We are thrilled to announce the opening of our third location at the Golf It! complex in Glasgow. This exciting expansion comes in partnership with The R&A, the esteemed governing organisation of golf. The new nursery will open on 5^th February 2024 and will provide childcare for children from aged two until primary school age.

With the opening of our third nursery, Lullaby Lane aims to extend its Attachment-Led ethos, prioritising the emotional needs of our children, to meet the growing demand for early learning and childcare facilities in Glasgow.

Pauline Scott, our owner and Managing Director expressed her enthusiasm for the new venture, stating, “We are absolutely delighted to open our third nursery at the Golf It! complex in Glasgow, in collaboration with The R&A. This partnership allows us to provide a high-quality care service to families, while being a part of a thriving, community-driven sports hub. This partnership has been values aligned from the beginning. We share the vision of creating community spaces where children can develop their individual talents and self-belief, in fun, playful, and experiential environments.”

Pauline added, “We believe in providing emotionally attuned, uniquely responsive, and loving relationships that support the healthy biological development of our children. We know that children’s learning, exploration, and creativity is optimised when they are in the presence of emotionally regulated and developmentally informed adults. We believe in the adage ‘start with the adults present in the lives of children’ and we will be sharing our ethos and practice with our families by offering them our unique ‘Daring Ventures’ programme in partnership with renowned developmental psychologist, Dr Suzanne Zeedyk. We look forward to welcoming families to visit our nursery throughout December and January, and to officially welcoming our first families in February.”

We are delighted to announce that Christopher Keane, our current Deputy Manager at Lullaby Lane Nursery Milngavie will become the new nursery manager.

Chris commented, “I am honoured to be part of the Lullaby Lane Nurseries team and excited to lead our new nursery at Golf It! We are dedicated to partnering with our families to ensure each child receives the individual care they deserve. Our Attachment-Led Practice aims to support our children’s emotional safety by creating a home from home environment where we put the emotional well-being of the child at the core of all our practice and policies. An example of this is that at Lullaby Lane we offer our families free and unlimited settling in (building a relationship) sessions that are child-led. We also encourage home visits so that the child’s care practitioner can spend time with our children in their own environment. This helps to develop secure and trusting relationships before it is time for families to separate from their children.

As the manager, it is my responsibility to care for the adults who are caring for the children. I believe in prioritising the emotional wellness of our team and providing them with learning opportunities that build their confidence and knowledge in the science of Attachment Theory, early brain development, play and learning.”

Families interested in applying for a place at Lullaby Lane Nurseries can visit the company’s website at www.lullabylanenurseries.com or contact the nursery directly to schedule a visit on hogganfield@lullabylanenursery.co.uk.

Our new academic year has started with real purpose across our three thriving learning academies.

We are proud to have welcomed 324 new Foundation Apprentices from 6 different Local Authority areas into our learning environments since the beginning of September 2023.

In the words of our Group Managing Director, Pauline Scott, “At tigers we understand that significant learning and development only happens in the presence of secure, positive relationships.”

“Creating environments, alongside our values aligned partners, that support that understanding, we believe is a key driver in the success of our Foundation Apprenticeship delivery,” said Alex Wright our Business Skills Academy Manager. 

The pupils drawn from 20 schools across the West of Scotland will undertake a range of Foundation Apprenticeships in the following industry sectors ; 

• Construction  
• Business Skills 
• Early Years 

Tigers Foundation Apprenticeships’ offer pupils the opportunity to move out of the traditional classroom and learn through vocational education in tandem with our ethos of relationship led practice.

At tigers we believe that a vocational education is a first class education and in the coming weeks we will be sharing further commentary from our partners and apprentices, who have experienced our Foundation Apprenticeship delivery in the previous academic year, who echo that sentiment.

You can follow that commentary and share your own experiences both here and on our social media channels. 

For the next eight weeks we will share more content from our schools partners, across our socials at 8am each Friday morning, starting next week 27th October when you will hear from Bannerman High School in Glasgow about their tigers experience in 2022/23.

Tigers are thrilled to work alongside Partick Thistle and a group of young apprentice footballers as they kick off their, in club, learning by studying for a Digital Marketing Diploma early in their footballing careers.

A diploma which will see the young players learn skills in;

The principles of Social Media and Goal Setting

Imaging and Video Software

Content Marketing and Online Advertising

Blogging and Search Marketing

Data Analysis and Reporting

Business Environments, Regulations, Legalities and Ethics

John Gibson, Chairman of the Tigers Group shared that,” At Tigers we exist to inspire and support people to develop their infinite potential and we see this initiative as being reflective of that purpose. Tigers have a strong, long standing, values aligned, relationship with Partick Thistle Football Club and we applaud the club for embracing the opportunity to offer learning and skills development which will ultimately provide young footballers with choice as they progress on their career journeys.”

Chief Commercial and Operations Office at Partick Thistle, Beth Adamson, commented that, “We are thrilled to have the Tigers Group supporting our modern apprentices throughout their 2-year apprenticeship. The innovative marketing course has already captured the imagination of our 6 apprentices who look forward to each session with course leader Oliver Butler, learning exciting techniques in the world of marketing and media.

Tigers Group have a proven record of providing young people with the tools they require to succeed in the world of work, so it is really exciting for us to be working closely with them for our apprenticeship scheme.”

We asked the young footballers why they were opting to take part in the Digital Marketing qualification.

Jamie said, “I’m doing it so that I’ve got a plan b just in case football doesn’t work and it’s a good opportunity to learn something new. In the future I’d like to create a business, so I think it would help with that and it’s going to give me some of the skills to know how to do it.”

Jai commented, “I’m doing it to find a different way of opening your own business, something different from football. Knowing how to do different social media posts and put them out there.”

Our lead trainer, the inimitable Oliver Butler, commented on the first day of training, “I’m hoping to support the young players learning about the world of digital marketing and give them something to think about when their illustrious playing careers are over. Today we’re covering a bit of social media, best practice, the tools available to you and how to make a real success on social media.”

For further details and to find out how tigers can support your own club or organisation through Modern Apprenticeship training delivery contact office@tigersltd.co.uk

We invite you to join the close community

An experience exploring early childhood development & relationships

At tigers we believe the answer to many of the challenges being faced by our children & young people is connection and love.

This belief is what inspired us to create this single day experience which brings together inspirational speakers who will interweave the science of connection with stories and experiences of impact offering you invaluable insight to support your daily interaction with our children and young people.

Our speakers are:

John Carnochan, Co-founder of Scottish Violence Reduction Unit

Kate Silverton, Author, Journalist & Child Therapist

Nikki Black MBE, Nursery Head in Glasgow

Ryan McCaig, Lawyer & Speaker

Dr. Suzanne Zeedyk, Developmental Psychologist

In the words of Early Years Academy Manager, Yvonne Stanley; “This experience will bring a community of people together from a variety of sectors, exploring the significance of relationships to support children and young people’s wellbeing.
We are seeing the struggles of our children and young people who are presenting with ever increasing levels of anxiety, concern, uncertainty, and stress. We believe the impact of COVID 19 has only served to heighten these feelings

It will provide an opportunity for us all to understand how relationships surrounded by love and connection really can make a difference.”

In Scottish Apprenticeship Week we are delighted to share news of a fresh collaboration between ourselves at Tigers Group and the team at BE-ST Built Environment – Sustainable Transformation (formerly the Construction Innovation Centre).

Having successfully bid for and been awarded a contract to deliver Foundation Apprenticeships by South Lanarkshire Council our colleagues at Tigers Construction Academy are delighted to share that we will host this training programme at BE-ST premises in Blantyre.

The environment at BE-ST offers our young apprentices – drawn from a number of schools across South Lanarkshire – a safe learning space, surrounded by innovation and we at tigers are pleased that BE-ST were keen to offer access to their resources supporting the young people’s learning.

We are confident that collaborating with values aligned and purpose driven partners will add to the learning experience of the young apprentices participating on this Construction Craft Level 5 programme.

On behalf of BE-ST, deputy CEO Douglas Morrison said, “Foundation apprenticeships are not only a vital investment in the future of our developing workforce, but also a powerful tool for supporting sustainable development. By equipping young people with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in the construction industry, we can accelerate our transition to a zero carbon built environment. We are delighted to support Tigers and South Lanarkshire Council to nurture and empower our next generation of construction professionals, for the benefit of our planet, our industry, and our communities.” 

Tigers Group Commercial Director, Gerry Hamill, also commented, “We are excited to see our relationship with a values based, purpose driven partner flourish in this way. We believe young people learn best, grow and thrive, in whatever career they choose, when they’re fully supported in a safe environment. Delivering our Foundation Apprenticeship programme at BE-ST will provide our young learners with exactly that. At tigers we are focussed on supporting young people to develop their infinite potential and vocational education offers that opportunity.”

South Lanarkshire Councils, Scott McDermott also added, “The delivery of the Foundation Apprentices in construction at level 5 is part of our Work based learning ‘Gradu8’ programme targeted at pupils in their senior phase of school. Pupils love these courses as they provide practical based skills and qualifications that offer a route into the construction industry.  We are delighted to be working in partnership with TIGERS training to design and deliver this construction training in a dynamic and flexible way. We are excited see the benefits a sector leading company such as BE-ST can provide to the overall experience for our young people.” 

You can follow the journey of our young apprentices on our social media channels and on our website at learnwithtigers.co.uk in the coming weeks and months. 

For further information or to discuss future potential partnership opportunities with tigers please send an e-mail in the first instance to office@tigersltd.co.uk

Tigers 22^nd  year sees our training and apprenticeships delivery continue to grow with our three core academies specialising in Construction, Early Learning & Childcare and Business Skills now supporting young people across Scotland.

In recent years we have moved beyond Glasgow delivery to regions throughout the country including Ayrshire, North and South Lanarkshire, East and West Dunbartonshire as well as more distant destinations such as Aberdeen and Shetland.

Our expanding delivery model now includes Foundation Apprenticeships which offer school pupils in S4, S5 and S6 opportunities to get out of the classroom environment whilst experiencing a vocational and experiential approach to learning including accessing valuable relevant work experience.

Recent exciting developments at tigers include our Joint Venture programme for Modern Apprentices with Morgan Sindall Construction as well as the launch of our innovative Enhanced Apprenticeships in Play and Attachment. Both programmes strive to connect learners with industry professionals willing to share knowledge and expertise. We believe this blended approach to vocational education heightens learning and enriching the participant experience.

We will strive to continue developing meaningful collaborations with values aligned, purpose driven partners which create exciting opportunities for our young people across Scotland. To explore joining us on this journey you can connect with us via office@tigersltd.co.uk

tigers and The Prince’s Trust are proud to announce an exciting partnership, between two values based and purpose driven organisations, that will benefit young people from over 20 secondary schools across the West of Scotland.

The programme, ’Construct Your Future’, has been designed to provide young people with an introduction to the exciting world of Construction, a chance to explore what careers are available to them and an opportunity to gain valuable industry qualifications.

This programme is not just about learning practical skills, it’s about discovering new passions, expressing oneself, and building self-esteem and confidence.

Group Commercial Director, Gerry Hamill expressed delight sharing, “At tigers we believe that significant learning and development only takes place in the presence of secure, positive relationships. Alongside our friends at The Princes Trust we aim to create an environment that will see young people thrive. We are thrilled to see this partnership embrace our model of Relationship Led Practice.”

On behalf of The Princes Trust, Head of Delivery Partnerships & Volunteering, Helena Inverarity said… ‘We are delighted to be working with tigers in schools across the Glasgow City Region to deliver this programme. tigers deliver sector leading skills development in a positive and safe environment for young people to set goals and recognise their potential. Working together with tigers supports our mission to build young people’s confidence and skills, and prepare them for their future’

Construction Operations Manager, Steven Manclark, also confirmed on behalf of tigers that;

“We’re absolutely delighted to be working in partnership with the Prince’s Trust, knowing that we are able to offer a significant number of young people from schools across the West an opportunity to come in and experience the construction sector. We aim to support the young people gain positive experiences and outcomes.”

For further information or to find out how we can build a new partnership together contact office@tigersltd.co.uk

When I first started my apprenticeship, my weekly salary was around £92, this was working 5 days a week, 8am – 4.30pm. I had moved from an office based role where I was smartly dressed, always warm and had coffee on tap! It felt like I had made a huge mistake at that point, little was I to know an apprenticeship was about to change my life.

After completing 4 years as a painting and decorating apprentice, I travelled the world, lectured in a college and had a go at working self-employed. I loved my job and it always gave me satisfaction, one thing that was very obvious though was the need for more tradespeople on site. There was always a constant shortage, alongside this I had been working with young people who were desperate to do well for themselves however found their personal circumstances creating barriers they were unable to remove. That’s when I began working for tigers as a trainer/assessor, I worked directly alongside the apprentices and had a unique opportunity to make a real difference in their lives. 5 years on and I find myself with the absolute privilege of being able to being part of helping to create a brand new joint venture alongside Morgan Sindall paving the way for 30 young people to enter into an apprenticeship. When I stood up to welcome everyone to the launch event it was great to finally be announcing the start of the joint venture, but the thing that filled me with so much pride and hope was seeing the amount of people there willing to be involved in helping these young people achieve their goals.

If you are reading this, then like me you have a passion for the construction industry. Apprenticeships are the bread and butter of this sector and are key to addressing the skills shortages. Construction News recently produced an article advising the construction industry would need almost 217,000 new construction workers by 2025. No employer, college or training provider can do that alone, if there has ever been a time for the industry to come together, it is now. It is our obligation to work together to inspire and support young people to enter the industry whilst ensuring we have a sector that can continue to offer fantastic opportunity and continue to operate at the heart of the UK economy.

You can see the questions borne out of curiosity, one of Tigers key values, from Gerry Hamill, our Group Commercial Director and subsequent responses from Laura Devennie our Group Director of People and Culture below.

Gerry: When did we introduce our Menopause Policy here at Tigers?
Laura: The policy was officially put in place in March 2022 after a long period of background work and research.

Gerry: As a business perhaps you can share what prompted tigers to think about putting a menopause policy in place?
Laura: Initially we came to recognise that a large proportion of our colleagues were women and not only that but women of all ages. At Tigers we talk about brain development and the science of connection, including attachment theory, and we had become increasingly aware through conversation of the range of symptoms attached to menopause. For many this often appears a taboo subject but we immediately felt we had to address the subject internally for our colleagues.
Often people feel they are alone in dealing with symptoms, or may not recognise that feelings, physical and emotional, they are experiencing are not unique to them but that their colleagues are also on that journey through the menopause.

Gerry: Who was involved in researching the policy internally and what processes did you follow to assist with drafting the policy?
Laura: Our first action was to reach out to our team, our entire team across the business, there was no gender disqualification in our request to join us in our early conversations.
We were delighted by the enthusiasm the invitation inspired from across the group. Colleagues representative of all age groups came forward to engage in our conversation including team members at varying stages of the menopause all of whom were curious to learn more about the subject.
Coming together to talk was the next step on the policy journey when people through storytelling shared their own life experiences of menopause or simply being a woman with colleagues. After which we created an action plan where a raft of people accepted individual tasks and responsibilities allocated and designed to give us all a greater understanding of the menopause and its symptoms.
We sought to find external resources too which would add to our knowledge and allow to attach some of the science to the learning. This helped each of us understand where we where individually in life.

Gerry: What key or additional learning, if any, did yourself and colleagues achieve along the way to assist putting the policy in place?
Laura: The biggest thing for me and I’m sure I speak for many of the team when I say that I learned there are different stages of menopause. For example, perimenopause which actually comes in two stages (early and late) and identified the symptoms attached to each. On a personal level this led me to understand that I was experiencing early perimenopause symptoms something which I had previously thought of as being years ahead of me.
Up to that point I was probably guilty of being quite flippant about symptoms jokingly referring to them as me just being hormonal or it being that time of the month but I learned that my brain and body were changing through hormonal imbalances. I found that fascinating when looking it at from a brain development perspective as we do through our internal Daring Ventures programme. I could then name the changes and the feelings around them.
Symptoms such as cognitive disturbances (concentration, brain fog) all of which I had aligned to stress previously I learned it was related to the changes that were taking place in my body.
Along with that came the realisation that this experience is years in the making and not something which appears and leaves you in a short space of time.
It did in actual fact lead us to think of our male colleagues and what process they go through and we have now formed a working group to consider those changes which society also flippantly refers to as mid-life crisis, etc.

Gerry: Do you feel, from a people and culture perspective, this has brought daily benefits to the workplace for Tigers?
Laura: I think the first thing is it brings a willing to engage in conversation and it removes shame from the discussion. It has created a shared language, a sense of belonging with others, and also creates a support network simply through awareness.
We accept that we still have more to do in terms of education and awareness across all genders of the group because each of them will have people in their lives who may be experiencing menopause. Arming people with that knowledge can only be a positive.

Gerry: Having reached the point of having the policy in place what would you offer as advice to others thinking of doing the same for the first time?
Laura: To go for it, to implement and not be fearful. To seek external support if needed, work collaboratively with people within your business in developing your policy.
It would have been much easier for us simply to present a policy as a finished article but there is a feeling, an experience shared, behind the policy when people realise they were part of the team that created the policy.
There is no downside to gaining the knowledge, sharing it and implementing practices borne out of that same learning.