Magic Numbers
Over the last three months Literacy and Numeracy Worker, Anne-Frances Mason has had the pleasure of working with the ‘Phoenix’ in Rothesay, to develop a creative approach to improving numeracy skills. The inspiration for the project came from the group members and their abundance of imagination and ambitious ideas.
The Phoenix is an incredible venue for adults with learning disabilities who require support with life skills and social interaction. Consultation with group members brought consensus around linking numeracy with day trips, photography, gadgets and a calendar. How could we embrace the outdoors whilst learning new skills and finding out some fun new facts and figures about our island community?
Phase 1 of Magic Numbers was an 8-week series of activities and outings. We were special guests at The Discovery Centre, the Sheese Factory, MV Argyle, Rothesay Castle, Wee Zoe’s, Rothesay Joint Campus, MV Loch Dunvegan, as well as taking part in a litter pick with Beachwatch Bute. We were also invited for a special day trip and tour of Colintraive Village Hall and even got a free tour on the speedboat Commando One to see Port Bannatyne from a different perspective.
We all had a lot of fun using pedometers to measure our steps and we tried new tech and gadgets, including Google Maps, cameras, calculators, watches and phones, to help us improve our number skills.
We are now moving on to phase 2 of the Magic Numbers project and hope that soon we can showcase our photos and create a centre calendar. There is a heightened awareness of numbers and new curiosity pertaining to their significance. One of the group members invented a new word that describes us perfectly. We have made magic, we are MATHEMAGICIANS!
Smile for a Mile
Our first trip was to explore the Shinty Hut next to the club’s training ground at the Meadows. We calculated the route and distance, estimated the time it would take to walk there and back and used some pedometers to count our steps. With some local help and inside information (Rhys’ dad happens to be the 1st team manager), we explored some significant numbers relating to shinty.
We soon learned that there are 12 players in a shinty team, that the club is 78 years old this year and that the magical number for Bute’s shinty family is 5, as they have won the Ballimore Cup 5 times, and this is more than any other team.
We also took advantage of the Meadows as a venue that also hosts the Rothesay Leisure Centre. The staff at the Leisure Centre were more than happy to give us a number-themed tour of the pool area and showed us how certain figures and numbers were important when using some of the machines in the gym. This was a great lesson in weights and distances and motivated a few from our group to think about resuming exercise.
Smile and say ‘SHEESE”
The Phoenix is situated a stone’s throw from Bute Island Foods, affectionately known in Rothesay as the ‘sheese’ factory. A few years ago, the company created a vegan alternative to cheese that is now exported all over the world. On our recent trip to uncover the magic numbers associated with the factory we were welcomed behind the scenes and treated to a presentation in their conference room, along with some sheese tasting and free samples.
In anticipation of our visit the staff put together a clever slide show to highlight some amazing facts and figures. We learned that the factory is the biggest employer on the island and processes over 60 tonnes of sheese per week, and about 9,424 packs of 200g sheese every day. The group also got to see the production line from the viewing gallery and met with the company’s expert taste tester, who explained a bit more about her job in relation to checking and improving the quality and flavour of the products.
The Magic Numbers group really enjoyed their visit that was both hugely informative and great fun.
Rothesay Castle
Restored in the 1800s, Rothesay Castle dates back to the 1200s and is unique in both its early date of construction and circular stone structure. As part of the Magic Numbers numeracy project with the Phoenix, we were able to take advantage of a free learning visit to explore this local iconic building and find out more from Billy, our tour guide, who told us some scary stories and shared some maps and resources to make our trip more memorable.
The group particularly liked the upper chamber where they could watch a short film and take a seat to admire the view and complete their handouts. Not everyone was keen to explore the dungeon but one or two ventured down below and survived the experience. The castle grounds currently provide refuge for lots of seagulls who parent chicks there in the safety of the castle and they provided us with some sound effects and drama. A hugely enjoyable trip!
Discovering Magic
On a recent trip to the Discovery Centre, we were given a bespoke tour of this amazing and beautiful building on Rothesay’s waterfront. Fondly remembered by many as the Winter Gardens, the Discovery Centre hosts a cinema, information centre, a small gallery and exhibition space as well as a shop selling gifts and souvenirs. The Centre Manager, Hazel, welcomed us into the movie theatre to tell us some fun facts and figures about this iconic venue. She encouraged us to guess how many the cinema seated and invited us all to take part in some of the building’s special events later this year when the Centre celebrates its 100th anniversary.
We learned about the films that will be shown and talked about ticket prices and concession rates as well as the age ratings given to films and why these are important. Some of the group members quizzed Hazel on their own knowledge of some magical numbers relating to their favourite films and everyone enjoyed exploring the gallery and shop after the talk.
Rothesay Joint Campus Visit
Before school broke up for the summer, the Phoenix was invited to the see how numeracy impacts learning in most mainstream school subjects, not just maths. For many folk, especially those individuals with little or no experience of formal education, a school can be quite a scary environment. However, Rothesay Joint Campus hosts a cosy wellbeing hub where friendly staff welcomed us before we took a short tour inside and out.
The group observed a Home Economics class whilst the pupils prepared some homemade soup and followed their recipes step by step. We spoke about numbers in relation to weights and measures and the importance of order. Next up was the Tech Department where got to see some amazing metal and wooden creations and
learned how calculations and planning are vital for precision and the perfect finished product. We passed a group of pupils rehearsing for their end of term show and there was a lot of energy and concentration.
One of the teachers, Liam, took us outside to see some new plants that had been delivered to brighten up a section of the playground. He understood we were interested in magic numbers, so he told us some impressive facts about the age and size of some of the plants we saw, then it was back inside to the hub for a drink and some homemade cake. It was a great visit and very positive experience for the Phoenix. A very special thanks to Lynnsay for having us.
Boats of Bute
A highlight of island living is the chance to travel on an assortment of seafaring vessels and admire Bute from a different perspective. As part of the ‘Magic Numbers’ project we called on some of the Calmac crew and asked about their work and relationship with numbers. Timetables, 24-hour clock, fares, docking depth, compass reading and navigating the sea safely all require very specific numeracy skills and absolute accuracy.
The Phoenix was invited on board the MV Argyle (Rothesay) and the MV Loch Dunvegan (Rhubodach) and given a tour of the bridge by the amazing captains of these vessels. It was a real privilege to see behind the scenes and visit the high-tech control towers. Some of the numeracy group even got to sound the horn and sit on the captain’s chair.
The Port Manager, Allison McDermott, went above and beyond by preparing a visual handout detailing the significant numbers relating to the ferries. The group thoroughly enjoyed these experiences and the photos attached give an insight into their experience.
We then got lucky when Alistair, who owns the speedboat Commando One and operates Bute Boat Tours, gave some of us a free trip to Port Bannatyne. After a safety briefing, he happily answered our questions about the numbers he grapples with in his own enterprise.
These outings were not only great fun but incredibly informative and gave one of the most marginalised groups in our community some magical memories and a deeper understanding and respect for the staff who navigate the sea on a daily basis. Huge thanks from the Phoenix.
Litter Pick and Beach Clean
The Phoenix recently teamed up with Sandra McMillan from Beachwatch Bute to help clean up the island. We agreed to include a litter pick and a beach clean as part of the numeracy project we’re doing called ‘Magic Numbers’.
We heard from Sandra about the impact of marine pollution and the shocking numbers associated with the tonnes of litter that wash up on our coastline. Sadly, more than 60% of all marine litter is plastic and a huge proportion of this could be avoided if people and businesses were to take more care disposing of their rubbish responsibly.
Our first group effort took place around the amphitheatre in Rothesay’s town centre and the second was a beach clean at Ettrick Bay. Both times we were all encouraged by the difference we could make in a short space of time and we’re hopeful that these efforts can count towards an SQA module on Volunteering for some of our group members. On average 1500 bags of litter are collected each year by volunteers in Argyll and Bute and we’re confident that the Phoenix are adding to this figure. Check out the selection of photos that show us hard at work.
Colintraive Village Hall
A group of us ventured over the water to Colintraive. After the short 5-minute ferry ride, Captain Duncan of the MV Loch Dunvegan invited us up on the Bridge and told us a bit about the role numbers play in his job navigating the vessel. He also encouraged three of the Phoenix crew to test the boat’s horn. It definitely works!
We were then greeted by Roz McKenna, who chairs the village hall committee, for a short tour of the village hall and grounds. Roz kindly explained the ‘magic’ numbers associated with the building and challenged us to find some plaques and inscriptions carved into the stone and hidden in the gardens that reveal significant dates.
The weather that day was typically diverse and Scottish but as we toured the grounds the sun came out and we got to eat our packed lunches in the beautiful garden area. Roz invited us all to the village hall fete on August 3rd and we hope to return to explore this amazing space again.
