Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
College’s Wee Shop is up and running
Coatbridge’s college campus now has a new retailer – thanks to the initiative of students in the Faculty of Supported Learning.
They have opened the Wee Shop, selling drinks, snacks, stationery and items including reusable coffee cups, USB drives and mobile phone accessories.
It follows the group’s success in expanding their stall of student essentials at last year’s market day events, thanks to a £250 grant received after they came second in the college’s “what’s the big idea?!” entrepreneurial competition.
The shop will be run as a social enterprise, with proceeds to be used to “promote positive mental health throughout New College Lanarkshire”.
Its manager, student Dean Anderson, said: “We’re very excited about opening The Wee Shop – we’ve been working very hard for the past few months setting it up and learning about customer service, and we hope that we’re able to make a difference.”
The Wee Shop will initially be open two days per week, and is operated by nine students on the college’s “ready for retail” programme, which is aimed at learners with additional support needs to help in developing independence and employability skills.
Last year, the new team members studied together on a skills for life course – and after identifying the need for a student essentials shop, worked with the estates team at the college building on Kildonan Street to clear and convert a storage room for their venture.
Nicola Mulholland, who is assistant head of New College’s faculty of supported learning, cut a ribbon at the shop’s official opening as it welcomed its first customers; the shop is supported by the John Mather Trust, Young Enterprise Scotland, Bridge2Business and the college’s market day initiative.
College lecturer Audrey Mackrell said: “The students thought it would be really good if there was somewhere to go and buy a charger if their phone runs out of battery, and from there they decided that it would be good to start a shop selling charging cables and other student essentials.
“When I first met them, they wouldn’t have had the confidence to put this idea into practice, so to see them now serving customers and having the responsibility of running a walk-in shop is fantastic.
“They’ve really blossomed into confident individuals in their time at college and it is a great opportunity for them to develop their employability and entrepreneurial skills in preparation for the future.”