An award-winning historic Ayrshire attraction and community hub has vowed to do everything it can to help boost the region’s economy.
The charity (SC031541), that oversees the daily running of Dundonald Castle and owns the Visitor Centre, has signed the Scotland Loves Local Pledge, promising to prioritise spending and supporting local enterprises whenever it can. It has been a member of the Scotland Loves Local South Ayrshire Gift Card scheme for a number of years.
An international visitor attraction, the 14th-century landmark is also a community hub which showcases the work of at least 20 local artists, crafters and makers in its gift shop.
Lynda Hardman, the Castle’s Cafe Manager, said: “Everything that we can source locally, we do. From the village butcher (Rankins Family Butcher), the baker (Del’s Rolls) and the candle maker (Stanecastle Candles) to packaging and cleaning supplies (GMC Corsehill). Even our ice cream (Ice Cream Factory) and cheesecakes (Scottish Creamy Cheesecake Company) are supplied locally.”
Organisations and people across the country are being urged to sign the Scotland Loves Local Pledge, which says they will “choose local, prioritising the people and businesses around us at every opportunity”.
Find out about the Scotland Loves Local Gift Card here
The Friends of Dundonald Castle (FoDC) has signalled its statement of intent as part of Scotland Loves Local Week, which runs from August 26 – September 1.
Some of the suppliers it works with gathered to highlight the platform that the Castle and Visitor Centre provides.
That work to support the wider regional economy strikes at the core of what the team strives to achieve.
Lynda explained: “We have both tourism and community at the heart of our model. We try to work with local suppliers as much as possible, as well as being a real community hub for the village.
“People from all over the world visit us. But, at the same time, we welcome several community groups to use the space, from our Knit and Natter group, Castle Cronies history group to our Young Archaeology Club, with many more in between!”
Everyday operations at Dundonald Castle and Visitor Centre are operated by the Friends of Dundonald Castle, which employs 17 staff and is supported by a near 40-strong band of volunteers, who are integral to its work. FoDC has an exemplar partnership with Historic Environment Scotland.
Its work as part of the community has been recognised as a finalist in the ‘Celebrating Thriving Communities’ category of this year’s Visit Scotland’s Thistle Awards.
Councillor Iain Campbell, the Provost of South Ayrshire, and South Ayrshire Council leader, Councillor Martin Dowey along with Jane Bradley, the authority’s Director of Communities and Transformation, visited as the Friends signed the pledge, pictured below.
Anne Campbell, Chairperson for FoDC, said: “Dundonald Castle is truly one of Scotland’s gems, tucked away in the quiet, rural landscape. We support our community and our community supports us. Everyone benefits.
“The more we can do for the community, the more we are finding that the community is supporting all that we are doing. It is fantastic to see this partnership developing.”
Scotland Loves Local Week highlights the critical difference that choosing local makes to building stronger, more sustainable, communities.
Scotland’s Towns Partnership (STP), the organisation which leads Scotland Loves Local with support from the Scottish Government, believes millions of pounds more can be injected into regional economies if more residents think local first.
Kimberley Guthrie, STP’s Chief Officer, said: “We are delighted to see the Friends of Dundonald Castle sign the Scotland Loves Pledge and publicly demonstrate their commitment to supporting local businesses. They are a great example of how people can collaborate to deliver real benefits.”
Dundonald Castle also accepts the Scotland Loves Local South Ayrshire Gift Card.
STP leads the Scotland Loves Local initiative as a means to boost local economies and improve places by galvanising support for the people and businesses in them.
Click here to sign the Scotland Loves Local Pledge
