Go Girvan are holding our first AGM on Monday 27th March at 7pm, in the Town House, Knockcushan Street, Girvan. Anyone interested in finding out more about what Go Girvan do, joining as a Trustee or an Active Supporter is very welcome to come along.

To give you an idea of how Go Girvan started and what projects we have been working on, we sat down with our Development Officer, Zanne, to find out more, including how you can get involved.

Hi Zanne, for those that don’t know, what is Go Girvan? 

Go Girvan started life as the Girvan Community Led Tourism subgroup, part of Girvan Town Team. Guided by SENScot and Creetown Initiative Ltd in the beginning, the subgroup was made up of community members from various organisations, including Girvan Community Garden, the Quay Zone, Girvan & District Attractions, GSA UNESCO Biosphere, Ballantrae Trust, VASA, Living with Leisure, and more. Our aim is to help make Girvan an attractive and desirable tourist location for visitors, and we’ve been working hard to make that happen! 

In October 2021, we employed a development officer (me!), and since then we’ve been involved in a number of projects.  

What projects have you been working on to improve tourism in the town? 

We’ve achieved a lot of over the past 18 months as a steering group, including launching a new website, Facebook and Instagram profiles, and working towards enhancing Girvan’s digital presence more generally. We’ve supported a number of local events both financially and with development hours, and we’ve worked closely with community groups to help with their projects. For example, we have a close relationship with Girvan & District Attractions, helping to revamp Stumpy Jail, as well as supporting their events through promotion and marketing.  

Other things we’ve done include an accommodation scoping report to see where there might be gaps in the market, improved signage and banners across the town, and supported the revamp and organisation of Girvan Tourist Information Point.  

A big thing for us last year was organising Tattie Fest, to celebrate the Ayrshire Epicure tattie. We worked in partnership with Girvan Early Growers, Girvan Town Team, Girvan Community Garden, CRAG Arts, RecoveryAyr, Girvan Academy, and Thriving Communities to host the event, and we’re looking forward to doing the same again this year. 

What future projects are Go Girvan currently working on? 

We recently commissioned a feasibility study into an Ailsa Craig Visitor Centre for Girvan, and we’re excited about the possibilities that the study has come up with, so we’ll continue to develop those ideas. We’re also looking at carrying out a feasibility study on the Town House, to see if we could convert it into bunkhouse accommodation for adventure tourists and for those making their way along the Whithorn Way and South Ayrshire Coastal path. Another plan involves taking over an empty unit on Dalrymple St to move the Tourist Info Point into, so we are more visible to tourists.  

We’re also busy planning Tattie Fest ‘23 which will take place on June 17th. This year we’re planning a farmer’s market, alpaca trekking and live music, all for free (subject to confirmation!) A new project for us involves a partnership with Barr Community SCIO, ACE and Girvan Community Garden – between us, we are hosting a group walk between Barr and Girvan with refreshments provided at the Community Garden. This will take place on May 14th. We’re also still supporting the Tourist Information Point and Stumpy Jail, as well as working on a walking trail with Girvan Town Team. 

How can people get involved with Go Girvan? 

You can get involved in two ways: either become a trustee, or become an active supporter of Go Girvan.  

What does being a trustee involve? 

Trustees are the people in overall control and management of Go Girvan. Trustees are responsible for the direction, governance and administration of the charity. You can find out more about the role of trustees at OSCR’s website. 

Our trustees meet once a month at a Board meeting where we discuss all the projects that are ongoing, any new projects on the horizon, and any issues arising.  

What does being an active supporter involve? 

An active supporter is someone who cheers Go Girvan on from the sidelines, but is not involved in the Board of Trustees. As an active supporter, you will receive regular project updates from Go Girvan, be able to vote on matters important to Go Girvan, and give us feedback and ideas to go forward with. Active supporters are really important to Go Girvan because we are a community-led charity and want to ensure we represent the community at all times.

 

How can someone become an active supporter? 

The best way is to email me at [email protected]! We’re working on a quick and easy way to sign up as a supporter, but for now, emailing us is best. We’re always delighted to hear from you!

Go Girvan is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation, can you tell us what that means? 

Go Girvan is a two-tier SCIO. This means that we have a Board of Trustees, and a membership made up of active supporters. Our Trustees are answerable to our members, so that the project is community-led and so that we always carry out projects which benefit our community first and foremost.