{{More citations needed, date=May 2015 Muirkirk Enterprise Group (MEG) was set up in 1999 with the aim of regenerating the rural village of Muirkirk which was, at one time, labelled the most socially deprived village in Scotland. The ongoing aim of MEG is to regenerate the whole village community to provide sustainability, respect and hope for the village for future generations.

Issues MEG had to address

Muirkirk is a rural village set in the border of East Ayrshire and

South Lanarkshire gd, Siorrachd Lannraig a Deas , image_skyline = , image_flag = , image_shield = Arms_slanarkshire.jpg , image_blank_emblem = Slanarks.jpg , blank_emblem_type = Council logo , image_map ...

with a population of around 1800. At one time Muirkirk was a hive of industry with

coal mining Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from ...

, rail connections and

ironworks An ironworks or iron works is an industrial plant where iron is smelted and where heavy iron and steel products are made. The term is both singular and plural, i.e. the singular of ''ironworks'' is ''ironworks''. Ironworks succeeded bloomeri ...

. The demise of the mines brought widespread unemployment and the village suffered from relatively high levels of

poverty Poverty is the state of having few material possessions or little income. Poverty can have diverse social, economic, and political causes and effects. When evaluating poverty in ...

. Muirkirk was rated as one of the most deprived areas of Scotland by the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2003. At that time the village experienced an unemployment rate of 30 per cent. MEG identified a number of local issues in consultation with the local community. These included: * A lack of community facilities, including provision for young people. * A need for local training for work. * A need for encouragement to seek work. * A need to improve the local environment. * The need to regenerate the local economy and attract inward investment.

MEG's approach to the issues

Muirkirk Enterprise Group designed and developed a large number of projects to improve the physical appearance of the village, encourage tourists and visitors, increase employment opportunities, improve community safety and create a community where people want to live. Projects and developments include: * Two community plantations complemented by a large number of paths and walkways. * Two heritage parks with murals depicting the history of Muirkirk. * Three totem poles depicting different aspects of community life. * An audio tour guide of the village, the first of its kind in Scotland * Two walks brochures promoting the series of walks prepared within the village. * An Environmental Plastic Greenhouse cared for by local school children. * Two

bothy A bothy is a basic shelter, usually left unlocked and available for anyone to use free of charge. It was also a term for basic accommodation, usually for gardeners or other workers on an estate. Bothies are found in remote mountainous areas of Sco ...

s and a bird hide at

Glenbuck Loch Glenbuck ( gd, Gleann Buic) is a small, remote village in East Ayrshire. It is nestled in the hills east of Muirkirk, East Ayrshire, Scotland. Glenbuck Loch The site of the village was slightly to the north-west of Glenbuck "Loch", on the Riv ...

and the Walker's car park. * The establishment of a caravan park with plans to build chalets to boost tourist accommodation. * The refurbishment of buildings providing accommodation business and social purposes * Support for a diverse range of groups and activities including a local learning group and a snooker club attracting young people. * Construction of a skate board park designed in consultation with local young people * An outdoor sports complex with facilities for tennis, volleyball, netball and basketball.

Evidence of success

* Muirkirk is now a place where people want to live. While a few years ago it was almost impossible to sell houses in the area, now all houses that are on the market are sold almost immediately. * A great improvement in the unemployment rate. In 2003, 30 per cent of the population was unemployed, by 2005 this figure had fallen to 10 per cent. * The local crime rate has dropped dramatically in recent years. * Promotion of the village as a tourism venue. It is anticipated that in 2006 around 5000 tourists will have visited Muirkirk to see the various attractions * Muirkirk's regeneration has attracted private investment. * Village features year on year in the Scottish

Calor Gas Awards Calor may refer to: Science * Heat (Latin: ), in thermodynamics, or the human perception of: ** Thermal energy, in physics and engineering ** Temperature, the manifestation of thermal energy * Heat (Latin: ), one of the cardinal signs of inflamm ...

Setting up the project

Muirkirk Enterprise Group was started as an offshoot from Muirkirk Community Council in an effort to regenerate Muirkirk. Most of the Community Councillors are members of the group, which was formed after a public meeting, and the group is composed of all sections of the community and all meetings are advertised and open to any members of the public to attend. In the first instance, the group leased an empty East Ayrshire Council building for £1 a year inviting the East Ayrshire Action Team to come into the building and form a learning group to train people in computer skills. In 2014 current assets have risen from 2013's £19,710 to £25,926.Miurkirk financial report for 2014 http://www.companyannualreport.co.uk/detail/SC238445-muirkirk-enterprise-group

Partnerships

The group is fully involved in partnership working with many public and private organisations including East Ayrshire Council, Scottish Natural Heritage, Scottish Coal,

East Ayrshire Woodlands East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fac ...

and Scottish Enterprise Ayrshire.

References

East Ayrshire