Elaine Stewart Member of Parliament

Elaine is not just the MP for Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock, she has deep roots in the community and a direct involvement with the Coalfields Community Landscape Partnership.

Born and raised in the heart of the Ayrshire coalfields, Elaine felt a calling to serve her community and was a popular councillor for many years.

During the Covid 19 lockdown she responded to an advertisement and applied to be the Ayrshire manager for the Coalfields Regeneration Trust.

On appointment Elaine set to work on the “Connecting Communities” plan which was funded by the CCLP. Elaine's initial question to herself was how to blend the project with her council experience, but there was an immediate problem to overcome. Lockdown.

In an effort to control the Covid 19 pandemic restrictions were put in place to limit the spread of the disease. This meant that everyone was urged to stay at home unless absolutely necessary. Masks had to be worn while in public, businesses and schools closed and meetings or social gatherings were banned for the foreseeable future.

Everyone was affected so working from home became the new normal. People needed connections more than ever so the project began with phone calls, emails and online meetings using Google Teams or Zoom calls.

The project began with reviving a project for a downhill mountain bike track at Auchenroy Hill on the Craigmillan estate that had run into difficulties and stalled. The original bid was written ten years previously. There was documentation and funding in place so Elaine helped facilitate the transformation of the project into an all access cycling track and the transfer of the management of that to the Dalmellington Partnership.

The Cumnock History group and the Lugar Church also had projects that were ripe for early intervention and assistance.