So much can be achieved with energy, vision, determination and collaboration – ingredients for success I found in abundance in North Ayrshire’s Garnock Valley.
People living there are ambitious for their future. They want to make an area where greater numbers of people live, work, visit and invest in. But they have realised that their hopes are less likely to be realised if their communities act in isolation.
That’s why three neighbouring small towns – Beith, Dalry and Kilburnie – have joined forces. And their collaboration has created a bold blueprint for the future – not only in specific aims for their own communities, but in demonstrating how collective power could work for other like-minded places across Scotland.
The Our Garnock Valley vision that organisations from across the three towns have drawn up has been described by the alliance as “next generation regeneration”.
It’s compelling – and its purpose for the next decade is clear: For the Garnock Valley to be a positive, forward-looking, connected community of towns and villages.
Not only is the purpose clear, but the elements that will deliver on the ambition:
- A thriving local economy
- Active, empowered communities
- Residents who live well locally with key daily needs easily accessible in each town for people without a car and reduced mobility
- A place of choice to live, work, invest and visit, particularly for young people and families
- To be at the forefront of tackling climate change and supporting climate-friendly lifestyle choices
- Good links to Glasgow and other Ayrshire towns
- Strong identity and local pride
Having heard so much about the vision as Our Garnock Valley was presented with a Judges’ Special Award as part of the 2025 Scotland Loves Local Awards, I was keen to find out more.
Empowerment, identity and pride were immediately clear to me when I visited, met some of those involved and toured the towns to see for myself both the challenges the communities currently face and the opportunities which exist to address them. That was evident in places such as Dalry Community Garden, which has grown into a real community hub.
So too was the energy which is driving work forward. Because it is that which has undoubtedly got the communities to the stage they are at now.
That eagerness to make a difference – to make things better – has also clearly been a critical factor in what’s brought the towns together to work collaboratively.
This is one of the things that really interests me about what’s taking shape in the Garnock Valley, where residents really appear to have bought into what’s happening.
I often say that little significance is ever achieved for a place by any one organisation acting alone. Only working collaboratively do ideas and initiatives stand the greatest chance of reaching their full potential.
What’s happening in Beith, Dalry and Kilburnie takes that to the next level – from organisations working with each other to entire places joining forces with common purpose.
The question I left asking myself was: How many other communities could work together like this?
Is an Our Garnock Valley-type model one which could unlock significant potential in other parts of the country, delivering ambitions on a scale that may not be possible if places acted in isolation?
While we know there’s no one-size-fits all approach when it comes to the regeneration of our towns and places, there are always lessons that we can learn from others. Since my small tour in North Ayrshire, my mind has certainly been whirring about other places for which a collective approach could hold real potential. I’d certainly welcome a conversation with anyone who thinks that might be for them.
Indeed, the data found on our updated Understanding Scottish Places website may also provide some food for thought on how places can cluster or simply share ideas and experiences.
With a vision in place, the next challenge for Our Garnock Valley, who have worked closely with North Ayrshire Council, is to begin turning that into action. It is an incredibly positive example of localism in action and for the significant potential of Community Wealth Building to drive economic growth, with this region already one of Scotland’s trailblazers on that front.
Real credit goes to the anchor organisations involved – Beith and District, Dalry and Kilbirnie and Glengarnock community councils, Beith Community Development Trust, Dalry Community Development Hub, Dalry Community Sports Club and Garnock Valley Youth Forum, with support from the local authority and funding from the Scottish Government’s Place Based Investment Fund.
There is so much still to be for Beith, Darly, Kilburnie and their neighbouring villages. But, with the same energy that has taken the towns this far, I am sure that so much will be. I’ll be following Our Garnock Valley’s progress closely.
Kimberley Guthrie is Chief Officer of Scotland’s Towns Partnership
