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Whitehill Secondary School pupils enjoyed a day of go-karting and laser quest as Rangers Charity Foundation’s Hub in the Community programme continued to provide opportunities for young people throughout the school holidays.

The school holidays offer a chance for young people to take a break from the classroom, try something new and spend time with their friends. For pupils supported by the Foundation’s Hub in the Community programme, they also provide opportunities to build confidence, strengthen relationships and stay connected with trusted members of their school community.

S1 pupils from Whitehill Secondary School recently travelled to TeamSport in Cambuslang, accompanied by the school’s Hub Officers, Jamie McMillan and Ben Smith, for a day packed with activities.

The group took to the track for a go-karting session before swapping their helmets for laser quest equipment, putting their teamwork to the test.

As well as providing plenty of fun away from the classroom, days like these give pupils the opportunity to develop friendships, enjoy new experiences and create positive memories with their peers.

Miss Donaldson, S1 Depute Head Teacher at Whitehill said:

“I think it’s really important to keep pupils engaged out with the school term because it allows you to continue to build those relationships with pupils. It also gives parents a chance to engage with the team as well and gives the pupils new experiences that we can’t necessarily give them during the school day.

“If you are struggling to build relationships with pupils then it can make things more challenging. We want to create an environment where pupils feel like they have that safe person that they can talk to. It can be a challenge to build that up but over a really short space of time the team – including Jamie and Ben – have been able to build up that trust in a really short space of time.”

While providing a safe, supportive environment for young people during the school holidays is an important part of the programme, the benefits of Hub in the Community extend much further.

Delivered by the Foundation in partnership with four secondary schools across Glasgow, the programme places dedicated Hub Officers within schools to provide mentoring, guidance and practical support to pupils who may face barriers to attendance, engagement or progression.

Working closely with teachers, school support staff and families, Hub Officers build trusted relationships with young people, helping them to develop confidence, improve engagement with education and consider the opportunities available to them in the future.

School holidays provide another opportunity to maintain those relationships in a different setting. By organising activities that encourage participation and teamwork, Hub Officers can help young people remain engaged and supported when their usual school routine is not in place.

Jamie McMillan, Community Hub Officer at Whitehill added:

“School doesn’t stop as soon as the holidays begin. We like to make sure that pupils are engaged with us, whether that be through the October holidays, easter, summer, we are always there if any of the young people need us.

“I know when I was at school, I never had the chance to do anything like this during the holidays. Some of the pupils might not be as fortunate as others but it’s important for us to give all the young people the same opportunities and give them that chance to try something that they’ve maybe never done before.”

“Today has been fantastic. Watching the pupils get involved and form those relationships with myself and our other Community Hub Officer, Ben, but at the same time, watching those bonds with teachers develop is great to see and hopefully that can continue inside the school environment as well.”

The transition from primary to secondary school is another important part of the programme’s work.

Moving into S1 brings new surroundings, different routines and the challenge of meeting new classmates and teachers. For some young people, this can be a daunting experience, making early opportunities to build friendships and feel part of their new school community particularly valuable.

Shared experiences can also create opportunities for pupils to build their confidence, learn to work as a team and form positive relationships with the Hub Officers who are there to support them throughout their school journey.

New S1 pupil Anton said:

“I’ve really enjoyed today. Doing the go-karting and getting to do some drifting was really fun.”

“It was great to do this with our teachers and Jamie and Ben too because they’re really fun and down to earth.”

The Foundation’s Hub in the Community programme launched at Govan High School in January 2018 and has since expanded to support pupils at other Glasgow secondary schools, including Knightswood Secondary School, Drumchapel High School and Whitehill Secondary School. Whitehill welcomed a second full-time Hub Officer in early 2025, helping to extend the support available to its pupils.

With at least one full-time Community Hub Officer based in each school, the programme provides consistent support tailored to the needs of individual young people. This includes one-to-one mentoring, group sessions, transition activities and guidance to help pupils work towards positive outcomes in education and beyond.

The programme is supported by a grant from The Robertson Trust, helping the Foundation continue its work with young people across our Hub Schools in Glasgow.