A number of Ayrshire football pitches have been spruced up.
Community Payback teams in East Ayrshire have been busy helping to maintain local clubs and making sure that stadiums continue to meet the high standards set by the Scottish Football Association.
The Covid-19 pandemic has presented many challenges, but maintenance work being carried out has allowed the football clubs to continue to carry out essential repairs such as painting goal posts, pay booths, dugouts, changing rooms, gates and fences.
The teams have also been cutting grass, scraping moss, weeding, litter picking and mending privacy netting surrounding pitches to maximise the safety of those who use the facilities.
Bonnyton Thistle, Cumnock Juniors, Glenafton Athletic and Lugar Boswell are all involved with the Community Payback Scheme.
It was the pandemic that prompted the council’s events and resilience management officer to contact the community payback team to ask them to get involved with the clubs to help with general maintenance and essential repairs at no additional expense to the clubs.
This is due to the football clubs’ charitable status and ‘community engagement projects’ that support wellbeing, combat social isolation and promote inclusive community programmes.
Other community work being carried out by clubs includes the Townhead Strollers receiving CPR training from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and competing in a charity football tournament which raised money for the family of three year-old Malin Mackay who has rare lymphoblastic leukaemia.
Councillor Jim McMahon said: “Our community payback teams have been doing incredible work at football clubs across East Ayrshire and my thanks go to them for working hard to ensure the safety of everyone who visits the stadiums.
“Through them, as well as the football clubs’ dedicated committee members and volunteers, the clubs are making a difference to so many people in the communities of East Ayrshire and allowing them to continue to carry out important community engagement projects.”
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