AS THEY celebrate a decade pioneering change in the Garnock Valley, the Beith Trust are celebrating top award recognition.

The Community Development Trust, as it's known in full, has been announced as a finalist in the Community Award category at the Ayrshire Business Awards 2023.

They will now head to Ayr Racecourse on October 6, where the award finals are being held.

The Trust has been pioneering community-driven change in the Garnock Valley since 2013 through sustainable regeneration.

Their unique model invests in people, place and business and recognises that it’s not enough to make a place look better, without also equipping people with the skills, knowledge and resources to be makers and shapers within that place.

Since the closure of mass employment industries in the 80’s Beith struggled to reroute to a new identity and positive future.

However, the Beith Trust was established in the belief that the town is a unique place with huge potential to become a vibrant and engaging community that serves the needs of its people in a manner that is creative, socially inclusive, sustainable, and progressive.

They provide various services to try and make this dream a reality, and say they have their "fingers crosee" that this work culminates with award recognition.