Homecoming South Ayrshire 2009

Come Back To Ayrshire

Homecoming On Its Way

Preparations to celebrate the Year of Homecoming pick up a pace as South Ayrshire Council launches its Homecoming Event Support Grant. Homecoming Scotland aims to make Scotland the place to holiday in 2009 and no trip would be complete without a visit to Ayrshire.

Competition for visitors will be fierce. The Homecoming South Ayrshire Grant will facilitate a year round calendar of events, which complements the national Homecoming celebrations, and helps make South Ayrshire the happening place to be in 2009. To keep a track of Ayrshire wide Homecoming events, South Ayrshire Council has launched www.comebacktoayrshire.com and Event Organisers are invited to apply for this free listing.

South Ayrshire Council Provost Winifred Sloan said: "We are looking forward to working with and assisting our community to put together an exciting, year round, calendar of activities for 2009 that particularly build on Burns' birthday celebrations in January and the Open Golf in July plus the Homecoming themes of whisky, ancestry and innovation.

"New events are being added to www.comebacktoayrshire.com every day and it's a great way to keep an eye on what's planned. I would recommend it be added to your 'favourites' list and join me in inviting Homecoming visitors to South Ayrshire to enjoy our year of festivities."

Marie Christie, Homecoming Project Director added: "2009 is the 250th anniversary of Robert Burns' birth and Homecoming Scotland provides a fabulous opportunity to celebrate the significance of Burns within Scottish culture and his influence internationally. By welcoming home Scots and those with a passion for Scotland for a series of high quality events and festivals we anticipate that Homecoming Scotland will provide a boost for us all. We are delighted with the support South Ayrshire has given to Homecoming Scotland and welcome the contribution this will make to the overall success of the year."

Event Support Grant

Are you organising an innovative event for 2009 that will attract tourists and will complement Homecoming Scotland's themes of Robert Burns, Whisky, Golf, Ancenstry and Innovation?

Are you a constituted voluntary organisation, charity or small business?

You may be eligible for financial assistance towards the cost of establishing or developing and marketing your event from South Ayrshire's Homecoming Event Grant scheme. Funding is limited and early application is encouraged.

For further details and to express interest please contact:

Jacqueline Brown,
Funding and Project Support Officer,
Enterprise Service,
South Ayrshire Council,
Burns House,
Ayr KA7 1UT
Tel. 01292 616245