charitable events can bring perspective, reminding us of what truly matters and creating cherished memories that make it easy to agree—it’s the most wonderful time of the year.

Additional Christmas News

Foodbank Now Fully Stocked by Kind-Hearted Young People.

Christmas Shop at The Skills Academy.

Let the staff team tell you about Christmas at 91¶¶Òõ. Meet Lindsay, Hayley, Lesley and John.

Join Us

Begin your career at 91¶¶Òõ in time for next year’s Christmas fun by signing up to 91¶¶Òõ job alerts.

Forest View Primary Teacher, Heather, explained how everyone spent their day: “Myself and the other teachers all incorporated energy usage, environmental sustainability and climate control into our lessons. Pupils experienced what school was like without the use of technology. We also used less electricity in the classroom with lower lighted instead of the main overhead lighting. Young people enjoyed the novelty of not using electricity and were open to learning with different resources.”

“Younger pupils took part in quizzes and crosswords and when learning about renewable energy, they built windmills using cardboard tubes and straws to replicate wind power.”

“Forest View is a therapeutic primary school with plenty of outdoor garden areas and farmyard animals. Outside brings plenty of opportunities to learn more about the natural environment too.”

“Chef Cammie who is already mindful of climate change, took the time to spot even more ways he could get involved and potentially use even less electricity. There are small things everyone can do when preparing food in the kitchen to use less energy and Cammie has made great efforts to consistently carryout each action. His lunch menu included a pot of Lentil soup and tasty sandwiches.”

“Overall the day was a success and gave us an opportunity to discuss our environment and the future of renewable energy. We’re now more than ever determined to stick to our climate actions.â€�

All at 91¶¶Òõ understand the importance of the world moving towards a greener and more sustainable way of life. An organisation we are increasingly taking action to reduce our contribution to the carbon footprint. 91¶¶Òõ’s Goudie Academy achieved the prestigious Eco Schools Green Flag award, and across all locations, young people have helped create posters and stickers to remind us all to play our own part in switching lights off when we leave the room. By taking part in Saving Energy Day, it reminds us to make an even greater effort each day.

Look at Our Halloween House Décor

Each house has transformed into a spectacular Halloween haunt with young people showcasing their personality and imagination through ‘spook-tacular’ displays of spider webs, pumpkins and ceiling decorations.

91¶¶Òõ’s official Spooky House Competition is set for Wednesday 1st November where the judges will be on the look out for

• Scariest Design
• Funniest Design
• Most Creative Design

Artwork by 91¶¶Òõ Pupils Featured in Paisley’s Halloween Festival

Pupils at Goudie Academy and Forest View created magnificent sculptures for the Paisley Halloween Festival’s Trail Zone. Young people took part in creative workshops with visual artist, Tim Parfitt and used their skills and imagination to design artwork for the festival’s walk-through experience. The theme was decadent décor and pupils handmade the chilling, ghostly, clear-like figures.

Halloween Disco

This weekend’s Halloween Disco was great fun with young people and adults joining in and dressing up in costumes. The disco lights and DJ set got everyone on the dancefloor.

91¶¶Òõ goes all out for Halloween with more and have plenty of treats still planned. Look out for more photos coming soon.

Forest View in Lochwinnoch has two children’s residential houses and a therapeutic primary school for those aged 5-12-years-old who have experienced trauma and adversity. The adults at Forest View love and care for the children and support them to move forwards. At Forest View, happy childhood memories are made, and imagination is brought to life through adventure and play.

Children were captivated by the recent story-telling session. A range of interesting stories were told about the world around us. Together we moved through the chapters with props to bring the words to life.

The feeling of textiles can help us understand what certain adjectives describe and the thrill of using a parachute can illustrate a scene in our minds. For example, the movement of the parachute replicated the motion of crashing waves, helping us imagine the ocean.

The sessions were held inside and outdoors in the garden and made everyone realise the fun of storytelling.

A parent of a young person who spent time at Forest View’s Ness house for Primary Years, shared their appreciation through a heartfelt letter.

“Thank you all so much for the amount of care and support given during this past year at Ness House. You provided the right environment for my son to learn how to work through big, overwhelming emotions. We as a family will be forever grateful for your dedication. There is no doubt he will miss you all and the support and friendships that were made.

“91¶¶Òõ and Ness have been a huge part of our lives and now it is time for a fresh start, although we will never forget about Ness.â€�

The young person was surrounded by adults who loved, cared and encouraged them during a time when the family needed a helping hand. The family’s gratefulness is testament to the dedicated team members who go above and beyond to provide the best care possible and follow 91¶¶Òõ’s own therapeutic, trauma-informed practice to work alongside young people and their families.

Everyone excitedly counted down to their holiday to Blackpool and even traffic delays on the journey down South couldn’t affect the smiles, laughter and chat about the fun activities planned. Throughout the holiday, young people and adults alike had a blast!

As well as an overnight stay at Blackpool, lots of days out were organised to keep us all entertained. Three of our children’s residential houses for those aged from five-years-old came together for a trip to Blair Drummond and the Circus. Everyone enjoyed seeing their friends from 91¶¶Òõ or school. There were opportunities to make new friends with those from the same local area who had come to the event on the same day. The adults proudly watched the kids’ joyful faces as they created friendships with fellow young people around them.

The six-weeks were filled with summer camps too as each child has their own hobby and were keen to continue their interest while schools finished for a break. Great memories were made at camps for football, dance and drama. The kids grew in confidence after dedicating time to their favourite activity. Their enthusiasm for practicing and carrying out new skills and techniques is reflective of how much they’ve grown, their own increased understanding of who they are as a person and their courage in trying new experiences.

This summer, children have made fantastic memories exploring, whether it has been visiting the beach, climbing the timber playpark, building a den in the forest, or running around the Astro-Turf garden. A sign of increased confidence amongst children who come to 91¶¶Òõ, is their willingness to affirm how they personally want to spend their time. The adults who children are surrounded by dedicate themselves to building trusting relationships, the grown-ups take the time to find out preferred hobbies and activities and encourage children to be open-minded to new experiences.

The Magic of Dens and Forts

One young person’s favourite summer hobby was den-building. Each day a new piece was added to the structure as the young builder took pride in the project. Nature had the power to evoke a sense of calm and tranquillity on this young person and by assembling their own growing den, their self-confidence increased in size too.

Adventure Climbing

Upon arriving at Forest View, one young person was in awe when the friendly adults revealed the fun playpark in the garden. Behind the green forestry and along an enchanted trail, there is a tall-towering climbing-frame and a separate obstacle course-inspired climbing wall along with a seesaw and much more. Together the children run down to the swings, and safely balance along the wooden beams and stretch to find their footing as they make their way to the top.

Beside the Seaside

Open the door to Arran Villa and you’re at Largs beach and adventure playground – the seafront is on the doorstep for kids to enjoy. We also have our own huge garden with a Hobbit Hut, where we’ve had humongous fun hosting BBQs and cycling on our bikes.

Our supportive education programme follows Curriculum for Excellence and delivers an engaging learning experience, inspiring pupils to learn, fulfil potential and achieve.

The positive report by Education Scotland highlighted the fact our pupils felt happy and settled. Young people were highly motivated to engage with school activities and able to make choices during their learning. Overall, the broad and balanced curriculum centres around the needs, interests and aspirations of young people.

Our staff team take a practical and more innovative approach to learning, personal lesson plans are developed alongside bespoke programmes. By listening to young people and acting on their needs, opinions and future goals, meaningful relationships are built. This genuine commitment from staff has meant children and young people are surrounded by supportive adults who they trust. The unconditional encouragement has led young people to increase self-confidence, self-esteem and attainment with most of our students moving into education, training or employment. For young people to overcome barriers to learning and progress is a significant milestone, one they can be extremely proud of.

The report confirms 91¶¶Òõ’s staff team go above and beyond for young people from organising fun, practical and creative learning experiences to ensuring pupils have the resources to excel in numeracy and maths. Pupils have the opportunity to move forward with projects they themselves believe in, such as Goudie Academy pupils focusing on the environment and climate change and achieving the Eco Schools Green Flag award.

This past year has had many memorable moments including an end of year summer festival, an Oscars-inspired awards ceremony, sailing voyages, a pantomime performance and more. The future is exciting as we plan to build on the positive feedback and continue to empower young people through education, care and support.

Discover the Latest School News

Click on the school crest to read the latest updates.

Forest View Primary School

School pupils enthusiastically shared their ideas for a school crest and fully cooperated with the design team to bring the finished design to life.

“In our Forest View school crest, we need to include the animals. I would like to see Monster the tortoise in the design.�

Forest View pupil

Goudie Academy and Mirin Academy

91¶¶Òõ’s secondary schools were named by young people. All agreed upon ‘Goudie Academy’ for the school on-campus and ‘Mirin Academy’ for the Safe Centre before beginning to think about what the school crests would look like.

Young people produced various sketches to illustrate the school values and culture. 91¶¶Òõ’s design team were challenged with narrowing the talented drawings down to three options for each school. The selected designs were transformed into digital format for young people to vote and decide the winners.

“We are very happy with the crest designs which will be a lasting legacy for 91¶¶Òõ.”

Executive Director, Audrey

The Skills Academy

91¶¶Òõ’s Education and Training Centre based in Hillington has its own logo. Find out more about The Skills Academy.

It was up to the kids to decide how Forest View’s first year anniversary would be marked. The fantastic suggestions ranged from going swimming to visiting the cinema, while others made the adventurous choice to climb the Kilpatrick Hills. All agreed the birthday had to be acknowledged properly by filling the day with fun experiences, making it one to remember.

“It was a very important day for my friend, it was his one-year anniversary at Ness house and that is a big thing. We all enjoyed the cinema together and the movie was great.�

Young person

“I wanted to go swimming and the cinema because these are some of my favourite things to do with an adult. I wanted sausage from the chippie for my dinner because it is one of my favourite things to eat.�

Young person

“What a good day we had climbing hills.�

Young person

The decisive nature shown by the kids when planning their day truly demonstrates the growth in their self-confidence and self-esteem throughout the past year.

Although recent times have been unlike any other due to the global pandemic, it is important to celebrate positive milestones and create happy memories to reflect upon. It is often small moments that make bigger and brighter days.