SURF – Scotland’s Regeneration Forum is delighted to announce that Girvan has joined its national regeneration programme.
Zanne Domoney-Lyttle has been appointed as SURF’s Local Facilitator, to lead on activities designed to improve the South Ayrshire town for residents and visitors.
SURF, a national charity that promotes the regeneration of places with economic challenges, runs an ‘Alliance for Action’ programme. The programme has supported local communities in diverse places, including Dunoon (Argyll), Langholm (Dumfries & Galloway) and Govan (Glasgow), to progress their regeneration plans and aspirations into tangible improvements. SURF’s Alliance for Action has been running since 2013 and is funded by the Scottish Government.
The part-time Girvan Facilitator post is initially funded for two years. In the new role, Zanne will help support local partners in the development of a range of practical regeneration activity. Following a series of consultation activities, including towards the 2021 Girvan Place Plan and a new Place-based Strategy for Girvan, SURF will support enhanced collaboration on locally identified priorities, and help the town to respond to its current challenges by accessing opportunities and resources.
Zanne, who completed a SURF induction process in May, has a wealth of knowledge and experience of the regeneration context in Girvan and South Ayrshire. From 2021-23, she held the role of Project Officer for Go Girvan, and she has also worked for Barr Community SCIO and the Girvan-based Adventure Centre for Education.
SURF has developed a strong track record from its other Alliance for Action sites, in utilising a modest part-time resource to unlock potential and overcome the diverse barriers that can prevent regeneration activity from proceeding. In her new role, Zanne will provide a wide range of services, from general advice and guidance, to specific support on project development, funding, and building partnerships, all of which are tightly focused on locally identified priorities for revitalising the town. Zanne will work closely with local community groups and with South Ayrshire Council, and will receive ongoing support from the core SURF staff team, based in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
SURF Policy Manager, Derek Rankine, said: “Zanne has a keen passion for Girvan and is ideally placed to support positive change on a number of fronts. The recruitment panel was impressed with the depth of Zanne’s track record in community development, project management, fundraising and partnership working. Zanne has an excellent knowledge of local players and dynamics. We are delighted with the appointment.”
Zanne Domoney-Lyttle said: “I am really looking forward to engaging with local groups in Girvan, and helping projects progress and develop for the benefit of the community. This is an excellent opportunity for myself and for Girvan. I am excited about the possibilities my position with SURF brings.”
Councillor Bob Pollock, Economic Development Portfolio Holder for South Ayrshire Council said: “It’s an exciting time to be involved in the regeneration of Girvan. We are keen to work with as many partners as possible as we push towards improving the town’s public spaces, historic buildings and making the most of all that Girvan has to offer. Congratulations to Zanne, I am sure she will hit the ground running.”
This summer, Zanne will be engaging with Girvan stakeholders to discuss the nature of support that SURF can most usefully offer to local groups. That support will be informed by recent community consultations, which identified several priority action areas, including improving the high street, attracting and retaining tourists, reusing vacant and derelict land and buildings, creating better connections between the town centre and seafront, and generating more economic opportunities for young people.
SURF will establish a Girvan stakeholders mailing list, and provide regular activity updates on local Alliance for Action programme developments. If you would like to be added to this mailing list, please email Zanne at girvan@surf.scot.
