The Carrick Centre in Maybole has elected a woman to run the Ayrshire charity for the first time in its history.

On Monday, October 25 Marguerite Hunter Blair was voted unanimously as the new chair for the board, following the retirement of former chair Peter Lynn.

The Carrick Centre was launched in January 2012, with £300,000 of its costs funded by The Church of Scotland. It is unique in being a community centre open for all age groups during the week and a church on Sundays.

Now in its ninth year, the charity works in partnership with key organisations and groups to provide the required services across North Carrick.

Speaking about being elected as the first woman chair in the centre’s nine year history, Marguerite said: “I am delighted to be the new chair of The Carrick Centre Board of Directors. These are challenging times and I look forward to building on the success of my predecessors.

“This is a huge honour and I look forward to continuing the amazing work of my predecessors in supporting the staff, volunteers and communities of North Carrick.”

“I welcome the opportunity to work more closely with the Centre Team to advance the great work carried out to support the communities of North Carrick.”

Lady Hunter Blair has been a director at the centre since July 2016.

She added: “The job satisfaction of working in a charity is wonderful because we really do make a difference.”

At the same meeting the board also elected vice chair Deirdre Cuthbertson, a music teacher and former nursery head. She joins the board’s new secretary Paula Lennox, who jointly runs a health and safety company and is a former dancer who once trod the boards of the Moulin Rouge in Paris.