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Business and Trade – East Ayrshire Council

It’s Scottish Apprenticeship Week and we’re celebrating by highlighting some of the wonderful apprentices whose enthusiasm and hard work enhance our daily working lives.

As council employees it’s great to see new  people join the organisation and grow in confidence, learning as they go and adding vitality and new ideas as part of the teams they work in.

One such star is Lynsey Garrick, who has  become a valued member of staff as receptionist in the Ingram Enterprise Centre, Kilmarnock, where she meets, greets and helps customers and visitors to the centre and Business Gateway as well as assisting the Business Gateway team, dealing with phonecalls, enquiries and generally providing a cheerful and efficient first point of contact for anyone visiting the John Finnie Street building.  See Lynsey’s video story here

Lynsey Garrick started her Modern Apprenticeship with East Ayrshire Council Business Gateway Service in June 2018. A former pupil of Grange Academy School, Lynsey has Cerebral Palsy which restricts her movement. She is also partially sighted but she has never let this hold her back.  Her assessor commented: “Lynsey is one of the best Modern Apprentices I have worked with, not only for overcoming her disabilities but also for her determination to succeed in anything she does. She has a great sense of humour and is always positive.

In turn, Lynsey says: “The support I got from my assessor while working on my Apprenticeship has been great.  My department carried out a workstation assessment and supplied a large screen monitor and keyboard to help me with my work. The units I chose fitted perfectly into my work and my assessor was a great help to me through my qualification and fully supported me to achieve my goals”

A champion ten pin bowler, Lynsey is a member of the Scottish Triple Crown Ten Pin Bowling team and is very proud of being selected to play for her country. She is also going through training to get a guide dog to help her, a two year old Labrador/ Golden Retriever cross which will broaden her horizons and is sure to be a hit with visitors to the Ingram Enterprise Centre.

Working through her Modern Apprenticeship has given her a confidence which clearly enhances her whole life. She says: “Doing my MA has greatly improved my confidence in areas such as communication and interpersonal skills. When I started, I was wary about answering the phones, as I did not have the confidence or belief to do so. Now I can carry out all the tasks in my job in an easy and positive manner. I’ve now completed my SVQ level 2, secured a permanent job and I’m now working towards my SVQ level 3. I’d encourage anyone to think about doing a Modern Apprenticeship.”

East Ayrshire Council’s Employability Service offers full support to employers and employees, helping with recruitment, training and mentoring to match suitable people to worthwhile jobs.  Modern Apprenticeships are available to people at all ages and stages of life, from school level with foundation level, through to Modern Apprenticeships, many of which are now open to people of any age, and Graduate Apprenticeships, open to those with Further and Higher Education qualifications who are needing to gain solid work experience.

Councillor Jim Roberts, Cabinet Member for Economy and Infrastructure said: “In Scottish Apprenticeship Week it’s great to be taking stock of what some of our Modern Apprentices are achieving, and it’s also very useful to get a reminder of exactly what our Employability Team can offer in terms of comprehensive, wrap around care for job seekers and employers alike. We’d encourage anyone looking for training, a new career, or a new employee to come and talk to our teams and find out just what we can offer. Apprenticeships are just part of the life changing service we can offer.”

Find out more:

East Ayrshire Council Employability Service

Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2020

Modern Apprenticeships in Scotland 

 

Posted: March 3, 2020, 12:21 pm

Ayrshire College’s Kilmarnock Campus was buzzing last night as East Ayrshire Council’s Kilmarnock Town Centre Regeneration Team launched their “Vow to Wow” initiative – just one aspect of a raft of measures aimed at bringing business, community and individuals together to revitalise life and trade in the town centre.

Vow to Wow calls on everyone involved in the town centre to pledge to make a difference, working together to help improve the appearance, atmosphere and vitality of the town centre. The launch event brought together hundreds of people who have pledged to do their bit for the good of the area in an evening filled with music, provided by the brilliant choir from Gargieston Primary School and inspirational speeches from those who’re leading by example with their pledges. Many of the participants had taken stalls, setting out what their businesses do and presenting their Vows to Wow for all to see and hear.

Launching the event Councillor Douglas Reid, Leader of East Ayrshire Council said: “Vow to Wow is a great campaign, bringing together loads of people from different walks of life who’re all wanting to put something back into Kilmarnock Town Centre. From bigger businesses such as John Gall’s Brownings with their Kilmarnock Pies, to school children, third sector organisations such as CentreStage to some of the local pubs like the Brass and Granite with their aim to bring in more defibrillators. They’ve all got great ideas,  showing that resilience which Kilmarnock’s got in spades which will see our town centre being one of the best in Scotland.”

Yvette Brown from Urquharts Opticians said “ We’re an independent opticians, community is massively important to us. We already do a lot within the community, for example organising the Christmas lights in Portland Road where our business is based. And this event is really great to get together all the local independent small businesses working together to make the town better. It gives us a chance to meet other people we wouldn’t usually get to see.It’s brilliant. Our pledge is to continue to improve the Christmas lights on our street and encourage other people and streets to do the same.”

AL Paint and supplies Ltd sells specialist paints, valeting and car accessories to trade and members of the public. Martin has worked there for 43 years,  and Lesley  for 32 years. Lesley said: “This Vow to Wow launch has been a wonderful event, what an opportunity and lovely to see this great venue, a fantastic facility for our young folk to learn in. We’re pledging to paint our properties in Douglas Street on an annual basis and keep our pavement clean and also always to support local community and other businesses. I buy everything in the town – we all source everything we can get in the town.” Martin jokes “I’m probably one of the few people who can honestly say I’ve never been to Silverburn. We love Kilmarnock.”

Frank Beattie, a retired Kilmarnock Standard journalist was representing the newly formed Kilmarnock Picture House Group. “We’re gathering pictures that haven’t been seen widely before, not necessarily in public archives. Possibly in private collections, maybe a shop has a dozen pictures that haven’t been shown to the public. We want to gather these gems together, make them much more available to the public. At the moment anyone can go to the Burns Monument or Dick Institute or to public archives and see photos that are well known, and that’s great, but there are still more thousands out there that are NOT well known and we want to collect these together to make a public archive. We’re a new organisation, a charity and we want to go into schools, nursing homes, any groups that want us to visit and give them a picture show, tailored to their specific interests.

“I think tonight has been marvellous. As I’ve wandered around the stalls I’ve seen so many people and businesses that I know and are so well known in the town. It’s a great way to get everyone together for a blether and make connections so that we can all do our bit for the town”

Karen from Flowers by Karen.UK Retail Florist of the Year said “I think this is a great idea, getting people together. My Vow to Wow is something we’re already doing and we’ve vowed to do more of it. We have wee business cards saying “spreading smiles one flower at a time” and from time to time we go out and hand out single stem flowers with a card, just to spread a wee bit of happiness in the town, so we’ll keep doing it.

Ashley Wilson, who works in Flowers by Karen has an initiative of her own. She’s pledged to continue  giving out wee notes with encouraging messages to make strangers’ days better in Kilmarnock with “A Wee Note”. She explains. “I firmly believe a wee thing can sometimes have a big impact on someone’s day. I’m spreading kindness through A Wee Note’s “Take What You Need” posters which I’m getting out to local cafes with notice boards. I also leave kind messages on post-it notes on empty shop windows for people to take in the hope it helps their day in some way. I’m pledging to be kind and helpful to people and assist in improving the town however I can.” Follow Ashley’s progress on @weenote on FB  and aweenote on Instagram.

Peter Urquhart representing Urquharts Opticians and Kilmarnock Business Association gave the vote of thanks. He said “We operate across four towns in Ayrshire, each of which presents unique challenges. Business is undoubtedly changing and we’ve got no option but to move with it, to think differently and certainly to work more collaboratively than ever before, if we’re to survive, let alone thrive. The regeneration team has worked on the new Town Centre Strategy for a number of months and my role as a representative of the Kilmarnock Business Association is not to sell the merits of the strategy, albeit it contains some really good ideas and a genuine attempt to cater for as many areas of the town as possible. Instead I want to encourage everyone to get behind it.

“Perhaps some people doubt it goes far enough or they feel excluded but everyone has a role to play as we celebrate what’s best about Kilmarnock.

“This leads me to ask two things. Firstly the team are very open, so please engage with them. The strategy launches in March, so there’s still plenty of time to contribute.

“Secondly, perhaps there are some who will benefit more than others from the strategy but no one will benefit if action is not taken within our town centre and our communities. We’d all love the Council to work with an endless budget and perhaps to start from scratch, but that’s not what we’ve got so we’ve got to work within the budget set out and some of the existing key challenges that are already in place and what we’ve seen this evening makes the best of what we have.

“Kilmarnock’s a fantastic town full of great people and we owe it to ourselves, and those that will follow, not to be known for not taking any action, but for at least taking some action that allows us to progress in some regard. Look at the fantastic work already started by Celebrate Kilmarnock and Centre Stage.

“The great turnout tonight shows how much we care. So I’d urge everyone, get behind Vow to Wow, speak positively about the town, our community and those that we work beside. Get behind the strategy, put our own interests to one side, contribute your thoughts and let’s all try to make a small difference which cumulatively will benefit everyone hugely.”

Watch our video of the launch. To get involved with Vow to Wow or to contribute to the new Town Centre Strategy, visit eastayrshi.re/vowtowow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted: November 26, 2019, 12:44 pm

East Ayrshire Council is celebrating Scotland’s Towns Week with a round up of exciting projects and the launch of Kilmarnock’s new Vow to Wow initiative, getting local people and businesses to pledge to help make a difference to their town centre.

In Darvel, work is progressing on a new piece of community led regeneration, using £200k of the Council’s allocation from a £1.7m Town Centre Regeneration Fund. Using the money, Darvel Community Council is overseeing the demolition of the long derelict former Darvel Co-op building and the creation of a community garden and covered market space in its place.

Meanwhile Galston,  another recipient of Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme funding has now notched up 7 major restoration projects, including 2 rescued from the buildings at risk register, 8 businesses set up, the creation of 13 new jobs and bringing 743 sq  of vacant floor space back into use.

Cumnock Town Centre has seen many changes over the past few years, with the building of the multipurpose Rothesay House, which contains a library, wedding suite and local council offices. Nearly 20 historic buildings have had major overhauls using traditional methods and materials thanks to a multi million pound Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme joint funded by the council, Historic Environment Scotland and building owners themselves. But perhaps the  most dramatic difference to the landscape has been the demolition and redevelopment of the former Glaisnock Shopping Centre.

In its place now stands a row of seven new shop units fronting onto Townhead Street, an extended car park and a 930 sqm Farmfoods store with five adjacent commercial units for rent. These have all been built using guidelines drawn up by the Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment, in consultation with the local community and using a style which blends in with the existing architectural style of the town.

Mauchline is the latest beneficiary of CARS Funding. An ambitious new scheme has just been launched which will target 6 priority buildings and provide smaller grants to owners of shops and private houses within the conservation area to enable them to carry out uneconomic but vital fabric repairs.  The shopfront grants will restore buildings to their original historic designs, giving a more authentic historic look to the town.

An artist and a writer in residence will run art  and literature workshops and work with the local school on  education projects.  Skilled trades workshops for existing and new entrants to the construction industry will encourage people to  further and take up new careers in traditional crafts such as stonemasonry and lime plastering, all very much needed skills as more and more old buildings are renovated.

Local tourism too will benefit from  the CARS projects. Read more about Mauchline CARS

Celebrating  Scotland’s Towns Week 2019 is a good way for us to look at just how far we’ve come, but we recognise there is much more to do, which is why we’re constantly working with our local communities,local and national partners to seek ideas, funding and resources to make all our town centres exciting, prosperous and attractive places to live, work, visit and shop.

Posted: November 19, 2019, 3:12 pm

Darvel is set for a new era in trading and socialising as the bulldozers moved in this week.

At their cabinet meeting, Councillors approved the demolition of the former Darvel Co-Op building  to make way for an imaginative new scheme which will bring a garden and market place to the town.

Backed by Darvel Community Council, the plan is to make the site into a place where people can gather, hold events, promote trade and socialise with an attractive garden and space for a market promoting local  farm produce and goods from local businesses.

Welcoming the news, Councillor Jim Roberts, Cabinet Member for Economy and Infrastructure said: “It’s very fitting that this long derelict site, which housed an old established co-op, founded to promote equality and fair trade for local people, will once again be a focal point for local produce and co-operative community events.

“With a  total budget of £200K from our Town Centre Regeneration Fund, part of the Scottish Government’s allocation of £1.7m  which East Ayrshire has been granted for 2019/20, the Community Council has already commissioned an architect to carry out design work, which will shortly be progressing to a planning submission.”

In the meantime the demolition squad are already getting to work,  with Councillor Elena Whitham, Depute Leader, East Ayrshire Council declaring “ I think we all welcome this news. Residents were delighted, practically cheering as they saw the diggers arriving on site yesterday.

“This is a great use of our regeneration funds, all the more exciting as it’s truly a project for the community and by the community. It’s the epitome of what regeneration should be about, improving lives and prospects by cleaning up and renovating our built environment.”

The demolition will be a relatively short process, with site clearance taking a little longer. With a traffic management programme in place for the first 8 days, disruption will be kept to a minimum. Plans for the site will be available to view shortly

Posted: September 18, 2019, 3:30 pm

East Ayrshire Council Trading Standards Officers  are out and about this week supporting Scottish Trading Standards Week 2019, a five-day consumer protection campaign, aimed at raising awareness and highlighting the good work carried out by local authority trading standards in Scotland.

The campaign focuses on a range of core problem areas affecting the public, consumers and businesses in Scotland. The majority of consumer protection legislation is also EU derived, so Brexit has a clear impact of on this area of regulation.

With such a wide breadth of work conducted by trading standards services, each day of the week-long campaign is showcasing different areas of trading standards work including:

  • product safety
  • Intellectual Property Crime especially around online markets, sales of tobacco and NVPs to underage
    children
  • motor vehicles
  • Weights and Measures
  • prevention of scamming, particularly among vulnerable people

Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards Scotland (SCOTSS) is a coordinated partnership of 31 local authority trading standards services across Scotland,
sharing intelligence and good practice, and working collaboratively to ensure an effective consumer protection service despite severe cuts to public resources.

SCOTSS are also launching their new ‘Approved Trader Portal’, which draws together the approved trader schemes of seventeen different Scottish councils and is a one-stop-shop for consumers, presenting information to consumers about approved traders nearest to where they are. All traders on the list are fully vetted by trading standards and provide services locally using customer feedback as an assessment tool. The portal can be found at www.approvedtrader.scot

Also highlighted are new and innovative ways that Trading Standards are finding to protect residents from scams, embracing technology such as call blocking equipment and doorstep cameras to deter and detect predatory fraudsters. These scam prevention interventions are helping to keep our most vulnerable residents safe, confident and more able to maintain independent living, and with an estimated loss in excess of £9billion to scams annually across the UK, helping prevent organised criminals leaving a trail of personal and financial misery and loss across Scotland.

As an example, a nuisance call blocking initiative that identified residents at high risk of being scammed resulted in some compelling outcomes:

  • 2,831 call blocking units installed
  • 2.1 million Nuisance calls blocked
  • every £1 spent saved £59 (estimated individual and public expenditure savings
  • £8.5 million in savings

SCOTSS Chair and Trading Standards Manager for Dumfries & Galloway Council, Sandra Harkness says: “This is a great opportunity for Trading Standards to showcase what it does to protect consumers and support businesses right across Scotland. Work carried out by trading standards officers is crucial to local communities that they serve, not only in consumer protection but also in health, economic development and more.”

The Trading Standards Week campaign will focus daily on the following areas:

  • Day 1: Monday 16 September – Tobacco, NVPs and Underage sales
  • Day 2: Tuesday 17 September – Used cars
  • Day 3: Wednesday 18 September – Weights and Measures
  • Day 4: Thursday 19 September – Online markets and IP Crime
  • Day 5: Friday 20 September – Product Safety

Trading standards services and partners across Scotland are taking part in related activities each day, for example:

  • detectiondogs used to sniff out illicit tobacco
  • public events at shopping centres advising consumers on how to protect themselves when buying goods and services on the internet
  • showcasing all sorts of counterfeit goods to highlight the serious risks that
    they present
  • demonstrating the use  of specialist equipment in the field to test high capacity weighing equipment

Leon Livermore, Chief Executive at the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, said: “I’m a great supporter of SCOTSS and what they have done for local authority trading standards services over the past twenty years. Raising awareness of vital consumer issues in Scotland comes at just the right time and CTSI is fully supportive.
The joined-up approach that authorities in Scotland have adopted is the way forward to counter the wide-spread resource cuts to trading standards and is resulting in the best service possible for consumers and businesses.”

Scottish TS Week takes place 16-20 September 2019. Follow @socotss for full updates and follow #ScottishTSweek2019 for updates from across Scotland.

Full details of the week are available on www.tradingstandards.scot

Posted: September 18, 2019, 11:49 am

“Everybody has a role to play in Kilmarnock’s regeneration” – That was the clear message as a much anticipated, bold vision for the future of Kilmarnock Town Centre was unveiled at East Ayrshire Council’s final Cabinet meeting before the summer recess.

The report puts the emphasis very much on everyone working together to bring about improvements in the built environment to benefit businesses, voluntary sector, community groups and people of all ages, outlining a way to bring new life and footfall to the town centre, regenerate and re-purpose buildings to reflect changing usage.

As a result, people who work, shop and live in Kilmarnock will soon see a number of projects taking shape, from small scale alterations to the street scape, making life easier for those with disabilities, to a large scale refurbishment of the Galleon Centre and an exciting new town centre health and wellbeing hub and spa.

Councillor Elena Whitham, Depute Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, East Ayrshire Council explained the ethos behind the strategy: “We’ve engaged widely, and held many meetings with local groups, businesses and interested parties. Putting together everything we’ve learned from these we’ve come up with some specific aims for the strategy.

“Firstly, we recognise it’s vital that people should be at the heart of this strategy, with the health and wealth of the people of Kilmarnock and East Ayrshire being a key driver. We want people to be reassured that we’ve been listening, we can deliver on this but we need the people of Kilmarnock to be onboard with us.

“It should make community led regeneration central to the process. We’re making a shift from focusing on buildings to focusing on people, making changes that will help put money in people’s pockets, because if we can put money into pockets, particularly the poorest, we will see a difference. If Kilmarnock town benefits, the communities round about will flourish.

“To be a success, it needs to harness the skills and talents of those who live, work and visit Kilmarnock and we will focus on a town centre first planning principle when important decisions are made.

“We all know that there are nationwide issues with the decline of retail on the high street, and many retailers are struggling individually, but we’re delighted that in recent months we’ve got them all engaged. The Kilmarnock Business Association is back up and running, the Kilmarnock Town Centre Liaison Group working with us on a regular basis and organisations such as Celebrate Kilmarnock, our local schools and Children and Young Person’s Cabinet all have a major role to play in driving forward these plans for the the future.”

“We recognise that to achieve our aims, we need to address some vital issues. The way we all use our town centres is changing rapidly. While shopping will always be a big draw we recognise that we must offer other reasons to visit the town centre. This is why we’re looking at repurposing the Galleon Centre to reflect the needs of the population and trends in exercise, and also working with Ayrshire and Arran Health Board and East Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership to provide a one stop health and wellbeing hub and spa which will offer people a holistic approach to healthcare.

“We need to attract children, young people and families to the town centre on a regular basis, giving them more to do once they get here. As part of the process we have been engaging with young people, seeking their opinions and giving them a voice in the planning and design of future facilities. We’ve been highly impressed by the levels of enthusiasm and quality of ideas presented when we’ve met with our young people, so we recognise it’s essential that they’re involved – after all they are the future of this town.

“At the same time, we will be taking steps to make Kilmarnock as disabled friendly as possible. Looking at simple accessibility issues such as ramps and covered seating areas and making sure we look at the implications of any innovations for people with mobility issues.

We will also be tackling anti-social behaviour, making the town centre feel more attractive and safe for everyday use.

“And we’ll be making better use of our parks and cultural assets, continuing our already successful policy of tidying up regenerating old buildings and looking at clearing buildings which are past their use and redeveloping and repurposing areas outwith the main shopping area.

“At the end of the day, this isn’t something we can do alone. The overwhelming message here is that everyone has a role in regenerating Kilmarnock Town Centre.

Cabinet agreed a number of initiatives on 1 May this year including refurbishment of Kilmarnock Academy Stairs, improving connectivity in the town, the redevelopment of Sandbed Street and repurposing of buildings in the Foregate and Bank Street.

Together with enhanced CCTV capability in the centre, these initiatives are all now underway, and it’s hoped that there will be a tangible improvement visible by the end of March 2020.

The health and wellbeing hub proposed for the centre will provide people with a full range of medical care, from practitioners such as GPs, practice nurses, physiotherapists, pharmacists, dentists, optometrists. It will function in line with the East Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership’s aims to make prevention and health improvement a priority, addressing social isolation and integrating social work and specialist nursing functions.

“It’s all about helping to make life easier and better for people” continues Cllr Whitham. “With a one stop shop for health care, it will also include facilities for complimentary therapies, soft play and a spa, addressing both physical and mental wellbeing”

Councillor Jim Roberts a member of the Galleon Trust agrees: “Physical and mental wellbeing go hand in hand, and having good, easily accessible sport and leisure facilities can go a long way to improve both.

“Since the Galleon was built much has changed in Kilmarnock. We’ve now got top class community sports facilities in our new school campuses and exercise trends have also moved on, so we’re carrying out a detailed survey of the fabric of the building in conjunction with a study and public consultation as to its future use which will look at how the Galleon sits in the context of East Ayrshire’s wider sport and leisure portfolio. We recognise that some areas of the building are more widely used than others, and looking at the age and profile of our population we’ll be doing a redesign to encourage more people to engage with sport and leisure activities no matter their age or fitness level.”

Councillor Whitham concludes. “Speaking to all the organisations and individuals concerned with Kilmarnock Town Centre, I’m excited that there is a vibe building within the town. People have a real pride in the area and there is a huge will there to make the changes, big and small, which will give us a centre we’ll all enjoy using more than ever. Team work is key, with everyone on board the future is looking very bright”

Posted: June 26, 2019, 11:31 am

Businesses in Kilmarnock are thriving and expanding thanks to East Ayrshire Council’s ambitious programme of building and development at Moorfield Park, which was formally opened by Michael Matheson MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity.

Built in response to a 2013 review of land supply for business and industry which identified a need to increase the scope and availability of the area’s commercial and industrial portfolio.

With the second of three planned phases well underway, the site has already proven a successful base for local business. Hyspec moved into phase 2 during 2015, securing 110 jobs. Scotia Windows and Doors moved in in November 2018, and this year they’ve been joined by Dingbro Ltd and Kilmarnock Powder Coating Services (KPCS).

During his visit, Michael Matheson toured Scotia Windows and Doors. The company is now based in a 2,700sqm unit – a move securing 183 jobs and creating 20 more. In relocating from their original base over five sites in Bonnyton Industrial Estate, Kilmarnock, the company has been able to come together under one roof. This has increased their manufacturing capacity from 1170 units to 1600 since their move and will shortly hit a target of 1800 with the promise of further new jobs.

Opening the park, Michael Matheson said: “I am delighted to officially open the new premises at Moorfield Park which will create and sustain high quality jobs in Kilmarnock and beyond. In particular, I am pleased that the business park will be further supported with £12 million of funding through the Scottish Government’s overall £103 million commitment to the Ayrshire Growth Deal. The deal will create new jobs, protect existing ones and extend economic opportunity to communities, families and individuals throughout Ayrshire.”

Robert McKnight, Managing Director of Scotia Double Glazing, said: “Merging our five production units from Bonnyton into a new bespoke factory here in Moorfield has allowed us to improve efficiencies and the quality of our products. We have also made a significant investment in new machinery which has resulted in increased production, and further expansion is planned for our Kilmarnock operation.”

Councillor Elena Whitham, Depute Leader of East Ayrshire Council said: “We’re delighted to have reached this stage with Moorfield Park – with four local businesses expanding and thriving here, it proves our faith in the market demand was justified. By providing newbuild, flexible accommodation, we’re not just helping those businesses, we’re also freeing up supply of smaller units elsewhere in the area and providing new job opportunities as the companies expand.
“For local companies looking to expand or organisations wanting to relocate, Moorfield has a lot to offer. With easy transport links, good local service infrastructure, spacious layouts and easily adaptable units for any specification, we’ve been able to give our tenants a great package. In Phase 3 we will be able to offer both purpose built units or serviced plots. It will all help give our businesses a head start and our local economy and jobs market a welcome boost.”

Posted: June 17, 2019, 8:45 am

Partnership working was top of the list for discussion at Kilmarnock Business Association’s re-launch at 7 Saints in Kilmarnock. With Alistair Hood of the Coffee Press outlining future events (the next meeting will be on 19 August), Worksmart’s Lisa Neilson outlining her entrepreneurial journey and lots of time for networking over a delicious light buffet.

The newly revitalised KBA will be working with our specially dedicated Kilmarnock Town Centre Regeneration team, Celebrate Kilmarnock, Burns Mall, Centrestage and many other local businesses, individuals and organisations to deliver a brighter, vibrant future for all who shop, work and live in this historic town.

Coming soon, in conjunction with Burns Mall, Celebrate Kilmarnock and many local retailers, we’ll be launching a weekly Summer Prize Draw with shopping vouchers as prizes.

If you’re in business locally and want to know more about Kilmarnock Business Association, contact them on hello@kilmanrockbusinessassociation.co.uk or speak to our Town Centre Regeneration team on 01563554625

Posted: May 21, 2019, 11:02 am

The creation of a new Ayrshire Regional Economic Partnership took another step forward last week with its inaugural meeting taking place at Dumfries House.

The establishment of the Regional Partnership was agreed by the three Ayrshire Councils last year and is designed to oversee the development and implementation of a new regional strategy for economic growth as well as to provide the governance arrangements for the Ayrshire Growth Deal which recently secured £251m of public sector investment.

The first Board meeting saw representatives of the three Councils come together with senior staff from national agencies such as Scottish Enterprise, Skills Development Scotland and VisitScotland.  While education was represented by Glasgow University, the University of the West of Scotland and Ayrshire College.

Discussion focused on the priorities for all partners to support Ayrshire’s economy and members heard from key speakers including Dr Graeme Roy, Director, Fraser of Allander Institute and Stephen White, Head of Economic Partnerships at the Scottish Government.

Board members have agreed to meet every two months and their work over the next 12 months is expected to focus on the new strategy and action plans and the completion of an implementation plan for the Growth Deal so that projects can commence in 2020.

Following an open recruitment process which attracted significant interest, Alasdair Dobson from Taste of Arran; Simon Foster from Spirit Aerosystems and Craig Hume from Utopia Computers have been appointed to the Board to represent the views of business.

These appointments have been supplemented with the inclusion of representatives from both the Chamber of Commerce and the Federation of Small Business – both of which have Ayrshire membership of more than 600 businesses.

Councillor Douglas Reid, Council Leader and Chair of the Economic Joint Committee which will oversee the Partnership Board reiterated the importance of this work and acknowledged that ‘last week’s meeting was another momentous occasion in Ayrshire and a key milestone in the ambitions of Councils and Government to collaborate to support economic growth across the region for the benefit of all communities.’

Details of the Partnership discussions will be accessible via the websites of each Council.  Further details on the Ayrshire Growth Deal can be found at www.ayrshire.gov.uk/AyrshireGrowthDeal

 

Posted: April 30, 2019, 1:09 pm

A multi-channel marketing campaign is underway to encourage potential visitors from across Scotland to get “off the beaten track”.

It’s based on research into consumer trends which identified a desire for authentic experiences in new places, an interest in health and well-being and a desire to avoid the hot-spots of mass tourism.

The campaign is designed to reach people across Scotland and beyond but also closer to home to appeal to both day and overnight visitors.

Aiming to raise awareness of what East Ayrshire has to offer, the campaign has been rolled out with features in magazines such as the Scottish Field, The Scots Magazine and also included in information folders in hotels and B&Bs across Ayrshire and Arran.

Posters have been designed for trains across the central belt and also in the Glasgow subway.

Tourism Development Officer, Fiona Nicolson explains: “While many people are familiar with Ayrshire’s familiar coastal resorts and popular sites such as Culzean Castle, gems such as Loch Doon Castle, with its links to Robert the Bruce, are now sparking interest following the release of the Outlaw King.

“From a health and wellbeing point of view, East Ayrshire has a great deal to offer, with quiet countryside, fantastic food and drink and world class attractions such as Dumfries House and The Scottish Dark Sky Observatory.

“With a distribution of leaflets planned for summer, we’re pointing out to people that with uncertainty about foreign travel due to Brexit, there’s never been a better time to enjoy exploring an area which is easily accessible, yet little known to many people as a tourist destination.

“We’ve got walking, cycling, golf, fishing and historic sites, backed up with some excellent boutique hotels and B&B accommodation and with this carefully targeted campaign we’re hoping to attract more people to come and share in the delights we have to offer.”

To find out more about tourism in East Ayrshire contact:

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Posted: March 28, 2019, 11:47 am

Trusted Traders, a local business partnership run by the Trading Standards service is seeking new businesses to sign up to the scheme.

Businesses that sign up are vetted by Trading Standards and have access to advice on both civil and criminal consumer protection legislation.

Their details will be added to a database of Trusted Traders, which will be available to the public through the Council’s website. They will also be able to display a Trusted Trader sticker on their company vehicle.

Businesses will also gather feedback from their customers and this will be shared on the Trusted Trader website.

Councillor Jim McMahon, Cabinet Member for Older People and Community Safety said: “The Trusted Trader scheme has proved to be very successful across Scotland. It helps to increase consumer confidence, promote good practice and protect local people from doorstep crime. By choosing a Trusted Trader people can be reassured that Trading Standards has vetted the business and that it is reputable.

“There is an even greater incentive for businesses to sign up now with membership free until March 2020. From March next year, membership will cost £200 plus VAT.

“I would urge local businesses to sign up to the scheme and become one of East Ayrshire’s Trusted Traders.”

Businesses can find out more or join the scheme by emailing trading.standards@east-ayrshire.gov.uk, calling 01563 576602.

Posted: March 21, 2019, 3:11 pm

“A great event, well organised and lots of different opportunities on offer”  –  the comment of one of nearly 700 people who flocked to East Ayrshire Council’s Recruitment Fair where over 50 employers, advice and training agencies were on hand to give advice and offer jobs and apprenticeships to job seekers of all ages.

With opportunities in careers as varied as graphic design, care work, hospitality, driving, estate agency, nursing, retail and engineering, there were choices to suit everyone.

Councillor Jim Roberts, Cabinet Member for Economy and Infrastructure, East Ayrshire Council said: “It was truly uplifting to feel the buzz in the Grand Hall –  the enthusiasm of both stall holders and potential recruits was evident. We’re lucky in East Ayrshire to have  such a pool of available talent and employers who are willing to go the extra  mile to encourage, recruit and train people to help boost their organisations and therefore the local economy.

“Matching the right people with the right training or job is what our Employability Service excels at. Our job coaches work with employers and candidates, supporting them through the selection, recruitment and training process. There’s funding available and lots of help to get people ready for the right career for them. This event was one of many that we run, and it was a big success, but our team are available all year round and happy to talk to job seekers and employers alike.”

For more information contact: contact East Ayrshire Council’s Employability team on 01563 503000, East Ayrshire Works Facebook, email: employability@east-ayrshire.gov.uk
www.eastayrshireworks.co.uk and sign up for regular updates with  Stay Connected email alerts 

Posted: March 12, 2019, 4:33 pm

Cumnock’s multi-million pound regeneration has moved into a new phase with with launch of the brand new 935 sqm Farmfoods store and retail units right in the centre of town.

Continuing the comprehensive revamp of the town centre, which has included the restoration of many of the town’s beautiful historic buildings and the development of a block of 7 new shops on Townhead Street, the new development puts the heart back into the town’s shopping area. And, with up to 5 units for rent facing onto Glaisnock Street, it offers a great new opportunity for businesses to lease brand new multipurpose units with nearby free parking.

Set over a total of over 500 sqm, the development, which has been designed by specialist architects to blend in sympathetically with the town’s beautiful architecture, has a flexible layout, meaning it can be subdivided into a maximum of 5 units, with a number of possible permutations according to tenants’ requirements.

The units could be used for a variety of purposes, from traditional retail to leisure, food, office or service based businesses.

Councillor Jim Roberts said: “It’s great to see this major piece in the jigsaw of Cumnock’s town centre regeneration fall into place. The new shops and the surrounding landscape are a beautiful addition to the town, providing space and opportunity for people to enjoy and businesses to thrive. Using sympathetic architecture, the building enhances the look of the street, complimenting the many beautiful historic buildings in the centre, many of which have been restored thanks to Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme funding from East Ayrshire Council and Historic Environment Scotland. We are doing whatever we can to support local businesses, enhance the environment and make shopping, working and living in Cumnock an exceptionally attractive option.”

The units are being leased out on behalf of East Ayrshire Council by Eric Young & Co. tel: 01312262641. Viewings are available by appointment more information

Posted: March 11, 2019, 4:11 pm

Galston’s Maxwood Hotel has earned an Eat Safe Award for their high standards of hygiene, cleanliness and food safety.

Owner Jennifer Boylan-Young welcomed Councillor Jim McMahon, Cabinet Member for Older People and Community Safety to the hotel. He viewed their facilities before presenting Jennifer and her team with an Eat Safe Award.

Councillor McMahon said: “The Eat Safe award provides an incentive to food businesses to strive for food hygiene and food safety management standards beyond those that are required by law. For people eating in these establishments, it is sign of excellence in standards of food hygiene. It gives people extra confidence in the food they are served.

“I was delighted to present Jennifer and the team from the Maxwood Hotel with their Eat Safe award and to congratulate them on achieving excellence in food hygiene standards.”

The Eat Safe Award sits in parallel with the Food Hygiene Information Scheme that rates hygiene standards against legal requirements. The Eat Safe Award recognises businesses that have achieved standards over and above the legal requirements.

Nineteen premises in East Ayrshire have now earned an Eat Safe Award from Food Standards Scotland.

Environmental Health Services assess premises for the award as part of scheduled hygiene inspections. For further information please contact 01563 553520 or email environmentalhealth@east-ayrshire.gov.uk

Posted: February 25, 2019, 1:20 pm

Galston’s built landscape is set for another boost to its regeneration plans with a newly announced £3.5m project which will open up the landscape, provide a brand new commercial unit and  create more accessible facilities within the  former Burgh Chambers which will be restored to its former glory.

Anyone who has visited Galston lately will be only too aware of how many of the town’s historic buildings have undergone a radical transformation thanks to a regeneration scheme part funded by East Ayrshire Council and Historic Environment Scotland’s Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS) funding.

But in the middle of those works, with scaffolding enveloping many of the town’s beautiful Victorian sandstone edifices, the scheme became more complicated, as the development of a dangerous fault in the Co-op building meant the closure of roads and an enforced demolition, leaving a gap site on the corner of Cross Street and Bridge Street.

Next to the plot lies the former Galston Burgh Chambers, which had to be relocated during the demolition and was itself in desperate need of renovation. In the following months, a community consultation was held, seeking the views of the community on two options for the future of the site.

And now, following the consultation and drawing on the views of all interested parties,  East Ayrshire Council has approved the first of two options, which includes refurbishment of the Local Office to include a  more open and accessible Customer Contact Centre and ICT suite  and a new library, with lift access to the first floor.  Hard landscaping in the space around the building will link Cross Street to an accessible parking area to the rear of the office.

Excitingly, the development will also include the building of a brand new unit for business or retail use at the corner of Cross Street and Bridge Street. Specially designed by heritage architects, it will blend in with the newly refurbished historic buildings in the area and will be available to let from East Ayrshire Council.

Councillor Jim Roberts, Cabinet Member for Economy and Infrastructure said: “Galston’s historic heart has undergone a great transformation in the past few years thanks to the enthusiasm of building owners and financial help and expertise from our Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme.  I’m excited to see these plans progress to the next stage and look forward to seeing the Burgh Chambers  revitalised as an important community asset. We’ve had great success building sympathetically designed shop units in Cumnock so it will be good to see the new Galston one taking shape. Having good pedestrian access and attractive landscaping around the buildings will all help to encourage people to use their town centre, bringing more footfall to surrounding businesses and boosting the local economy. It proves once again that regeneration is about more than just doing up old buildings. It’s about joined up thinking, working with the community to provide real opportunities and help people enjoy a brighter future.”

The draft plans will now be finalised in preparation for a planning applications. Once approved, it is estimated that the project will be completed in two years.  Find out more information, including feasibility plans and architect impressions.

Posted: February 20, 2019, 4:51 pm

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