A group of high school pupils from Castlebrae Community Campus have created a stunning new boardroom table for IRR's newest building. Image The Institute for Regeneration and Repair (IRR) welcomed staff and students from neighbouring Castlebrae Community Campus into their new state of the art building today, for the unveiling of the hand-crafted board room table designed and made by the young people of Castlebrae. Castlebrae Community Campus post on Twitter The pupils were led by Castlebrae Project Worker Stu MacDonald and Castlebrae Future Improvements Coordinator James Donald. Castlebrae Community Campus and IRR have a longstanding partnership. Spanning 8 years, the enduring partnership offers the young people of Castlebrae work placements, science mentoring and more. The project was commissioned by Dr Gordon McLean, IRR Chief Operating Officer, to celebrate the ongoing partnership completion of construction of the new IRR South building in 2023. The idea was inspired after Dr McLean was gifted a smaller version of the table by Castlebrae Future Improvements Coordinator James Donald as a thank you for his support of Castlebrae, in particular of their Christmas appeal. I am delighted to see the culmination of this project and the beautiful and unique outcome. This is more than a table it is a work of art and a fitting reminder of our longstanding and successful partnership between IRR and Castlebrae. My sincere thanks to James, Stuart and all of the students who have worked so hard on this project. Dr Gordon McLean, IRR Chief Operating Officer Dozens of high school students across all year groups contributed to the construction. The build of this table has afforded us the opportunity to offer our pupils a different way of learning, more experiential perhaps. Allowing them to develop skills which they could use post-school. To see the magnificent fruits of their labour is uplifting and emotional. I’m extremely proud of [them] all. James Donald, Castlebrae Future Improvements Coordinator The build was supported by local businessman, Dennis Walton, who provided technical expertise and resources to the project. Fabricated from Scottish yew and set in hand-poured resin, the table is a one-of-a-kind work of art. Many hours were spent hand sanding the table to an extremely high-quality finish. Described as ‘STEM by stealth’, the boardroom table build has helped the young people of Castlebrae develop new skills outside of the conventional classroom setting, an approach that the Castlebrae leadership team use to help support and build confidence in their students. Those quiet conversations which took place over the year were restorative and honest, reflective and positive. The kids started to value themselves and their own agency. James Donald, Castlebrae Future Improvements Coordinator IRR welcomed the group of students and staff from Castlebrae for the grand unveiling of the finished piece on 23 June 2023. There was a palpable sense of pride from the young people as they pointed out which parts of the table they had made to guests Tommy Sheppard, MP, and Councillor Joan Griffith. The grand unveiling was hosted by Dr Gordon McLean and IRR Director Professor Stuart Forbes. The boardroom table will sit for years to come at the heart of IRR, and stand as a testimony to the lasting relationship between the Institute and our local community. Image This article was published on 2024-07-08
