Students in their shop window of opportunity

Dee Mowatt (left) and Samantha Kane stand proudly in front of their display

The students mounted a takeover of the Storehouse, the old Penicuik Co-op foodstore premises (Nickel and Dime), and gave the displays a new summer wedding feel.

Midlothian Retail Pathways is a partnership between Edinburgh College and Midlothian Council which involved students undertaking a ten-week course giving them the skills to pursue a career in  retail.

Samantha Kane (16), from Bonnyrigg, and Dee Mowatt, (22), from Penicuik are now set to take the next steps in developing themselves.

Samantha is waiting for the outcome of an application to study computing at  Edinburgh College, while Dee is looking to go on to study retail, events and tourism. Both students were enthusiastic about the course.

“I’ve learned about working with other people, and working within groups,” said Samantha.

Dee said: “I’m currently volunteering and I’m looking forward to continuing to gain more experience.”

Abbie Meinart, Edinburgh College lecturer in retail, was delighted by how her students went about their window display takeover at the Storehouse in Penicuik. She said: “I am very proud of them and very impressed with their creativity, enthusiasm and  positive approach to the project.”

The Penicuik Storehouse is a community-run regeneration project on Penicuik High Street.

Colum Beagan, Roger Kelly and Paul Hayes, three members of Penicuik Community Development Trust, have been developing the Storehouse idea since 2014.