{{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 Muirkirk () is a small village in East Ayrshire, southwest Scotland. It is located on the north bank of the River Ayr, between Cumnock and Glenbuck on the A70. Conservation The Muirkirk & North Lowther Uplands Special Protection Area was s ...

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 East Ayrshire (; ) is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland. It shares borders with Dumfries and Galloway, East Renfrewshire, North Ayrshire, South Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire. The headquarters of the council are located on London Roa ...

and

South Lanarkshire South Lanarkshire (; ) is one of 32 unitary authorities of Scotland. It borders the south-east of the Glasgow City council area and contains some of Greater Glasgow's suburban towns, as well as many rural towns and villages. It also shares bor ...

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

coal mining Coal mining is the process of resource extraction, extracting coal from the ground or from a mine. Coal is valued for its Energy value of coal, energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to Electricity generation, generate electr ...

, 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 bloome ...

. The demise of the mines brought widespread

unemployment Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is the proportion of people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for work du ...

and the village suffered from relatively high levels of

poverty Poverty is a state or condition in which an individual lacks the financial resources and essentials for a basic standard of living. Poverty can have diverse Biophysical environmen ...

. Muirkirk was rated as one of the most deprived areas of Scotland by the

Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation A deprivation index or poverty index (or index of deprivation or index of poverty) is a data set to measure relative deprivation (a measure of poverty) of small areas. Such indices are used in spatial epidemiology to identify socio-economic con ...

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 bothies and a

bird hide A bird hide (blind or bird blind in North America) is a shelter, often camouflaged, that is used to observe wildlife, especially birds, at close quarters. Although hides or hunting blinds were once built chiefly as hunting aids, they are now comm ...

at Glenbuck Loch and the Walker's

car park A parking lot or car park (British English), also known as a car lot, is a cleared area intended for parking vehicles. The term usually refers to an area dedicated only for parking, with a durable or semi-durable surface. In most jurisdic ...

. * 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 In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in Can ...

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.

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 East Ayrshire Council (Scottish Gaelic: ''Comhairle Shiorrachd Inbhir Àir an Ear'') is the political body covering the East Ayrshire local authority created in 1995, comprising nine wards, each electing three of four local councillors through th ...

Scottish Natural Heritage NatureScot () is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government responsible for Scotland’s natural heritage, especially its natural, genetic and scenic diversity. It advises the Scottish Government on nature conservati ...

, Scottish Coal, East Ayrshire Woodlands and Scottish Enterprise Ayrshire.

References

East Ayrshire