Brodick Improvements still game thanks to Co-op fund

Progress on projects continues in the area thanks to community fund

The award to Brodick Improvements Committee (BIC) of just over £9,500 from the Co-op Community Fund has been gratefully received by the committee, writes chairman Harry Davidson.

We felt the award was particularly fortuitous at this time as our normal fundraising efforts have been thwarted by Covid-19 pandemic restrictions.

Consequently we were unable, for instance, to hold our annual beach barbecue and run the weekly summer ceilidhs at Brodick Hall. Apart from the loss of enjoyment to local people and visitors, our anticipated funding disappeared.

Some of our costs, however, do not go away. For instance, we have taken on responsibility for the maintenance of the public toilets at the Low Green after they were closed by the council.

Thanks to BIC, the toilets remain open seven days a week from dawn to dusk.

We hope to improve these facilities very soon, particularly the ladies’ toilets, using the money from the community fund.

We maintain large parts of Fisherman’s Walk, one of the most popular footpaths on Arran. We try to protect Brodick beach where we can, but like King Canute we are working again unstoppable nature. You will see, however, that the rock groyne we built has brought back the sand to the beach and it is almost like the old days.

We maintain the boating slipway on the seafront used by visiting yachts throughout the summer. We also now plant the flowers on the seafront flowerbeds and they looked fantastic as usual this summer.

With the co-operation of Brodick Hall, the Ormidale Pavilion and the shops in Brodick, which have been illuminated, we helped brighten up the village by installing the illuminated Christmas trees at the old post office and the slipway car park.

Without the funding from the Co-op Community Fund we could not carry out many of the ambitious plans we have set ourselves. We are grateful to the Co-op, the manager Liz McLean, their wonderful staff and to the public who voted in support of our cause this year.

On behalf of Brodick Improvements Committee and the people of Brodick, thank you all.

01_B02improve02 Clockwise from left: Electrician Ian Small wires up the lights for the tree. 01_B02improve03; Harry Davidson outside the toilet block the committee reopened in 2017. 01_B32loo03; The rock groyne helping to keep the sand on Brodick beach. 01_B02iprove04; Brodick slipway was built and is looked after by the committee. 01_B02improve01; The committee puts up the Christmas trees on Brodick shorefront and at the old Post Office every year.