A NEW venue in Cumnock for women and girls was officially opened by East Ayrshire Depute Provost Claire Leitch on Saturday.

Heart and Soul is the first of two women’s centres to launch as part of a programme funded and managed by The Robertson Trust.

The project has been developed in partnership with Centrestage Communities in an attempt to create an aspirational and friendly space where women and girls of all ages and backgrounds can feel welcome and included.

Centrestage project manager Valerie Barr said: “Heart and Soul is a really amazing thing. We all have challenges but when we are together it’s all about belonging; it’s about feeling positive and having a place together. Heart and Soul is all about kindness and compassion. It’s about women being the best that they can be. It’s about sharing skills and ultimately having fun in a nurturing environment.”

The programme, which also received funding from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, aims to test the benefits of a gender-based, community-led approach to engaging and supporting all women in a community, and particularly those experiencing challenges in their everyday life.

Programme manager, Fiona Jamieson, added: “The team at Centrestage have done a fantastic job, both in developing a beautiful centre and in engaging the local community. We have been thrilled to see local women make the decision to base everything that happens in the centre on kindness and compassion and it’s encouraging to see a number of programmes in development, even at this early stage.”

Over the past year, many special events have been held in Cumnock and at Centrestage, sustaining excitement and generating interest in Heart and Soul across the community. The official opening was followed by a celebratory “Nashville Knees Up” in Cumnock Town Hall, where women from across Ayrshire celebrated the venture.

Fiona McKenzie, CEO Centrestage Communities said: “Our experience in Cumnock so far has been incredible and the Heart and Soul community are already proving to be the most wonderfully supportive group of women and girls.

“Friendships and relationships are being built and we cannot wait to see what we can all achieve together.”