A LOCAL film company has been awarded nearly £10,000 to produce material 100 years on from World War One.

Ayrshire Film Company CIC has received £9,900 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for the project, World War One and the Three Towns. Awarded through HLF’s First World War: then and now programme, the project will focus on giving young people in the area a chance to discover the heritage and stories of Ardrossan, Saltcoats and Stevenston at the time of World War One.

To mark the centenary of the First World War, the project will enable young people in Ardrossan, Saltcoats and Stevenston to come together to discover the memories and heritage of the people who lived through the First World War. Ayrshire Film Co. CIC will provide training in interviewing, filming and editing to allow young people to capture and share whatever they find. Anyone interested in history and heritage can volunteer to help with researching archives, collecting information and discovering lost memories.

With ongoing support from Ayrshire Film Co. CIC, the young people will gather stories of the men who went off to war, the wives that were left behind, the children growing up under the threat of war and the legacy of the War on the towns. All digital content will be presented and shared at an end of event celebration and then made available to the public online.

Commenting on the award, Project Coordinator Taylor McInroy said: “We are thrilled to have received the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund and are really excited about what the young people will discover. We hope to involve as many people throughout the Three Towns as possible so if you want to be a part of it, get in touch info@ayrshirefilmco.org”

Lucy Casot, Head of HLF Scotland, said “The impact of the First World War was far reaching, touching every corner of the UK. Since April 2010, the Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded over £70million to more than 1,300 projects – large and small - that are marking this global Centenary; with our small grants programme, we are enabling even more communities like those involved in WW1 and the Three Towns, to explore the continuing legacy of this conflict and help local young people in particular to broaden their understanding of how it has shaped our modern world.”