SURF Awards Winner:
Improving Scotland's Places

Located in North Ayrshire, the Ardrossan South Beach Community Space (ASBCS) is based in the South Beach Promenade area of the town. Ardrossan Community Development Trust has a 25-year lease on the space, and it has traditionally been a destination for both Ardrossan residents and visitors alike.

The ASBCS delivers significant and positive impact for the community of Ardrossan, which continues to suffer negative effects from the decline of its shipbuilding, fishing, chemical, and tourism industries, which left a community legacy of economic decline; lack of local employment, training, and skills opportunities, particularly for young people; and a rundown town centre, with empty premises and derelict land.

The development of The Hub on the Prom, a vibrant centre for community, leisure, and seaside fun, has allowed for the establishment of a Community KIOSK, which is providing a range of community activities and services. This includes free access to WiFi, available across the site, enabling visitors to leave comments and reviews. The KIOSK also provides disability wheeler hire, golf equipment hire for use on the 18-hole crazy golf course, and deckchair hire, all of which are free and enhance the visitor experience.

Cyclists can make use of the free to use bike shed, complete with plug sockets for charging electric bikes. With both accessible toilets
Cyclists can make use of the free to use bike shed and fully equipped changing places, the ASBCS ensures that everyone can enjoy all that Ardrossan South Beach has to offer.

The Hub is also home to the Beach House Community Café, which
facilitates community interaction, reduces social isolation, and supports social enterprise. Four colourful beach huts have also been delivered for rental by local businesses, alongside a mobile sauna, contributing to the delivery of community wealth.

The South Beach Play Park offers a welcoming space for families, featuring a
wheelchair swing, accessible play equipment, and a delightful children’s maze. All of these services and facilities are part of the Hub’s promise to make services fun, inclusive, and accessible for everyone.

A key deliverable of the project was to provide employment, training
and volunteering opportunities for the residents of Ardrossan, particularly the most vulnerable members of the community. This includes the creation of six FTE equivalent employment opportunities, 175 local volunteering opportunities, and 100 training opportunities across several sectors, including hospitality, events, and community engagement.

The judges were hugely impressed with the transformation of the neglected and underused seafront area into a vibrant and well maintained community-owned space that welcomes both locals and visitors. The new, energy-efficient community hub and café provides an impressive focal point that is helping to change perceptions of Ardrossan as an attractive place. Led by the community with support from the local authority and housing association, the improved seafront has already delivered physical, economic and social benefits that are a kick-starter for regeneration across the rest of the town.

The judges also welcomed the further exciting work underway, including links with community led initiatives in nearby Saltcoats and Stevenson, ensuring that the South Beach Hub can act as a demonstrator and catalyst for regeneration across the wider area.