Service wins award

Mathieson Nursing Home was delighted when it received a large donation.

They were delighted when Alloway Church kindly presented them with a cheque for £ 1000.

Manager Jacqui Kirkland is seen with her staff and church members, who received the cheque from Rene Andrews from Alloway Church. Sarah Jane McDonald A day service which supports adults with learning disabilities in and around Girvan has received a top award for their hard work.

Girvan opportunities scooped the certificate of excellence from the ASDAN charity which supports thousands of registered learning centres throughout the UK.

The award, which has only been handed to nine learning centres in Scotland, was given in recognition of excellent practice in relation to their ‘ Inclusive Curriculum’ as Girvan Opportunities ensures learning is accessible to all.

For the past three years, Girvan Opportunities has provided ASDAN classes to develop life skills among adults, giving them the confidence to become more independent and achieve their personal outcomes.

The classes in Girvan have a person centred approach and have been developed with the thoughts and aspirations of learners in mind.

Chair of the South Ayrshire Integration Joint Board, Councillor Rita Miller said: “This is a wonderful achievement for the service and is the culmination of a lot of hard work.

“It’s clear the people love attending and not just to learn new things but to socialise and gain confidence too.

“Staff take time to understand the needs of the learners and I am glad that this attention to detail has been recognised by ASDAN.

“These learners are proof that small steps can make a big difference.

“Well done to the staff and to everyone that attends Girvan Opportunities.”

Director of national operations for ASDAN, John Furness added: “In 2016 ASDAN selected 114 centres to receive the Centre of Excellence Certificate, nine were from Scotland.

“Girvan Opportunities was awarded the ASDAN cert i f i cate for Centre Excellence of its outstanding work in Scotland and its inclusive curriculum.”