Firm makes TWO life-saving River Doon donations

AN INFRASTRUCTURE company has made not one but two donations to protect and preserve life along the River Doon.

Aecom has donated lifesaving equipment to Drumgrange and Keirs Angling Club, and provided funding to the Ayrshire Rivers Trust to enable vital tree planting.

Eleven life-saving water buoyancy rings have been donated to the angling club, seven of them wall mounted and four that are sub surface mounted on posts.

The club provides fishing permits and events on the River Doon between Loch Doon and just beyond Waterside.

In addition, £1200 has been donated to the Ayrshire Rivers Trust to pay for tree planting and bank protection works along Much Water by the Scout Garden. A bench will also be purchased for Ness Glen.

The Trust, a registered charity, is made up of a team of biologists, ecologists and environmental managers who strive to improve Ayrshire’s rivers and lochs.

The Ayrshire Roads Alliance commissioned Aecom to develop proposals for the Doon Valley Trail, a new active travel route connecting local communities between Ayr Hospital and Loch Doon.

The donations form part of the community benefits requirements of the contract.

The route will be designed to make it safer and more accessible.

As part of the community benefits, a donation of a defibrillator has already been made to the Ayr and Prestwick Men’s Shed initiative, which provides recreational facilities for men of all backgrounds.

David Manson, special project officer at the Ayrshire Roads Alliance, said: “The angling club attracts many members and visitors outdoors each year and the buoyancy rings provide an element of added safety.

“Similarly, the Ayrshire Rivers Trust does a great job in supporting the natural environment and we’re delighted to have been able to assist both organisations.

“More and more we’re understanding the benefits of being outdoors, both physically and mentally, and active travel plays a big role in that.

“The more we can make it easier and safer for people to get out and about, the better.”

Initial works on the first phase of the Doon Valley Trail were funded through a specific budget from Transport Scotland.

Following a community consultation last year, the proposals are now being developed for a preferred route.

The Trail forms part of the Ayrshire Link, a wider Active Travel network that will connect pathways and communities across South and East Ayrshire, from Girvan to Lugton.

Further information is available from www.doonvalleytrail.co.uk or www.ayrshirelink.com.