About Before & After School Kilmacolm

About BASK

BASK (Before & After School Kilmacolm) is a daycare of children’s service that operates from a designated space within St. Columba’s Junior School, located in the village of Kilmacolm. 

The service also provides care for children from Kilmacolm and Langbank Primary School, children are taken to and from the school by staff.

The service is registered to provide a breakfast club and out of school care service to a maximum of 30 children of primary school age. The service will operate term-time only, Monday to Friday, between the times of 7.30am – 8.45am and from 3:00pm – 6.00pm.

In January 2023 BASK opened a location based in Newark Primary School- Port Glasgow in partnership with Inverclyde Council and the Scottish Government to run an After School Club for children in the Port Glasgow cluster area. This service is part of the Scottish Government  School Age Childcare Delivery Framework.

History of BASK

After a full year’s advance planning, BASK was born on 1st April 2012 by sisters Karen McEwing and Sally Taylor and started with just 1 child as well as their own children. BASK soon took over another after school care provider in the area and the business expanded to include both local schools. Sally left the business soon after and Karen ran the business as a sole trader until she sadly passed away in August 2020. Karen’s husband had helped her behind the scenes during her illness and took over the reigns to continue to offer the much required child care in the village of Kilmacolm in her honour.

Meet Our Kilmacolm Team

Andy McEwing

Service Provider

Andy McEwing

Andy's background has been in household removals for over 33 years starting and managing a successful removal and storage business, before, after his wife's passing, taking over the running of BASK. Andy is also a Level 2 qualified rugby coach for Greenock Wanderers and has coached kids from P1 up to his current coaching role for the Under 16's.

Carmen Dow

Manager

Carmen Dow

Carmen joined BASK in October 2015 & has been the manager since 2018 and is the designated child protection officer. Carmen has created great relationships with both her colleagues and the parents due to her attention to detail, knowledge and understanding. Carmen volunteered in BASK twice before being offered a role and since progressed to manager which is a testament to her dedication and passion for her job.

Maggie Grady

Play Leader Practitioner

Maggie Grady

Maggie joined BASK in May 2015 and brings bags of experience to BASK as well as buckets of energy that the children thrive from. Maggie boasts over 20 years of experience in various forms of childcare such as nannying, supply nursery work, volunteer work and more. Maggie, being part of a large family, has been around children her whole life and this is what sparked her interest in starting a career in childcare.

Karen Gider

Childcare Practitioner

Karen Gider

Karen joined BASK in January 2022 and is working towards her SQV Level 3 in childcare and a BA in Arts and Humanities with a specialisation in Creative Writing. Previously, she worked with children and adults requiring mental health and health support, supervised the ladies' holistic department in HMP Peterborough where daily with her team, encouraged mindfulness and calmness through daily activities. Karen brings her passion for the Arts and creative writing to the children at BASK, inspiring young artists and writers.

Jemma Macreath

Childcare Practitioner

Jemma Macreath

Jemma has worked in the childcare sector for four years. She is employed at Rainbow Family Centre as a Support Assistant during the mornings, before joining us at Bask, where she began in October 2024 as one of our valued Childcare Practitioners. Jemma was inspired to pursue a career in childcare through encouragement from a friend and her experience growing up in a large family.

Taylor Burrows

Childcare Practitioner

Taylor Burrows

Taylor is a newly qualified practitioner who completed her HNC in Childhood Practice in June of this year. Having a large family with many siblings and cousins, she always knew she wanted to work with children. This passion led Taylor to seek work experience in nurseries at the young age of fourteen. She believes that working in childcare is a privileged profession, as it offers the opportunity to positively impact children’s days and make a difference in their lives. In her free time, she enjoys reading, watching television, and spending time with family and friends.

Jamie Cairns

Childcare Practitioner

Jamie Cairns

Jamie has worked at BASK since October 2018 and brings the positivity & sport experiences to BASK! Jamie has come to BASK from an Early Years setting where he gained great experience and knowledge - he has a 'can do' attitude and nothing is too much trouble. He is rapidly becoming BASK's new IT Guru! He has a great rapport with the children and parents and is a valued member of the BASK team.

Robert Darroch

Childcare Practitioner

Robert Darroch

Robert is a qualified childcare practitioner, having successfully completed his HNC in Childhood Practice. With over two years of hands-on experience in early years education, he has worked in two different nursery establishments, developing a deep understanding of child development and inclusive learning. As a leader in charge at a play scheme, Robert has honed his leadership skills, creating engaging and supportive environments for children to thrive. His dedication to continuous learning is evident in his participation in specialised training, including taking part in Easter School for Bask, further enhancing his expertise in early years education.

Jodie Clarke

Childcare Practitioner

Jodie Clarke

Jodie is based in Greenock and Kilmacolm. Jodie qualified with her HNC in Early Education and Childcare in 2012. She has been working with children for 15 years with ages ranging from 0-18. Settings ranging from nursery, after school clubs and private boarding school to babysitting both professional and personal. In her free time she is part of a theatre company and performs shows annually, they also do concerts around Inverclyde.

Kimberley Macintosh

Childcare Practitioner

Kimberley Macintosh

Kimberley is based in Greenock and also covers our mobile creche. Kimberley has had her HNC Early Education and Childcare since 2017 and started as a support assistant and then a childcare practitioner working with children from 2-5 years. She enjoys working with children because every day is different, and watching them grow and learn is so rewarding. In her spare time, she loves being outside with her 3 children, walking their dogs, and riding horses, and enjoys many arts and crafts.

Lindsey Cunningham

Childcare Practitioner

Lindsey Cunningham

Lindsey is a whirlwind of joy who’s worked in childcare for over 7 years. She lights up after-school care like a confetti cannon of positivity! With boundless energy, a heart of gold, Lindsey brings magic to every moment. Lindsey’s not just a play worker, she’s the queen of fun and giggles! She’s every child’s favourite part of the day.
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Meet Our Port Glasgow Team

Jamie Cairns

Assistant Manager

Jamie Cairns

Jamie has worked at BASK since October 2018 and brings the positivity & sport experiences to BASK! Jamie has come to BASK from an Early Years setting where he gained great experience and knowledge - he has a 'can do' attitude and nothing is too much trouble. He is rapidly becoming BASK's new IT Guru! He has a great rapport with the children and parents and is a valued member of the BASK team.

Julie Spence

Childcare Practitioner

Julie Spence

Julie joined the BASK team in 2023. She qualified in 1991 as a childcare worker and worked with Enterprise Childcare for many years, as part of the mobile creche team out in the Inverclyde community. In her spare time, Julie enjoys spending time with her family.

Taylor Burrows

Childcare Practitioner

Taylor Burrows

Taylor is a newly qualified practitioner who completed her HNC in Childhood Practice in June of this year. Having a large family with many siblings and cousins, she always knew she wanted to work with children. This passion led Taylor to seek work experience in nurseries at the young age of fourteen. She believes that working in childcare is a privileged profession, as it offers the opportunity to positively impact children’s days and make a difference in their lives. In her free time, she enjoys reading, watching television, and spending time with family and friends.

Lauren Richardson

Childcare Practioner

Lauren Richardson

Lauren, a qualified Early Education and Childcare SVQA holder from June 2023, joined the Bask team in February 2024. She is currently pursuing an HNC and finds her work incredibly rewarding. Lauren enjoys the energetic atmosphere that children bring and loves spending time with them. In her spare time, she enjoys outdoor activities like long walks and playing football with her two sons, as well as working out at the gym.

Maria Scullion

Childcare Practioner

Maria Scullion

Maria is based in Port Glasgow. Maria completed her HNC in Childcare in 2021 and has been working in childcare since then. She currently works in early years in a local nursery as well as working with BASK, Maria initially started with BASK as a parent using the service when we started the afterschool care at Newark and joined the team recently.
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