Biosphere Bikes has been able to add to its seasonal seafront hire hub by opening a shop and community hub in Henrietta Street in Girvan, thanks to part funding from South Ayrshire Council. The Council gave the not-for-profit social enterprise charity £70,000 through its Place Based Investment Programme. This, along with funding from Foundation Scotland (Kilgallioch Windfarm Community Benefit Fund) has allowed Biosphere Bikes to purchase premises at 121A Henrietta Street in the town and begin the redevelopment process of the property. The new shop and community hub means the charity can not only continue to hire bikes, but they can sell refurbished bicycles, and equipment and even run workshops. Biosphere Bikes was first granted Certified Business status from the Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere in 2020, underlining their commitment to sustainability. Val Scholfield, Project Officer, Biosphere Bikes Shop & Community Hub said: "Owning our charity premises is not just about having a physical space; it's about owning our future and solidifying our commitment to serving our community. “This achievement is a testament to the unwavering support of those who believe in our project including South Ayrshire Council’s Community Wealth Building Team, Kilgallioch Windfarm through Foundation Scotland, ARPL Architects, and Lockharts Law. “With this ownership, we can foster greater sustainability by using bikes as a tool to create lasting change for the people of Girvan allowing them to pedal, connect and thrive." Councillor Bob Pollock, Economic Development Portfolio Holder for South Ayrshire Council said: “The charity is already well established but having a permanent base which can be open all year round, will make a big difference. Biosphere Bikes always go that extra mile to ensure everyone has access to bikes no matter their age, ability, or background; they are an inspiration.” Councillor Alec Clark, Portfolio Holder for Tourism, Culture and Rural Affairs who represents South Ayrshire Council on the UNESCO Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere Board said: “I am so pleased we could help Biosphere Bikes; they have become a real community lynchpin in and around Girvan. The new hub will help them promote health and wellbeing and tackle issues such as social isolation and exclusion. I wish Biosphere Bikes every success for the future.” The Biosphere Bikes Shop & Community Hub is open Monday-Wednesday from 9am-3pm and Friday and Saturday from 9am-3pm.

First Minister John Swinney has announced a new Scottish Cabinet to help drive real and urgent progress in eradicating child poverty, driving economic growth, and tackling the climate emergency. The Cabinet of eleven, with a majority of women, is as follows: Kate Forbes, the youngest-ever Deputy First Minister, will take on the Economy portfolio and responsibility for Gaelic Shona Robison remains in Cabinet with responsibility for Finance and Local Government Jenny Gilruth remains Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills Angela Constance remains Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs Màiri McAllan remains in Cabinet with responsibility for Net Zero and Energy Fiona Hyslop remains Cabinet Secretary for Transport Neil Gray remains Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care Shirley-Anne Somerville remains Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice Angus Robertson remains Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture Mairi Gougeon remains Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands The First Minister said: “Ahead of my appointment as First Minister, I committed to working collaboratively across the Parliament to address the pressing issues facing the people of Scotland. “With that in mind, I have selected a Cabinet team that blends experience and energy, with a strong focus on the priorities my Government will pursue – eradicating child poverty, driving economic growth, meeting climate obligations and investing in our vital public services. “My overriding priority will be to work to eradicate child poverty in Scotland, an issue on which real progress has been made through measures such as the Scottish Child Payment. The Government I lead will maximise every lever at our disposal to tackle the scourge of poverty in our country. “A strong economy supports the delivery of services on which people depend – health, education, housing, and transport – and so each of these areas are aligned to distinct roles in my Cabinet, with a focus on ensuring people see their lives improve as a result of the actions of their Scottish Government. “I believe that Scotland’s future is best served as an independent country – but I recognise more people need to be convinced of that before independence can be achieved. My Cabinet will also focus efforts on reaching out to those who remain unconvinced, with respect and courtesy, to ensure that the people of Scotland have the democratic right to choose their own future.”

In a first for Scotland, Grange Academy has started working with local charity Cut N Connect, bringing top-quality hairdressing to the school for young people and their families. East Ayrshire Churches Homelessness Action (EACHA) Cut N Connect is a partnership project with Police Scotland, providing a mobile hairdressing and barber service, which is partly funded by the Renewable Energy Fund. The initiative also serves as a platform for community engagement and empowerment, signposting individuals to other services they may require such as recovery support, benefits assistance, and housing. Principal Teacher Ewin Murray heard about the new initiative and saw a great opportunity for the school’s young people and their parents and carers. Ewin Murray said: “When I heard about Cut N Connect, I could see how beneficial this initiative could be for our young people and also their families. Scott Robertson, our Head of Campus, was totally on board so I reached out to Cut N Connect to see what would be possible. Brendan and Gayle from the charity were so enthusiastic and it was agreed that they would attend the school on a monthly basis, with the first visit taking place last week. “I have to say that seeing the first couple of our young people getting their hair cut, really hit home how important this is. It helps their confidence and feelings of wellbeing and the Cut N Connect team are really friendly and supportive. If we can help our young people in a dignified and respectful way then we are delighted to make this happen.” Local members Councillors Douglas Reid, Lillian Jones, and James Adams visited the school to meet the Cut N Connect team, find out more about the charity, and view their impressive mobile hairdressing van, which has solar panels that allow it to run without mains power, a coffee machine, soundproofing and of course, the best of equipment. Gayle Watson, Trustee, EACHa Cut and Connect Cut N Connect said: “We have only been up and running since March but we already have 20 locations across East Ayrshire that we visit on a monthly basis and now Grange Academy, our first school. This is a first in Scotland, and we are pretty sure that it is a first in the UK, and are delighted to work with Scott Robertson, Ewin Murray, PC Campbell, and the whole Grange team, on this really exciting initiative. “We have seen the transformative effects of our work in this very short time and know that we are going to have a significant impact on the school community. As a team, we can’t wait to see where this journey takes us!”

Towns and villages across East Ayrshire are cleaner, greener and more vibrant after being treated to a good Spring clean throughout the month of April. The Greener Communities team joined forces with the local community, Vibrant Communities, Cleaner Communities, the Corporate Enforcement Unit and the Risk Management Centre’s mobile CCTV unit to clean up litter and tackle environmental crime including fly tipping. For a full week at the start of April, the taskforce worked between 8am and 10am power washing the streets within Cumnock and Kilmarnock town centre. They cleaned under bins and street furniture, removing cigarette ends and generally removing any grime and dirt from our streets. Additional street sweepers were drafted in to help with the deep clean, mechanically sweeping the pavements. Special community litter picks also took place in Hurlford, Kilmaurs, Bellfield, Shortlees, Dalmellington, Dalrymple, Auchinleck and on the last day the team turned their attention to Ochiltree with Councillor Jim McMahon, Spokesperson for Housing, Transport and Communities lending a hand. Councillor McMahon said: “I would like to thank everyone involved in Spring Clean month for their hard work and for ensuring that East Ayrshire is looking great for the local community and for visitors. The weather has been pretty dreich most days, so for our communities to still show up and show their support has been very much appreciated. “I was pleased to join the team at Ochiltree for the last day of the Spring clean programme. We were collecting litter, the street sweepers were out clearing the pavements and the road sweepers were making a real difference to our roads. I am proud to say that we left the place looking spick and span. It would be great if our villages and towns could stay this clean and tidy. It will take effort on all our parts, but I really believe we can do it.”

Prestwick + Global Airlines + Airbus = optimism? By Doug Maclean Aviation editor Great excitement yesterday when the first ever Airbus 380 Super Jumbo arrived at Prestwick on what everyone assumed was a routine fuel stop. The first Airbus 380 for Britain’s new airline, Global Airlines, landed at Prestwick airport which has been christened as The Heart Of Scottish Aviation. The aircraft was believed to be heading for Portugal and on to Malta Ayrshire Daily News has learned that is no longer the case. Now it appears that not only will the Airbus be staying longer than anticipated but there is a hint of a desire to make Prestwick a significant part of Global Airlines. That hint comes in the Press Release sent out by Global Airlines today. The aircraft is registered 9H-GLOBAL and the full press release says – 9H-GLOBAL Arrives in the UK as Global Airlines Takes Transatlantic Stride Forward • Global’s first aircraft undertook a two-leg flight cycle from Mojave Air and Space Port (MHV) to Glasgow Prestwick Airport (PIK) in what was a first in the nearly 20-year history of the A380. • The flight required a rigorous, multi-month planning and a collaborative process involving partners and regulators including Airbus, Hi Fly, TM-CAD and the FAA. • From its new location in Scotland, the next step for the aircraft will be to commence a full interior refurbishment and continue its maintenance journey back to the skies. Global Airlines first fully owned A380 yesterday touched down at Glasgow Prestwick Airport at 17:00 BST. The arrival of 9H-GLOBL in the UK was a momentous moment for Global and signalled another significant milestone being reached. With far more access to A380 infrastructure and expertise in Europe, MSN120 will now continue its journey back to commercial operations. From Prestwick, the next steps for 9H-GLOBL will be for Global’s partners to start work on the complete interior refurbishment, and to develop new maintenance capabilities at the airport that will enable the aircraft to take the next step towards launching passenger flights. Following the airline’s first flight on February 15th, a huge collective effort between Global, Hi Fly, Airbus and maintenance partners was focused on returning the aircraft to service, conducting required maintenance and securing all necessary regulatory approvals. Over two months, Airbus supported technical and engineering assessments, with the Hi Fly crew also receiving bespoke simulator training. No stone was left unturned, and on April 26th, the approval was issued for the flight to Prestwick. At 15.54 PST on April 30th, the aircraft, led by Commander Carlos Mirpuri and a crew of three, departed from the Mojave Air & Space Port in California, for the 5 hour and 40-minute flight to Montreal Mirabel International Airport (YMX), where it refuelled. The aircraft then headed across the Atlantic, directly to PIK, where it landed on runway 30 at 17:00 BST. The flight itself created significant local and online attention and was the most viewed flight of the day on Flight Radar with almost 40,000 viewers at its peak. Speaking for the first time since the arrival of the aircraft in Scotland, James Asquith the CEO and Founder of Global Airlines said: “There were moments when I thought the aircraft would not make it out of America, but thanks to amazing efforts from Airbus, Hi Fly, our maintenance partners and of course our brilliant Global team, we now have our first aircraft in Europe and are in a position and a place where we can take even further strides forward. “Getting to Europe is a significant milestone for Global Airlines and it’s the product of huge amounts of energy, resolve and belief in the project, on both sides of the Atlantic. “I am particularly grateful to the team at Glasgow Prestwick Airport for welcoming 9H-GLOBL with such enthusiasm. I am so pleased that we now have the opportunity to work with industry leaders in the UK to build new A380 capabilities and expertise. ”Looking ahead, everybody in the team is moving forward to a really busy summer where we’ll start to showcase more and more of the Global offerings and innovations that will make our airline unique.” Commander Carlos Mirpuri, Vice-Chairman of Hi Fly Group, who was the chief pilot for the flights said after arriving at Prestwick: “This aeroplane is an engineering marvel, and I can’t get enough of it. This was a long journey across America and the Atlantic, and all went as expected. “I wish Global Airlines success with it. It is time to conduct the rest of the return-to-service jobs so that passengers can enjoy flying this super jumbo. There is nothing like it.” Glasgow Prestwick Airport CEO Ian Forgie said: “We are delighted to have supported Global with this key stage in their exciting journey. It was also the first time an A380 has landed at Prestwick so this was an exciting moment in Prestwick’s aviation history, and it drew a large crowd of aviation enthusiasts who wanted to witness the touchdown.” Two paragraphs stand out for me – “From its new location in Scotland, the next step for the aircraft will be to commence a full interior refurbishment and continue its maintenance journey back to the skies.” “From Prestwick, the next steps for 9H-GLOBL will be for Global’s partners to start work on the complete interior refurbishment, and to develop new maintenance capabilities at the airport that will enable the aircraft to take the next step towards launching passenger flights.” We already know from the published plans of Global Airlines that they plan to refurbish the interior of the aircraft and that significant maintenance will need to be done to restore the aircraft to passenger service. The aircraft will then have the new livery and branding of Global Airlines before it is put into service. The obvious route that would support an aircraft as big as the nearly 500-seat Airbus 380 is London to New York. It has been suggested that Global will base itself at London Gatwick Airport. So where does that leave Prestwick in the Global Airlines plans? The Airbus, still in the colours of its previous owner China Southern Airlines, was pictured at Prestwick this afternoon in the company of 3 other Airbus aircraft belonging to the Hungarian carrier Wizz Air. This Eddie Wallace picture is a good example of how the airline industry works. Aeroplanes often change hands between airlines, banks and leasing companies. They sometimes change countries of registration and after a few months on the ground, they start a new and often long life with a new operator. Prestwick is booming with aircraft engineering. Many hundreds of jobs have been created by companies like Ryanair, Wizz, Egyptair and Tui bringing their aircraft to Prestwick for maintenance. Expansion of maintenance facilities or new hangers has been openly discussed. At the moment there are no obvious Prestwick facilities that could undertake the interior refurbishment or engineering maintenance necessary for the Global Airlines A380. However, the press release clearly says “Global’s partners to start work on the complete interior refurbishment, and to develop new maintenance capabilities at the airport”. In our view, the Prestwick airport aerospace cluster of high-quality engineering companies, combined with the wide open space of Prestwick airport, is well placed to add to growing the skills and facilities right here in the heart of Ayrshire. We will watch with great interest the possibility that Prestwick may yet again forge a new identity using its long history of engineering excellence.

Air Canada freight flight into Prestwick settles a 30 year old bet. A lifetime dedicated to serving Prestwick airport inspires the next generation. In the early hours of Friday morning an Air Canada Boeing 767 freighter landed at Prestwick. The flight came in from Toronto and departed late last night back to Toronto. The arrival at 2 a.m. was watched by Ayrshire man Jim McCall and his daughter Claire MacGillivary. Very few people were there to see the arrival but Jim and Claire were determined to see the flight land at Prestwick. Even fewer people knew that the first Air Canada freight flight into Prestwick, for exactly 30 years, won Jim a bet he had made with an old colleague in Montreal. Claire told Ayrshire Daily News that her father had e mailed a picture to his old colleague Sam. “Air Canada last flew freight flights into Prestwick in 1994. Dad used to be the Air Canada freight manager at Prestwick and Sam was manager of the whole fleet of Air Canada DC8 freighters.” Jim explained that he had bet Sam that he would “one day” get an Air Canada freight flight back into Prestwick. Yesterday that flight finally arrived and Jim won the beer which was his bet with Sam all those years ago. Jim started at Prestwick in 1968 and worked for Air Canada. He recalls the huge volumes of freight that their dedicated freight flights used to bring through Prestwick. “Air Canada started flights to Prestwick in 1943. Even I was not working then but I recall when we had flights originating in Houston and Chicago that routed through Toronto to Prestwick. They then went on to Frankfurt or Zurich. We had enormous loads of oil freight bound for Aberdeen or computer equipment into Scotland’s Silicon Glen.” Jim went on to work as the freight manager of Prestwick Airport itself and even after his official retirement he was asked back several times as a consultant to give advice to the freight managers who succeeded him in that role. Before retiring Jim gave advice to the new freight management team and one airline he suggested they target was Air Canada. “I only made the suggestion – the team at PIK carried out all the hard work to attract this Air Canada flight to Prestwick. As far as I know this is just a one off flight but now they are here they can experience for themselves the facilities and services Prestwick can offer. Who knows what may follow.” Jim’s daughter Claire recalls her childhood being around Prestwick airport and even has a unique photograph taken in 1994. She is pictured with her sister Jill standing at the steps of the final Air Canada DC8 freighter through Prestwick in 1994. Now she can add pictures with her dad standing in front of yesterday’s Boeing 767. “Dad lived and breathed aviation, freight and especially Prestwick. He was an inspiration and because of him I naturally aimed at an aviation career.” Claire joined the aviation world and started in the high pressure world of Air Traffic Control. As a young Controller she qualified as an Oceanic Air Traffic Controller 15 years ago and works in the ultra modern Prestwick ATC centre. Day and night she can be found overseeing huge numbers of flights crossing the North Atlantic. Softly spoken Jim recalled many challenges in his career. His voice briefly crackled with emotion when he recalled the disappointment of a huge Antonov freighter loaded at Prestwick and ready to fly to the assistance of the Russian submariners trapped at the bottom of the Barents sea after the nuclear submarine Kursk sank in August 2000. Russian President Vladimir Putin delayed and delayed before finally accepting the help of the west in the shape of a mini rescue submarine. “We were too late and we could not save them” Many happier days made up Jim’s working life with great colleagues. Air Canada’s 50th anniversary of operating through Prestwick was celebrated in 1993. He recalled with glee the first shipments of pedigree Canadian cattle imported into Scotland through Prestwick. “We made temporary pens in the freight sheds before we finally built a dedicated animal handling area. We sent Clydesdale horses the other way.“ Jim’s mother and father came to work at Prestwick in the 1940s. They met at the airport and married. It is hardly surprising that aviation runs through the family. Jim is pictured standing beside the Air Canada flight today with old colleagues and also with his daughter. Wilson Wight and Tommy Hay are with Jim who is in the centre of the picture. They all worked on that last DC8 freighter in April 1994. Missing from the photo are Colin Kennedy and Ian Dawson who also worked for Air Canada in 1994 but couldn’t be there yesterday. Jim simply said. “I knew I could win that bet. Now it’s time to fully retire and let the others continue where we left off.” Jim is one of many hundreds of people inspired to dedicate his working life to aviation. We owe all those Jims a great debt for keeping Prestwick as beating The Heart of Scottish Aviation. Picture credits Night arrival Claire MacGillivary 1994 pictures Jim McCall Sunset departures Eddie Wallace

South Ayrshire Council’s contractors discovered a time capsule that is almost 100 years old during the demolition of the former Carrick Academy building. The capsule, which dates back to 1925 - the year the school was constructed, was transferred to our Ayrshire Archives centre in Ayr for opening and inspection by our expert staff. Archive staff opened the glass time capsule and found numerous archival records including coins, newspapers, Education Authority documents and some business cards of local contractors who presumably worked on the project nearly a century ago. Unfortunately, water penetrated the time capsule over the years and as a consequence, the records were damp and damaged. However, some parts of the items are still legible, including front pages of local newspapers and an envelope which the team managed to clean enough to transcribe.  It reads, ‘Who find may keep. Present day coins of the Realm. William Reid Master of Works Ayrshire Education Authority’. The contents of the capsule underwent a process in the Archive centre workroom that allowed the records to dry out, then everything was cleaned using smoke sponges.  All of the documents that were recovered from the capsule have since been placed in melinex, an acid free clear sheeting that’s used to store archive records.  All items are now in the archives store, where the temperature and humidity is monitored to ensure the long-term preservation of records, so that they can be enjoyed by generations to come. While the items that were inside the time capsule are too fragile to be out on permanent display, plans are underway to create large vinyls that show images of the capsule and its contents. These will be installed inside the new Maybole Community Campus so pupils, staff and visitors can enjoy a trip back in time! South Ayrshire Council’s Portfolio Holder for Education, Councillor Stephen Ferry, said: “The time capsule is a fantastic discovery, and a lasting legacy of the former Carrick Academy. It’s important that we do all we can to preserve precious finds like this and the Ayrshire Archives team have done just that in this instance. It’s also great that we’ve found a way to ensure the items can be on permanent display at the new Maybole Campus and I’ll look forward to seeing the new vinyls in situ.” South Ayrshire Council’s Portfolio Holder for Buildings, Housing and Environment, Councillor Martin Kilbride, said: “It was a brilliant surprise when our contractors made us aware that they’d come across a time capsule during the demolition of the Carrick Academy building.  I’m pleased that we’ve been able to recover all items from the glass capsule and our Archives team have done a wonderful job in cleaning and preserving these.  Thanks to their specialist skills, the contents of the capsule will be around for many more years to come!”

A group of passionate and talented young carers from South Ayrshire have won the grand UK finals of the Great British Care Awards for the category of Unpaid Carer, following their North East England / Scotland regional win in November. The event was held at Birmingham ICC in March and was hosted by Rylan Clark. South Ayrshire young carers, Arran, Caleb, Dorothy, Heather and Stephanie produced a short fictional film, 'The Weekend' which tells the story of three young carers and how their caring roles impact them in different ways over the space of a single weekend. The movie not only stars a number of our local young carers, but was also developed, written and filmed by young carers themselves. South Ayrshire Health & Social Care Partnership commissioned the film with Thriving Communities to give our unpaid young carers the opportunity to tell their own stories and share their experiences as part of a project during the 2022 summer holiday break. Filming took place with the help of local film-making social enterprise, The Iris. The film is being used for awareness-raising sessions in secondary schools across South Ayrshire to help young people self-identify if they are caring for someone and improve peer understanding. As well as this, it is being utilised as a valuable training resource for staff. Councillor Lee Lyons, Vice Chair of the South Ayrshire Integration Joint Board and Health and Social Care Portfolio Holder said, 'The Weekend is a powerful film which gives a voice to our local young carers, allowing them to share their own personal experience of their role as a carer. Giving just a flavour of their life experience helps to raise awareness and understanding of the exceptional work these young people do for their loved ones on a daily basis. The fact the film was written, performed and produced by the young carers is outstanding.' The young people have continued to raise awareness by planning and hosting a series of events, successfully raising the profile of young carers across South Ayrshire. The film is also included in a national module by Education Scotland and Carers Trust Scotland, raising awareness of young carers across Scotland. The award for Unpaid Carer is given to an unpaid carer or former carer who, in the opinion of the judges, can demonstrate commitment and perseverance in helping to bring about better recognition and support for carers. It seeks to acknowledge and celebrate the dedication that carers show to their local community or society or the difference they have made to the life of a vulnerable person they are caring for. The judges commented, ‘This extraordinary team consistently demonstrates a level of dedication that exceeds expectations. The tireless efforts and selflessness of these young carers are truly remarkable and deserve recognition. Their unwavering commitment to improving the lives of others, often at such a young age, highlights the depth of their compassion and empathy. Well done!’ Claire Flanagan, Young Carers Strategy Lead Officer who led on the development of this film said, 'This is an outstanding achievement for our young carers. It has been a privilege working with them on this project and I am incredibly proud of what they have achieved. I am thrilled that they are being recognised for their hard work and dedication on such a grand scale. It is so well deserved.’ Two of the young carers, Heather (age 13) and Stephanie (age 14) attended the prestigious awards ceremony in Birmingham. Heather said, 'It was incredible to win the National Final, it was a fantastic night and an amazing experience. Being involved in such a fantastic project has been great fun and through it I've made great friends and the best memories’. A parent added, ‘It is great to see the continued recognition of what everyone involved in the project managed to achieve and I am so proud of my daughter’s part in that.' Another parent added, ‘I am so proud to be the mother of one of these young carers and wow this film shows it all in so many ways. The way they have scripted and produced their own wee film has brought awareness to everyone who has watched it. Job done!!’ The project was also awarded the Scottish Public Services Award in the Championing Diversity & Inclusion category in Holyrood at the end of last year, and is a finalist in the YouthLink Scotland National Youth Work Awards in the Equality and Diversity category in June this year.

South Ayrshire Council has taken another step towards the redevelopment of the former Hourstons and Arran Mall in Ayr. Phase one of the project will see detailed designs drawn up to show how the South Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership (SAHSCP) and NHS Ayrshire & Arran can be accommodated within the former Hourstons building. As sole funder of the project, the Council will spend £20m on phase one which will see around 2,600m2 of floorspace within the former department store allocated for offices, as well as some healthcare services. An additional £2m will be used for the demolition of the Arran Mall and buildings to the rear of the former Hourstons. This would allow access to another 3,200m2 of space, which could be used to provide a housing-based living well village in later phases of the project. Councillor Martin Kilbride, Buildings, Housing and Environment Portfolio Holder for South Ayrshire Council said: “I am delighted that progress is being made on this landmark project. Now that the Arran Mall has been bought, it’s full steam ahead to get a demolition survey in place and Listed Building Consent secured. This consent is needed as we intend to keep the front of the building, which is really impressive.” Councillor Lee Lyons, Health and Social Care Portfolio Holder said: ”Removing the Arran Mall will allow the redevelopment of the Hourstons building to proceed and will also mean expansion of the living well village in the future. “In the meantime, we will continue to work with the SAHSCP and NHS Ayrshire & Arran to ensure the project meets all of their healthcare and staffing needs, as well as their servicing requirements.”

The headteacher of an island primary school and her team have received a top-class report from inspectors. Education Scotland inspectors visited Cumbrae Primary School and Nursery, in Millport, on the Isle of Cumbrae, in January. The glowing report’s findings include: • There are positive nurturing relationships between all staff and children in the school and nursery. Children are confident, secure and engage very well in learning and • The quality of experiences including outdoor learning, community projects and learning through play is high and learning is well planned and effectively supported by a range of partners. The report describes Headteacher Julie McAleese as “highly respected and aspirational”, stressing that she is “supported very well by an effective and resilient staff team” which is improving children’s attainment, experiences and outcomes. Ms McAleese said: “I am privileged to work with such a fantastic team, who are devoted to giving our pupils the best start possible in life. “We work very closely with parents, families and – of course – the children themselves to ensure that all pupils have the opportunity to reach their full potential. “This positive inspection report is a testament to the hard work that is done all year-round by the teaching staff, support staff and pupils.” The report also states that Ms McAleese has worked hard to ensure the school, which has 51 pupils, is “very much at the heart of the rural island community” and one example of this is pupils meeting older people through an intergenerational group called Warm Wednesday to play games together. It praises the fact that children take part in various committees, including digital technology sustainability and health. There is also a committee that focuses on The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). The UNCRC ensures that all children’s rights are respected and that they are free to learn, play and develop. Awareness is currently being raised among North Ayrshire Council staff to ensure that everyone knows about their ongoing responsibility to protect the rights of our children. In the school, all four quality indicators - leadership of change; learning, teaching and assessment; Ensuring well-being, equality and inclusion and raising attainment and achievement – were gauged as “very good”. The same four indicators in the nursery class were described as “good” and inspectors found that Ms McAleese’s leadership supports the nursery well in integrating with the school. Andrew McClelland, the Council’s Head of Service for Education, added: “I was delighted to read this inspection report. This is a clear reflection of the fantastic work being done by the whole school community. “The staff, pupils and their families should be rightly proud of the outcome of this very strong inspection. “I would like to thank our staff teams, under the leadership of Ms McAleese, for their hard work and commitment to improving outcomes for our learners.” In line with all inspections, specific areas are identified that would lead to further improvements. Examples of potential improvements for Cumbrae Primary include: children being provided with further opportunities to lead their learning; development of the nursery environment – indoors and outdoors – continuing play and development of learning experiences in the nursery continuing to ensure pupils are engaged and challenged in their learning.

South Carrick Community Leisure (SCCL) has been granted permission by South Ayrshire Council to set up a temporary gym in Girvan Community Centre. The Council agreed that SCCL can begin to move their gym equipment into the ground floor of the centre from The Quay Zone building, which was closed earlier this year due to storm damage. The Council will then work with SCCL to open the gym as quickly as possible. The Council has been in contact with current users of Girvan Community Centre to offer them alternative venues for their activities while the gym is in place. The agreement with SCCL follows an earlier collaboration with the Council which saw the reopening of the old swimming in Maybole to members of The Quay Zone. Since the closure of The Quay Zone, work has been taking place at the building to protect equipment and replace the roof. The building is now weathertight, and steps are being taken to dry out the interior and assess the extent of repair work required. Councillor Alec Clark, Tourism, Culture and Rural Affairs Portfolio Holder for South Ayrshire Council said: “I`m delighted to see that members of The Quay Zone will be able to access the gymnasium once again at its new location in Girvan Community Centre. “This has been a community effort where groups have relocated to other locations for the short-term to allow the business of The Quay Zone to function until the actual building is reconstructed. This is really appreciated. “There has been a strong partnership between the Council, SCCL and the community with everyone pulling out all the stops to make sure that this important facility for Girvan can be restored. The town has a vibrant community and together we can achieve an outcome to benefit the whole of Girvan and South Carrick.” Councillor Brian Connolly, Sport and Leisure Portfolio Holder said: “A lot of work has been taking place behind the scenes to prepare the way for this temporary move. Other buildings were considered, but the community centre ticked lots of boxes. There are still some issues to be addressed before the equipment can be moved, however, we have a plan, and we will keep pushing to get everything in place as quickly as possible.” Councillor Martin Kilbride, Buildings, Housing and Environment Portfolio Holder for South Ayrshire Council said: “The new roof at The Quay Zone is in place, which is great, but this is just the first step. There is significant water damage inside the building, and many of the internal fixtures and fittings will need to be replaced.” Allan Rattray, Chairperson of South Carrick Community Leisure said: “We are grateful to South Ayrshire Council for the support to re-open the Maybole Swimming Pool and now for the assistance to once again provide gym facilities for our members and supporters here in Girvan. Gym membership is important to hundreds of people throughout South Carrick and we look forward to welcoming them to the Dalrymple Street venue as soon as practical arrangements can be put in place.” SCCL will be in contact with their members in advance of the gym opening.

Motorists in South Ayrshire can expect smoother journeys with Kincaidston Drive set for a £562,500 resurfacing project – the biggest chunk of a £4.3 million investment in South Ayrshire's roads announced by the council this week. The funding aims to improve transport infrastructure across South Ayrshire over the next three years, with a focus on resurfacing, reconstruction, footpaths, bridges, coastal defences, and energy-saving LED street lights. Councillor Bob Pollock, Economic Development Portfolio Holder for South Ayrshire Council said: “Despite budget pressures, we continue to invest in our roads network. Our transport infrastructure is crucial to economic growth with our roads are one of our most valuable assets. “We continue to balance the investment in our roads with a growing number of active travel projects, recognising the physical and mental health benefits of walking, cycling and wheeling.” While Kincaidston Drive takes the top billing this year, the £4.3 million investment promises improvements across South Ayrshire's road network in the coming years.