Kibble has announced its entertainment and go-karting social enterprise will close permanently after five years.

The Experience, in Hillington, will be transformed into a new skills academy for KibbleWorks, the charity’s youth development programme that gives vulnerable young people qualifications for the job market.

Paisley organisation Kibble, which supports at-risk children and young people across the UK, said the change will provide new opportunities for the youngsters it supports.

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Kibble chief executive Jim Gillespie revealed the move was prompted by the coronavirus pandemic, which sparked a review of its services.

He said:“The Experience has had a positive impact on many of our young people’s lives over the past five years, offering real work experience in the hospitality industry focused on exceptional customer service, and providing them with transferable skills for use in their future careers.

“However the facility was forced to close at short notice due to Covid-19, and we have now made the decision not to reopen it in its previous guise following lockdown.

“Embracing change through innovation has been a long-standing organisational strength for Kibble, a prime example being KibbleWorks our Young Workforce Development programme which has been in operation since 2004 – but we believe it is time for a strategic change for this service with a refresh of location, brand and model of delivery.

He added: “With this in mind, we are relocating KibbleWorks to The Experience building, where it will provide a quality service to both the general public and to our young people who will gain education, qualifications and work experience from the new provision.

“This updated model based on research, current and future trends in the education and job market, will allow us to manage KibbleWorks under one roof and create an excellent new training academy.

“Permanent staff from The Experience have been redeployed within Kibble, and we have offered the majority of the part-time staff contracts within our care and support services.

“In addition to the relocation to Hillington, I’m pleased to report that the updated KibbleWorks model will also see further opportunities for our young people via our new partnership with St Mirren.”

Kibble works is made up of a range of fully functioning businesses from a mechanics, to a lawnmower repair service and a bike shop, where young people are given a range of qualifications including work-based learning.

The Experience was opened five years ago to provide young people the chance to find out about the world of work as part of their education.