THE Presiding Officer of The Scottish Parliament Ken Macintosh MSP took time last week to see how Kibble’s social enterprise OSKARS is giving new life to old furniture. Mr Macintosh was visiting the OSKARS showroom in Clark Street, where he also heard about work and training opportunities for local youngsters.
Starting in 2010, OSKARS refurbishes and resells household items at an affordable cost through a process known as ‘upcycling’. As a social enterprise, the money from every sale is reinvested back into the business and aims to stop as much furniture as possible being sent to landfill.
Ken Macintosh MSP said:
“I am delighted to have had the chance to see first-hand some of the work that OSKARS does locally. It was humbling to hear one of the trainees, Ryan, tell me about no matter how hard he tried, no one was willing to give him a chance to prove himself in the workplace until he started in OSKARS.
“It is a very simple idea but also very effective. We can stop unnecessary waste going to landfill and support training and work opportunities for young people in Renfrewshire.
“The scale and the scope of work is impressive and I know that both OSKARS, and trainees like Ryan, will continue to flourish.”
Karen Gilligan, Manager at OSKARS, said:
“I appreciate Ken taking the time to visit our showroom and to see some of the exciting work going on here.
“We are aiming to provide as many training opportunities as possible for local young people and our range of services now include painting and decorating, gardening, bulk uplift services, and home and office clearances.
“Our young people work incredibly hard every day to be ready for the world of work. The skills they gain here help them achieve that goal.”
OSKARS, part of KibbleWorks, provides training and employment opportunities open to 16-24 year olds who are currently unemployed. There are also opportunities specifically for those who have care experience. For more information about these opportunities, or to find out more about the services OSKARS provide, contact us on 0141 847 6626 or visit our website.