About
Aims and Objectives
Our mission, after assessing the feasibility of the project, is to purchase the South Parish Church in Girvan and convert it into a multi-purpose venue suitable for performances of all descriptions, by the people of Girvan and by visiting actors, artists and musicians, for functions such as weddings, for public meetings and for any group that needs a space.
We have now become a SCIO, and we are looking for Members and Supporters from all sections of the community to support us.
To make the project sustainable, we intend to install a catering grade kitchen, a sizeable toilet block, a bar area, and meeting rooms of various sizes. We also propose to convert the existing ‘old’ church hall into bunkhouse accommodation as an income stream to support the project, and because Girvan lacks this type of accommodation at present.
We also hope to push the project towards net-zero by installing alternative energy systems to cut our energy costs and to have as little impact on the environment as possible.
The building will be available to the people of Girvan, but also for everyone in South Carrick. We also aim to make it affordable for community groups and individuals to make use of the facilities on offer, and for visitors to Girvan to stay in our town.
Our Team
Alan Jeans (Chairman)
Alan is a retired veterinary surgeon who ran his own practice in Girvan for thirty years and is one of the coxswains on the Girvan Lifeboat. He helps run the Girvan Arts Festival and he is the author of six novels. Alan likes to play football, both walking and the normal variety.
Martin Montee (Vice Chairman)
Martin, originally from the USA, had a successful career in the military and diplomatic service in Europe and the near east before settling in Girvan more than 20 years ago. He now works for the National Trust for Scotland as the Visitor Services Supervisor at Culzean Castle.
Steven Wallace (Treasurer)
Steven is a Scottish Chartered Accountant and is currently the Chief Financial Officer for J. & J. Denholm Limited. He was previously the CFO for the University of Strathclyde and held a number of senior financial positions within the Weir Group PLC, including being based in the USA and UAE. Steven went to both Girvan Primary and Secondary schools and enjoys spending time with his family and playing volleyball.
Gill Lynch (Secretary)
Gill is a retired teacher who has lived in Girvan for several years. She volunteers at the local tourist office and is on the committee of the Girvan Arts Festival. In her spare time Gill heads up the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award at an independent school in Hertfordshire. Gill is an avid supporter of the Glasgow Warriors rugby team and has too many dogs and cats.
Gail McMaster
Gail is a Project Co-ordinator for Girvan Youth Trust and is an active local volunteer with Music on the Prom and Girvan Pop Up Events. She has a a background in Employability and Skills with an interest in supporting young people into sustainable local employment through social enterprise. Gail runs various successful fundraising and community events and is always looking for new opportunities to bring new projects to Girvan.
Claire McCormick
Claire is best known as the local Girvan Librarian, overseeing the recent successful relocation of Girvan Library to Knockcushan Street and working closely with local schools and community groups. Girvan born and bred, some may remember Claire from her time on The Carrick Gazette, when broadsheets were still in publication.
Stewart Sheddon
Stewart is a retired solicitor who spent most of his working life in practice in South Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway. Stewart’s passions are traditional music and fly fishing. Stewart is a Trustee of Girvan Traditional Folk Festival and also of CRAG, a local arts charity.
Simon Domoney-Lyttle
Simon, a teacher at Girvan Academy, moved to the town five years ago and has since become an active member of the community, volunteering with several local groups. Simon also has a history in Architecture.
We’d also like to thank Jim Anderson, Pauline Rattray and Ken Johnstone from the Girvan Valley Church for their ongoing help, Rodger Hunter and Craig Bradshaw for their photography and filmmaking, Zanne Domoney-Lyttle for helping with funding, and Steph Briggs for assisting with tech issues on the website. We’re sure this list will get longer as we’ve had floods of offers of help from the community.
The Town
Girvan, a burgh from 1668, was originally a weaving town and fishing port, but tourism became a prominent part of Girvan’s identity in the 1850s when the railway arrived from Glasgow. More than a century later, as holidays in Spain decimated many traditional Scottish seaside towns, William Grant’s distillery, the Nestlé chocolate factory and the Alginate factory spearheaded industrial growth which still underpins Girvan’s economy today. Even so, it felt as if the town was a little ‘down on its heels’.
But now Girvan is having a bit of a revival.
Traditional events like the Folk Festival and the Lowland Gathering, have been joined by the Arts Festival and the Girvan Community Garden’s season of musical performances and other activities, and CRAG’s year long programme of workshops, exhibitions and flagship events such as the festival of light and the lantern parade. Girvan Youth Trust’s Music on the Prom and many other ‘happenings’ have brought a bit of a buzz to the town.
With two long distance walks, The Whithorn Way and the Ayrshire Coastal Path, passing through Girvan, and with a resurgence of cycling tourism and an expansion of local caravan parks, and with occasional visits from the Waverley and a few cruise ships, visitor numbers seem to be climbing again.
There are many sights and attractions in and around Girvan – the harbour, the hills, the beach. Sawney Bean’s cave (of cannibalistic fame) is a short drive away, as is Culzean Castle and Country Estate. There are countless walks around Girvan and its surrounding villages of Maidens, Barr, Dailly, Pinwherry, Barrhill, Lendalfoot and Ballantrae, and Girvan is a gateway to the Galloway hills and forests to the east, and the beauty of Wigtownshire to the south.
Girvan hasn’t had a town hall since 1939, when the McMaster Hall burned to the ground, leaving only ‘Stumpy’ tower, and since the beach pavilion closed a couple of decades ago, it hasn’t had a sizeable unrestricted performance space, which is why The South project is so important to the town’s growth.
The one thing Girvan has to its advantage is a very active volunteer community, and we fully expect it to rally around this project.