The most frequently asked question is:   What does GK stand for?

GK stands for Glen Kin.  A farmhouse and barn converted into an outdoor bunkhouse on the outskirts of Dunoon.  Our spiritual home. The birthplace of theGKexperience.  A place where so many memories were made, Glen Kin was a centre like no other.  Basic but beautiful.  

Those involved in founding 'GK'  had discovered the centre around 2007.  These youth workers would bring their groups to this magical little place. After realising the difference these trips were making for young people, they hatched a plan to start a charity that would bring groups from Glasgow to Glen Kin on a regular basis, providing them with the ultimate community 'experience' of their making but also be supported back in their local communities too.  Therefore in 2010 we were formed as 'The Glen Kin Experience' as part of a Church of Scotland Priority Areas pilot project to support the most vulnerable young people in Glasgow, recognising the power of the residential experience.​

Glen Kin was a place of community for young people to grow in confidence, improve physical and mental health, make new friends, reduce isolation and learn new skills. It being only an hour or so from Glasgow, made it perfect too.  After the pilot project ended in 2012, we aimed to set up officially as a charity, however we were unable to keep the name The Glen Kin Experience as OSCR (Scottish Charity Regulator) deemed it too close in name to the Trust that owned the centre.  Therefore we became theGKexperience.  This worked out quite well too as George Bowie, a renowned DJ in these parts, remixes tracks under GBXperience, his music loved by the young people and their families!  In 2015 the Glen Kin trust sold the centre for a nominal £1 to the Abernethy Trust, facilitated by ourselves.  The Glen Kin Trust were looking to sell to those that had experience in the youth work sector and owned buildings for this purpose.  Abernethy was a great fit.  Over the next 4 years, we continued to use Glen Kin on a regular basis, however the centre was increasingly difficult to use due to the age and state of disrepair it was becoming.  Sadly, during Covid, Abernethy were really struggling financially and they took the decision to sell Glen Kin privately.  The sale went through in early 2021 and with it there were to be no more residential experiences at Glen Kin.  This means that we now have a name which requires a bit of explaining to those new to us!  However the spirit of Glen Kin lives on within the organisation and no matter where we go with young people on residential they will always have theGKexperience.

This is just a very short history of how we became 'theGKexperience' and what the GK stands for.  We hope to be able to expand on this over time with a more detailed story telling of where we've come from.

More History coming soon....

The most frequently asked question is: 
​ What does GK stand for?

GK stands for Glen Kin.  A farmhouse and barn converted into an outdoor bunkhouse on the outskirts of Dunoon.  Our spiritual home. The birthplace of theGKexperience.  A place where so many memories were made, Glen Kin was a centre like no other.  Basic but beautiful.  

Those involved in founding 'GK'  had discovered the centre around 2007.  These youth workers would bring their groups to this magical little place. After realising the difference these trips were making for young people, they hatched a plan to start a charity that would bring groups from Glasgow to Glen Kin on a regular basis, providing them with the ultimate community 'experience' of their making but also be supported back in their local communities too.  Therefore in 2010 we were formed as 'The Glen Kin Experience' as part of a Church of Scotland Priority Areas pilot project to support the most vulnerable young people in Glasgow, recognising the power of the residential experience.. Glen Kin was a place of community for young people to grow in confidence, improve physical and mental health, make new friends, reduce isolation and learn new skills. It being only an hour or so from Glasgow, made it perfect too.  After the pilot project ended in 2012, we aimed to set up officially as a charity, however we were unable to keep the name The Glen Kin Experience as OSCR (Scottish Charity Regulator) deemed it too close in name to the Trust that owned the centre.  Therefore we became theGKexperience.  This worked out quite well too as George Bowie, a renowned DJ in these parts, remixes tracks under GBXperience, his music loved by the young people and their families!  In 2015 the Glen Kin trust sold the centre for a nominal £1 to the Abernethy Trust, facilitated by ourselves.  The Glen Kin Trust were looking to sell to those that had experience in the youth work sector and owned buildings for this purpose.  Abernethy was a great fit.  Over the next 4 years, we continued to use Glen Kin on a regular basis, however the centre was increasingly difficult to use due to the age and state of disrepair it was becoming.  Sadly, during Covid, Abernethy were really struggling financially and they took the decision to sell Glen Kin privately.  The sale went through in early 2021 and with it there were to be no more residential experiences at Glen Kin.  This means that we now have a name which requires a bit of explaining to those new to us!  However the spirit of Glen Kin lives on within the organisation and no matter where we go with young people on residential they will always have theGKexperience.

This is just a very short history of how we became 'theGKexperience' and what the GK stands for.  We hope to be able to expand on this over time with a more detailed story telling of where we've come from.

More History coming soon....