Cumnock Action Plan (CAP) held its third annual general meeting in April where the following tustees and ofice bearers were elected.

Janice Hendry – Chairwoman; John Senior – Vic Chairman; Lynne Jeffery – Treasurer; Bobby Grierson – Secretary; Irene Smith - Minute Secretary; Neil Given; Helen Ng; Scott Riddex; Donald McVicar, Eddie Rutherford.

CAP became a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation in May 2017 and its volunteers, along with many local people, businesses and organisations have been involved in the organising, planning and delivery of some hugely successful events over the past year.

More than 50 volunteers, 20 voluntary organisations and 10 local businesses have all been involved in each of the events which attracted 3,500+ people.

Spring Fling: tied in with the Tour of Ayrshire cycle race, which attracted over 2,000 cyclists to this first time ever event. CAP saw this as an opportunity to host an Easter themed event in the Square for residents and families and proved to be a spectacular day for all involved.

Family Feastival: a family themed event in the Dumfries Arms Hotel that celebrated food and drink. It was also an opportunity for partner agencies involved in the Sustainable Cumnock project to engage with members of the community.

Cumnock Christmas Festival made a return to the Square in November. It was a hugely successful event again this year, made up of Christmas stalls, live entertainment, late night shopping, best dressed wheels and pet competitions, travelling Nativity and more.

Online Database: Most recently the subgroup has been working on developing an online database of community groups that are active in the area, who the key contacts are and how people can access the groups. Visit www.cumnockactionplan.org or email info@cumnockactionplan.org for more.

Outdoor Activity: The Outdoor Activities, Open Spaces and Better Town Appearance subgroup have had a busy past 12 months. Some of their key priorities over the past year have included Woodroad Park, planting more trees and flowers and identifying spaces for a community garden.

Litter picks: With support from Outdoor Amenities, we organised two community litterpicks, collecting over 50 bags of rubbish from the Woodroad Park and also the banks of the Glaisnock River. We’ve had whole families involved in these litter picks which has been brilliant to see.

Stalled Spaces: The group identified a few tired looking spaces around Cumnock that could be brought back to life with some flower and shrubs. One of the main plots was the large flower bed beside Asda. The group sourced local donations and took to bringing a ‘stalled space’ back to life.

Big Lunch: Cumnock hosted its first ever Eden Project inspired Big Lunch back in June. It brought together neighbours, friends and families to share lunch in the Woodroad. Over 200 families turned out and took part in some of the fun and games that we were available on the day. It was hugely successful, so the next one is set for Sunday, June 3 at Woodroad Park.

Bulb Planting

With donations from Tesco, DW Shaw & Morrisons, the group were again able to plant more than 2,000 Spring bulbs in the Tanyard, in November.

Woodroad / Town Square: Working with Central Scotland Green Network Trust, we have developed a management plan for the woodlands surrounding the Woodroad. The plan includes upgraded pathways and signage. Resurfacing and lighting is due to be replaced during the Summer of 2018. Funding was made available to Cumnock from East Ayrshire Council to be spent specifically on the regeneration of Town Squares. Following consultation, upgraded lighting, seating, town signage and flowerbeds had all been entified as things the community wanted the funding spent on. This is progressing and should be complete by late 2018.

Local Economy and Services: Businesses in Cumnock continue to offer a unique, personalised service in a diverse, traditional and contemporary choice of shops and facilities. Through working together, local businesses are sharing their vision to deliver the priorities for the as identified within the community’s Action Plan. Local businesses are continuing to market the local economy and encourage people to shop local, as well as promoting the opportunities that exist within a successful local economy. Finally, connections continue to be made to local assets that can attract additional footfall into the town centre.

Cumnock Business Association : Businesses within the community continue to thrive and closer working partnerships have developed over the past year through the establishment of the Cumnock Business Association.

Membership of the Association has grown to a steady number of local businesses who meet on a monthly basis to consult with East Ayrshire Council Economic Development team on development and progress of regeneration within the town centre. Progress has been slow, but work has now commenced on the new build and 2018 will see the completion of this project.

A very positive partnership with Police Scotland saw the Business Association purchase a dedicated mobile phone for shops and organisations should they have concerns or information they need to share. Inspector Colin Shearer is a big supporter of this initiative and statistics show it is working well for both local businesses and Police Scotland.

East Ayrshire’s Economic Development team also delivered a social network marketing workshop which provided business owners with the tools to raise the profile of their business to attract new customers and how to put Cumnock town centre on the map.

Members of the association have been working on the development of a yalty card that will be available to customers of members of the association. Each business will have their own terms and conditions but it is hoped it will be well received by local shoppers and people visiting the town on a regular basis.

Cumnock History Group: ran an outdoor screening of historic films and photographs of the town at various events including Spring Fling. During 2017, the subgroup also supported Cumnock History Group’s successful Heritage Lottery Fund application for £10,000 to undertake the Pennylands Camp Project - delving into some WW2 history on the grounds of Dumfries House. The project involved an archaeological dig of the site, capturing of local stories and memories, desk based research and also the creation of a dedicated website and social media group. The project lasted one whole year and culminated in a six-month long exhibition at the Baird Institute, a programme of educational talks and also a family fun day. The project has attracted over 30 new volunteers and an additional £5,750 in non-cash contributions, 840 volunteer hours and over 300 visits to the exhibition in the first month.

Volunteer Impact 2017

64 volunteers contributed over 1,800 hours valued at more than £25,000...More than 2,000 spring bulbs planted...Over 50 bags of litter collected...1,583 Facebook followers...One Hero of the Month Award...Three stalled spaces brought back to life...More than £6,000 in secured funds...£10,000 awarded through Participatory Budgeting...Four Community Events staged. Spring Fling; Big Lunch; Family Feastival; Christmas Festival...CAP Launched two new groups; The Wee Sewing Bee and Cumnock Gardening Club

Do you fancy getting involved? If you want to get involved in activities and events in your community or have an idea that would benefit the wider community or simply want to know a bit more about Cumnock Action Plan you can support your local community through volunteering. If you have an interest in community events; facilities; the local economy; services; tourism; history or heritage; town centre appearance or community open spaces … Get in touch: Web: www.cumnockactionplan.org ; Email: info@cumnockplanaction.org.uk; Facebook: Cumnockactionplan; Twitter: Cumnock_plan

CAP is supported by East Ayrshire Council’s Vibrant Communities and the Corra Foundation.

“The group have opened so many doors and created opportunities for our children and young people. Barriers have been broken down that we would previously have faced on our own. Being able to take part in activities and have our voices heard has helped us grow in confidence and feel valued,” Lisalanna, Action for Children.

NEXT WEEK — CAP’S future plans, including tourism and heritage projects.