Ayrshire College has won a major award for an initiative to address inequality in the region. 

The education establishment has been given a Green Gown award for its Connecting Communities initiative.

The initiative is a fully sustainable project to address inequality and to improve the quality of life for those in the Ayrshire community.

Ayrshire College won the Benefitting Society award – which it previously won in 2019 – at the UK & Ireland awards ceremony on Thursday, November 30.

The College is now a finalist in the International Green Gown Awards, due to take place in June 2024.

The Green Gown Awards recognise the exceptional sustainability initiatives being undertaken by colleges and universities throughout the UK and Ireland.

Connecting Communities is led by the Sport and Fitness department at Ayrshire College, and allows students to get a full range of experience working with children from pre-school age to hosting the Older Adult Group.

In addition, the college also hosted the largest festival of sport for people with additional support needs in the south of the country; Ayrshire Sportsability.

The College was able to remove potential barriers relating to poverty, including providing free sports kit to participants of the Connecting Community programmes and free packed lunches to everyone at their holiday camps.

Elaine Hutton, Assistant Principal at Ayrshire College, said: “Ayrshire College is delighted to have won the highly prestigious Green Gown Award.

"This coveted accolade highlights that while we may be small, we all have the ability to make significant impact on people’s lives through working with others towards a healthy and sustainable future."