Opening of Thomas Maconochie Building at Kelso High School

The building, which is detached from the main KHS building, offers exciting opportunities for the enrichment of the curriculum.

Focusing largely on craft and engineering, the building offers a flexible space for staff and visiting tutors to work with young people.

Thomas Maconochie, a former pupil of KHS, went on to enjoy a highly successful business career in the West of Scotland.

In 2003 he established The Thomas Maconochie KHS Trust to ‘advance the education of children in Kelso and its environs in such ways as are over and above the statutory requirements of the relevant education authority’.

In the ensuing 20 years the Trust has supported individual and groups of pupils in a wide variety of experiences and activities and has spent more than £267,000 in doing so.

Some of those helped by the Trust were at the opening of the building.

These included Girl Guides who had attended a Scout Jamboree in South Korea, a group of pupils who had undertaken a course in stone carving, young people who had participated in a course in cycle maintenance and another group who had worked on assembling, maintaining and driving an electric car.

The building was opened by Steve Bryant, Group Chairman and Managing Director, Scot JCB. This company owns the local business, Scot Agri Kelso and Lothian Harvesters.

Mr Bryant, who was appointed and later promoted by Mr Maconochie, spoke of the man that he admired greatly and recounted how he had influenced his career.

He hoped that some KHS pupils of today could follow Tom’s example by succeeding in the business world and commended the school for establishing the building and praised the Thomas Maconochie Trust for the support it provided.

Finally, he said that the building would provide a lasting legacy to Tom Maconochie and provide a base for the extension of the educational opportunities available to Kelso High School pupils.

Mr Bryant them cut the ribbon to declare the building open and visitors and guests were able to view the equipment available, talk to some of the youngsters who had benefited from the fund and watch pupils demonstrating their driving skills in the electric car.