by Ron Ireland | Sep 15, 2019
The tidying operation after the track widening at Chapeldonan has now been completed with a final litter pick between the bull pen and the Chapeldonan quarry at Girvan Mains. A willing squad undertook the final cleaning last week and also emptied the Blue Bins at Balkenna and at Turnberry, with a decent haul of rubbish collected and left in a suitable location for collection by the Council. Thanks to all who have participated in this big exercise over the last few weeks. Hopefully, next springtime, we will see the path along this lovely stretch of shoreline has been restored to its former glory – just in time for the annual Rotary Clubs’ Big Beach...
by Ron Ireland | Sep 11, 2019
Gillian & Supporters The Ayrshire Coastal Path has done it again! We have another Paths-for-All award. This time our fellow board member Gillian Craig is the Paths-for-All Community Path Volunteer of the Year 2019. She was presented with her award last night at the Scottish Parliament. Massive congratulations to Gillian. Her award is well-deserved………and another feather in the cap for the Ayrshire Coastal Path. Gillian joined the growing band of ACP community volunteer “pathminders” three years ago and quickly became an established group member, braving the elements to carry out essential maintenance work, vegetation control and essential signing. Her many talents and boundless energy was evident to the ACP management board and Gillian was invited to join the board in 2017 to which she happily agreed, thus becoming its youngest member. Since then she has helped to promote and develop many new initiatives to improve the effectiveness of path management, administration, organisation and funding opportunities. In particular, her people and social-networking skills have greatly enhanced ACP communications, thus considerably expanding awareness of the accessibility and health benefits of the ACP. She has led a number of community walks on different sections of the ACP and still organises litter-picking days and signing improvements. All of this she does in addition to her many other active travel (and domestic) activities causing people to wonder how she crams so much into her day. Gillian has led numerous other community walks e.g. at walking festivals such as Valley Walkfest and Clyde Muirshiel as well as helping to promote them via her social-media following on her “gillianswalks” website (consulted by hundreds of individuals and rambling...
by Ron Ireland | Sep 1, 2019
Ron, Norma and Clive (with Sophie) The morning storm was still trying to blow down the marquee as the various goups arrived to set out their stalls. Good planning had positioned the ACP alongside SAPI (South Ayrshire Paths Initiative) so this was an advantage to both given the symbiotic relationship between the two. After a slowish start, the footfall increased considerably so that by a sunny lunchtime there was a healthy flow of visitors and the chatter level increased markedly. Alistair and Jimmy in talking mode It was encouraging to find so much interest in normal, healthy outdoor pursuits and to discuss the range of concerns that many people, of all ages, had for environmental matters generally. This was a very successful day all round and the ACP and the Annual Rotary Beach Clean achieved good exposure with a number of guidebook sales resulting. Our BLUE BIN pitch went down well, with a number of people congratulating us on our endeavours to clean up our beautiful coastline. So remember, where you see one of these bins on one of our more remote beaches, do your own bit for the environement and think global – act...
