The Coalfields Regeneration Trust (CRT) says it remains committed to improving the lives of people in East Ayrshire's coalfields communities.

A new report has revealed that Ayrshire's coalfields communities remain "particularly deprived".

It found that 40 years after the Miners’ Strike began, many former coalfield communities still face a shortage of quality jobs.

'The State of the Coalfields 2024' is the third report commissioned by the Coalfields Regeneration Trust (CRT) from the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research at Sheffield Hallam University, following studies in 2014 and 2019.

READ MORE: Maps of East Ayrshire coal mines and 'lost villages' revealed online

Despite the report's findings, CRT bosses say that it remains committed to creating highly skilled and high paid jobs in East Ayrshire's communities like Auchinleck and Dalmellington.

It found that, although there has been substantial job growth in the former coalfields, the rate of growth has been far slower than in the main regional cities.

According to data in the report, Ayrshire's coalfield communities had a 16.8 per cent of out-of-work benefit claimant rate by September 15, 2023 amongst 16-24 year olds.

The highest across the UK was South Wales with 19.2 and the lowest was South Derby/North West Leicester with 10.4 per cent.

READ MORE: Emotional memories shared of miners' strike in East Ayrshire - 40 years on

Speaking about the report and the work ongoing in the area, Nicky Wilson, vice-chair of the Coalfields Regeneration Trust said: “Coalfield communities in East Ayrshire have a huge amount of potential but like other former mining areas in Scotland they are being held back by a lack of local quality jobs.

“The Coalfields Regeneration Trust is keen to build industrial units here so that we can create opportunities for SMEs to create the high skill, high wage jobs people in towns like Auchinleck and Dalmellington deserve.

“We are proud to work with community groups and people across East Ayrshire to support skills so that they can get better jobs – for example through our Coalfield Worx programme which offers training to young people while improving the community at the same time.

"We have also recently opened a family hub in Drongan with after school activities for children so parents are able to work.

“It is crucial that the Scottish Government supports the CRT’s ask for capital funding to build industrial units to fund our charitable work so that we can put an end to the scars of the pit closure programme once and for all.”