*Clyde Gift to Mark Tsunami Anniversary
The River Clyde has historically and economically connected the people of Glasgow to maritime communities around the world...
*An Urban Clansmans' Perspective
At some point in the future, GalGael will help pioneer Rural Skills Centre's along the West Coast of Scotland...
2005 looks like being a big year for Galgael. January seen us relocate to new premises at 15 Fairley St. in the Ibrox area of Govan. The new place was formerly Jim Neary’s Auto Hire and has an internal area of just over 11,000 sq.ft. It now means that we are at last all under one roof and in a much more advantageous position to offer a quality training venue to our participants which will meet all the required health and safety standards. We will then be in a prime position to get underway with our projects
Galgael have moved…
- Phase 1. Upgrading the building
- Our projects
- Community Woodlands Conference
- Guiding star
- Bannockburn Youth Shelter
- Penilee Boat
- Arran Yawl
- Tarbert Boat Festival
- Gigha
- Clanchise.
- Feasability Study
- Galgael Voyaging Society
Well, we’re in at last and we have much to tell you since our last update, such as - Training programs including: Timber frame craft work - Traditional and contemporary woodwork - Metal craft - Wrought iron work - welding - Bronze casting - jewelry. Only Galgael offers these unique creative work experiences and opportunities under one roof.
- Working with craftspeople, of the highest quality and offering a genuine all round training and encouragement to the unemployed and local people is our goal.
Navigating the future is -
getting more people on the road to employment or further education.
- Guiding Star. Where, participants will be involved in helping restore, “Guiding Star”- a traditional Scottish (fifie) fishing boat
- Bannockburn Youth Shelter. Where, five tons of milled oak to build a youth shelter on the bank of the Bannockburn
- Penilee Boat We will also be building a 27’ open boat with Penilee community
- Clanchise is based on good will and cooperation for the advantage of all involved through utilising traditional skills to address social problems
- Galgael Voyaging Society Based on the Polynesian Voyaging Society where old seafaring communities were regenerated by reclaiming their heritage
Phase 1 upgrading the building
“Navigating the Future” project, increasing our intake of trainees and getting more people on the road to employment or further education.
We have spent the last few months carrying out phase one of upgrading the building as well as putting in brand new woodworking machinery. Phase two will include renovation of the upstairs area- originally a sailing loft, where we intend to expose the original hammer-beam structure which has been concealed behind a suspended ceiling. We feel that by re-revealing this hidden slice of Govan’s shipbuilding heritage we will not only improve the feel of the workspace but we will be able to highlight its educational value and offer an insight into the traditions of sail-making.
We see this move as the next stage in Galgael’s development and a great opportunity to scale up on what we presently do while involving more people at a higher level. We have in the past accomplished a great deal with minimum resources so we would therefore envisage that we are now in a position to achieve a great deal more. Thanks to –( funders)mention how we purchased it
Our projects
Our new training course “Navigating the Future”
is just about to get underway. The course is aimed at local adults and will be a great initial step for those finding difficulty trying to get back into work or thinking about further education. Sixty places will be available through the year for participants (twenty Training will be available in a variety of crafts including woodwork, boat building, metalwork, spinning & weaving and much more. Sailing and educational trips will also be included. Please contact us if you wish to find out more or alternatively, check out the Navigating the Future leaflet.
Community Woodlands Conference.
Galgael along with the Community Woodlands Association co-hosted this years event at the Woodside Halls. Our presentation was seen as one of the highlights of the event and we received excellent feedback as well as making some good contacts with organisations from around the country. The event was an enjoyable one and some of the delegates were treated to speed boat ride on the Clyde as well as a tour of Orcuan which is berthed at the Tall Ship. We threw a Ceilidh for the survivors on the final night which ended the conference with a bang.
Our Navigating the Future participants will be involved in helping us restore “Guiding Star”- a traditional Scottish (fifie) fishing boat which we intend to get back into the water for use as a safety vessel and training boat. Thanks to Patrick Boase and all at the Funding Network who helped us raise £3.500 towards the cost which should go a long way to getting the boat back to her former glory. Boat builders John Elder and John Callaghan will supervise the restoration work.
We have just taken delivery of five tons of milled oak to build a youth shelter on the bank of the Bannockburn. The design is based on the Monnymusk Reliquary which was present at the battle in 1314 and held relics of St.Columba. Some of the young people visited Galgael’s new premises recently for a taster day of crafts followed by a sail on the river.
We will also be building a 27’ open boat with Penilee community and involving Navigating the Future participants under the supervision of boat builder Peter Matheson.
Last summer we delivered a yawl to the Arran Community. The crew sailed her from Saltcoats to Corrie on Arran where they received a warm welcome from the locals. In the following week the yawl was sailed around the island, stopping off at various towns and villages on the way where talks and demonstrations were given to local school children.
We picked up a seamanship award last year at the Tarbert Boat Festival after an arduous sail from Irvine where Orcuan more than handled what was quite a rough crossing. The whole weekend was thoroughly enjoyed by the crew and all friends and families who attended. The sailing was great as were the seafood barbeques on the beach and the ceilidh on the last night.
Many thanks to the Gigha community for their warm hospitality during our visit to their beautiful island last year. All present had a wonderful time and we wish them well and hope to maintain links for the future.
We have had a large amount of requests over the last year from community groups all around Scotland who have been inspired by the Galgael model of utilising traditional skills to address social problems. We are now in a position where we can offer consultation to other projects and assist them in developing whether it be with advice or sourcing tools and equipment. The Clanchise is based on good will and cooperation for the advantage of all involved and Galgael will also benefit from what other organisation's can mutually offer us in kind. Recently we have visited or given talks to groups in Lochaber, Renton, Eyemouth,
and Maryhill as well as doing a presentation for groups seeking support from funding bodies. Galgael were there to represent what can be described as a “funding success story” and our presentation was extremely well received. Thanks to hosts BTCV and to Scottish Heritage for featuring us on the cover of their recent publication.
Feasability Study
The Tibal community in Dysart have commissioned Galgael to carry out a feasibility study aimed at producing a yawl for use on the East Coast
Based on the Polynesian Voyaging Society where old seafaring communities were regenerated by reclaiming their heritage and traditions
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