The East Ayrshire Coalfield Environment Initiative (CEI) are delighted to announce that they have been awarded a grant from East Ayrshire Council’s Restoring Communities Programme Fund to make improvements to the New Cumnock Community Wildlife Garden and New Cumnock Access Network.

In 2008 and 2009, the CEI worked with New Cumnock residents to create the garden on an area of green space between Afton Garage and the swimming pool. In 2012, the CEI improved local walking paths as part of the Access Network project. The Access Network paths all begin in the garden, where the CEI installed large interpretation panels.

The grant will contribute towards improving the garden for the benefit of visitors to the garden and wild animals such as birds, butterflies and bees. The group has exciting plans to tidy the existing paths and raised beds, replace damaged planters and install a new recycled plastic picnic bench. A colourful array of wildlife-friendly plants and shrubs will be planted, and the garden will be given a thorough weeding, mulching and general tidy-up.

The grant will also fund the re-design and printing of the Access Network maps to make the walking trails easier to navigate.

The group is keen to encourage community participation and will be holding a series of exciting volunteer activities and training events, including a bird-box and insect home building session and talks on wildlife-friendly gardening. The CEI will also be contacting local schools to deliver education sessions centred in the garden, and hope that this will encourage longer-term appreciation of the garden and local wildlife.

If you would like to get involved in any of their events or would like more information then contact Jennifer Dunn, Project Officer for the CEI, on 01563 553513 or e-mail jennifer.dunn@ea-cei.org.uk.