Community beach clean-up
Community leaders have toasted a turnaround in the state of their town’s battered beach.
A special event was held to mark the overhaul of Prestwick’s golden sands.
It follows the town being awarded a Scottish Beach Award for cleanliness.
Activists who pressured council bosses into action have seen 3000 tonnes of waste shifted from the prom since September.
An Assisted Walk along the new-look shore took place on Thursday as part of Dementia AwarenessWeek.
The group’s Julie Twaddell, whose sister Laura was a key driver in the beach clean-up, said:“It’s great to have the beach back to its best and our walks with people living with dementia will help to support them to get back out into their own communities.
“We want to remove barriers which prevent people from enjoying things they used to do and as older people can feel the cold more significantly than younger people, we’ll be offering the use of specially heated clothing to make sure people enjoy the experience.”
South Ayrshire Council’s environment spokesman, Councillor Ian Cochrane, added:“Prestwick beach has been transformed in the last 12 months thanks to a productive partnership between the council and the community.
“We’re happy to support Dementia Friendly Prestwick for the first of their assisted walks and hope to see these become a regular fixture as more people return to the beach in the months ahead.”
Similar walks are scheduled to take place every Monday at 11am from June 18.