A trailblazing social enterprise turning the tide on empty buildings in Ayr town centre has received a national accolade for its inspirational innovation.
Narture CIC, which has transformed six formerly vacant and underused buildings, has been presented with the Innovation in Place prize as part of this year’s Scotland Loves Local Awards.
Its unique artist-led model, which combines an award-winning artisan bakery and cafe with artist studios, galleries, workshops and community programmes, is being hailed as one that places across the country could learn from.
The success comes after awards judges heard how Narture’s work “demonstrates that regeneration can start with people, creativity and imagination”.
They agreed that Narture has “taken empty buildings that represented decline and transformed them into places of opportunity”.
The team has been congratulated on its success by awards organisers Scotland’s Towns Partnership (STP).
Siobhian Brown, MSP for Ayr who also joined in presenting the award, said: “Narture do such incredible work in Ayr town centre, they have been able to regenerate lots of empty spaces into creative spaces.
“I think we have seen a decline in Ayr town centre, we need to start looking at different ways to attract people to town centres and Narture are doing a brilliant job at that.”
Pictured in the Auld Toy Shop, one of Narture’s regenerated buildings, Robert and Saskia Singer, holding their award, also being congratulated by Claire Kimmett and Siobhian Brown MSP
Reacting to the news, Saskia Singer, who founded Narture with her father Robert in 2020, said: “It’s not been an easy six years and there have been plenty of challenges, setbacks and expensive lessons along the way, so to have our work recognised in this way means a huge amount to us.
“We’re proud of what our team and community have achieved, and this award is a real boost to keep building on that work.”
Operating as a single creative ecosystem, Narture’s venues are designed to make Ayr more connected and economically resilient.
The model is already delivering concrete results, creating 16 permanent jobs since 2020 while providing vital opportunities for local freelance artists and makers.
Ms Singer added: “Ayr was recently labelled the ‘empty shop capital of Scotland’, and there’s so much negative conversation online about the town, so it’s really rewarding to have some positive news.
“We hope Narture’s journey can inspire others to see the potential in Ayr, rather than just the challenges.”
By successfully bringing six vacant properties back into use, Narture has also driven significant external funding into Ayr’s creative sector.
Looking ahead, Narture plans to extend its model into Ayr’s historic Auld Toy Shop, a former toy shop that operated for about 30 years before the building lay vacant for 15 years. The team hopes to bring it back to life as a new hub for creativity and community through its Culture Collective programme.
Speaking after meeting visiting Narture CIC, Claire Kimmett, representing STP, said: “Narture is a fantastic example of innovation in place, demonstrating how creative thinking and a fresh approach can unlock the potential of vacant buildings and create new opportunities for a town centre.
“We’re delighted to recognise Narture through the Scotland Loves Local Awards and hope their achievement inspires other places across Scotland to think differently about the potential within their own communities.”
The runners-up in the Innovation in Place category were:
- Climate Action Strathaven (South Lanarkshire)
- Fife Council – Riverside Park Regeneration Project, Glenrothes (Fife)
- Inverness BID & partners – Street Scene (Highland)
- Our Union Street – Our Aberdeen App (Aberdeen)
Spearheaded by STP and supported by the Scottish Government, Scotland Loves Local is the campaign which encourages people to create a better future for their community by choosing local.
Read more about the Scotland Loves Local Awards here
