‘I could see the pride written all over his face’
As a former professional footballer and amateur soccer coach, Jim Liddell knows a thing or two about getting the best out of young players.
Now in retirement after a postfootball career as a local government environmental services manager, the 68-year-old Scot has turned his hand to helping youngsters from disadvantaged or troubled backgrounds.
He helps them to develop skills and talents that could improve their chances of finding jobs in what is one of the UK’s worst unemployment blackspots.
As a volunteer working with the West Dunbartonshire youth development charity Tullochan, Jim, an experienced handyman, specialises in teaching the art of furniture repair to young people aged 16-25 who require support to deal with ongoing issues.
Furniture Fix – just one of many projects supported by The National Lottery – operates a bit like the popular BBC show The Repair Shop.
embers of the public pay to have tables, chairs, bookcases and other items repaired and refurbished, and others donate unwanted pieces to be worked on.
But there’s a lot more to it than just teaching basic DIY and carpentry.
“It’s not all hammers, nails, screws and that sort of thing,” explains Jim.
“Because of the various difficulties they have encountered growing up, these young people are often withdrawn, lacking self-confidence and communication skills.
“Part of my job is to try to draw out their personalities and help them discover talents they don’t even realise they have.” And, says Jim, it works. “You can often see them becoming different people in just the few weeks they are with us. It’s amazing to watch the real person coming out, having the confidence to do their own thing.” A recent example was 17-year-old Ewan whose confidence has increased significantly since joining Tullochan. Given an old dining room chair to refurbish, Ewan wanted to paint it purple. “I wasn’t at all sure about that, but what he did with it was stunning,” says Jim. “I told him, ‘I’d never have thought of doing that, but it’s brilliant.’ He just nodded and smiled, but I could see the pride written all over his face. “It’s moments like that which make what I’m doing here so rewarding.” Founded in 1996, Tullochan has developed over the years as the young people’s needs have changed. The project now supports more than 1,000 young people annually through a range of programmes for five to 15-year-old schoolchildren, as well as for school leavers. Rather aptly for Jim Liddell, the Furniture Fix workshop is located in a building that used to be the Royal Naval Torpedo Factory, where he served an engineering apprenticeship. At the time he was also a part-time goalkeeper for Dumbarton and, later, Morton. It was at the factory he learned many of the skills he’s now passing on. “Tullochan has given me the opportunity to give something back to the community of which I have been a part of all my life,” he says. “It’s like coaching young kids at football and seeing them improve and develop. I just love it – it’s fantastic.”
’It’s amazing to see the real person coming out, having the confidence to do their own thing’