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The Outdoor Partnership works with clubs, schools, individuals, and cross-sector partners to strengthen the conditions that enable people in Ayrshire to achieve their potential through outdoor activities, participation, volunteering, training, and education.

Vincent McWhirter - Outdoor Activity Development Officer Ayrshire

Vincent McWhirter is our Outdoor Activity Development Officer in Ayrshire.

If you’d like to know more, or if you’re an outdoor activities club interested in getting involved, you’re welcome to contact Vincent: vincent.mcwhirter@outdoorpartnership.co.uk.

Or you can keep up to date by following Ayrshire’s Facebook account.

Since 2020, The Outdoor Partnership has been bringing people and organisations together across Ayrshire to create more opportunities and lasting impact. Here’s a quick look at what we’ve achieved lately…

South Ayrshire Young Carers Programme

Thanks to funding from South Ayrshire Council Locality Planning Fund, we delivered a range of outdoor activities for local young carers, including sailing, paddleboarding, beach days, adventure sessions and activity days at Dolphin House and Culzean Country Park.

Across six localities, around 500 young people took part, with over 1,000 adults and young people attending CAyrFest.

The programme gave young carers a chance to take a break, try new experiences and enjoy the outdoors, with excellent participation and feedback.

Click here to find out more: Locality Planning funding evaluation report – Young Carers

 

TNLCF Short Video - South Ayrshire Young Carers
Volunteer Development Programme

Two-Day Outdoor ITC First Aid Course 2026

We recently delivered a highly successful ITC Outdoor First Aid Course at 28th Troon Scouts, run by Iain Riddell Training. This two‑day course equips volunteers and outdoor leaders with the essential skills and confidence needed to manage first aid situations in remote and outdoor environments.

The training forms part of our ongoing volunteer development programme, supporting safe and enjoyable outdoor adventures across our community. This initiative is delivered in partnership with the Troon Watersports Hub, helping strengthen local capability across outdoor activities and water‑based sports.

Thanks to funding from South Ayrshire Council Locality Planning, we are able to provide high‑quality skills development opportunities that directly support outdoor learning, adventure sports, and community engagement.

If you’d like to learn more about upcoming courses or explore partnership opportunities, please get in touch — we’d be delighted to support your training needs.

Health and Well-Being Programme

TOP Ayrshire has been working with NHS Ayrshire & Arran and The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) to deliver a series of six-week outdoor wellbeing programmes, providing patients and residents with access to guided nature walks and outdoor experiences. 

Building on learning from The Outdoor Partnership’s health and wellbeing programmes across Wales, this project demonstrates how outdoor activity can become part of a wider approach to supporting health and wellbeing. By bringing together health services, community organisations and outdoor providers, the programme is creating stronger referral pathways, increasing access to nature-based support, and helping partners recognise the value of outdoor activity in improving wellbeing. This collaborative approach is strengthening local connections and helping embed outdoor opportunities within longer-term health and community support. 

Click here to read the Wellbeing in Nature Report: Wellbeing In Nature_TCV_Report2026

East Ayrshire Skiff Building Project at Loch Doon

From 2024-2025, we worked with young people and adult volunteering from Doon Academy and local volunteers to build St Ayles Skiff rowing boat for creation of a rowing club on Loch Doon.

The new Loch Doon Rowing Club launched a boat in October 2025, marked by a well‑attended gathering on the shores of Loch Doon and other local club Girvan Coastal Rowing Club. The event was joined by local councillor and boat builder Drew Filson, along with retired joiner Ian Clarke, who were both instrumental in building  the boat ‘Spitfire’ with pupils from Doon academy. Vincent McWhirter, TOP Development Officer, supported the project by securing grant funding and providing ongoing guidance. Volunteers from Troon Coastal Rowing Club also played an important role, offering valuable assistance throughout the boat‑building process.

 

The long-term aim is to have growing rowing club membership and a waters sports hub on the banks of Loch Doon.
LEAP Programme Descriptor 2026 +
LEAP Programme Descriptor 2026+
7 MB, PDF
The Arran Leadership, Education and Adventure Programme

The Arran Primary Schools Adventure Programme 2025 delivered an inspiring outdoor learning experience for young people across the island. Developed using learning from successful Outdoor Partnership programmes in Wales, and delivered in partnership with Arran Outdoor Education Centre, P6 pupils from all Arran primary schools took part in an exciting eight-week journey of leadership, adventure and personal development. 

The programme formed the culmination of LEAP (Leadership, Education and Adventure Programme), an initiative designed to build confidence, leadership, teamwork and resilience through meaningful outdoor experiences. Beyond supporting young people, the programme has strengthened collaboration between schools, outdoor learning providers and local partners, helping outdoor learning become a more valued and accessible part of young people’s development. 

Joint funding from TNLCF, Nuclear Restoration Services and North Ayrshire Active Schools helped ensure equitable access to high-quality outdoor learning for all pupils, creating a model that can continue to benefit future generations of young people across Arran. 

LEAP - Girvan and Carrick Academy

In partnership with The Dolphin House Outdoor Education Activity Centre, Culzean, senior pupils from Girvan and Carrick Academy participated in the Leadership, Education, Adventure Programme (LEAP) in Spring 2025.

The Dolphin House delivered sessions where participants took part in national governing body awards – such as mountain training hill skills award, paddle UK canoeing awards, mountain biking awards, national navigation award (NNAS), first aid, level 1 bike maintenance.

Young people also took part in outdoor adventure activities such as sailing, yacht ‘Taeping’ with Ocean Sailing Scotland, archery, caving, gorge walking, and team building activities.

Duke of Edinburgh's Gold Award Sailing Residential 2025

The Outdoor Partnership Ayrshire are really pleased to offer to all Ayrshire local authorities a combined DofE sailing residential.

Thanks to funding from Hillhouse Quarry trust the Duke of Edinburgh award The Outdoor Partnership Adventure program 10 young people had a great experience sailing from Inverkip Marina up to Oban and through the Crinan Canal over 5 days.

Young people had full control of the yacht under guidance from ocean sailing Scotland staff and learnt how to navigate, helm the boat put up sails, work as a team and feed one another.

 

South Ayrshire Snorkel Trails - 2024
2 MB, PDF

North Ayrshire Divers Scuba Club

The Outdoor Partnership, Ayrshire are pleased to work with North Ayrshire Divers Scuba club to grow their club membership and promote Scuba Diving on the great Ayrshire and Scottish coast. An exhilarating sport for all which "Opens the Doors to the Outdoors, under water".
The Ayrshire Intergenerational Boat Building Project 2023
The Outdoor Partnership were very pleased to be awarded the 'Generations Working Together' Excellence Award for 2023. This project over 3 years working with young people with Ayr Academy and older members of the community in an intergenerational boat building project. 3 new traditional St Ayles Skiff were built and launched over 2024 and 2025.