Eglinton Park is looking for more volunteers to join their path stewardship programme and keep the grounds safe.

The group, which began running in November and officially took off in December of 2022, has volunteers help clear the park’s walkways.

North Ayrshire Countryside Ranger Stuart Bell formed the group to keep the park safe and accessible to visitors.

Stuart said: “We are delighted to now have the Path Stewardship Programme up and running.

“Made up of 20 volunteers and counting (so far), the work we are doing is a collaborative effort between the Ranger Service, the Trinity Active Travel Hub and Eglinton Country Park.

“The aim of the group is to regularly patrol pathways around the park – especially on the wetter, dreicher days, to help highlight any issues so that the park can be proactively maintained, and any problems can be tackled in a timely manner.

“Although many people think there’s not a lot going on at this time of year from a conservation and maintenance point of view, the start of the year provides a great window of opportunity to make improvements.”

Despite the programme having a solid membership, with the grounds covering 400 hectares the group is in desperate need of more volunteers – especially during the harsh winter.

A free hot drink and biscuits are available for volunteers to enjoy during scheduled breaks.

Councillor Alan Hill said: “I would urge anyone looking for a worthwhile, outdoor volunteering opportunity to get in touch with Stuart and be a part of the exciting new Path Stewardship Project.

“If you are looking for a great reason to get your wellies on, stomp through nature and enjoy the fresh air health and wellbeing benefits of spending time outdoors, volunteering with this rewarding project is a great way of doing this.”

The group meets on Mondays at 9.30am with sessions lasting until 12.30pm but volunteers are not required to say for the full three hours.

However, session times are flexible and can be held on any day except for Friday in line with members’ availability.

Anyone interested in joining the group should email Stuart at: stuartbell@north-ayrshire.gov.uk