Ayrshire: Creative Carrick photography competition returns

Residents can enter their best Carrick photo for a chance to win a share of £900 of Scotland Loves Local South Ayrshire Gift Cards.

And the themes this year's competiton, which ends on July 28, include My Favourite Place in Carrick and Off The Beaten Track

North Carrick Community Benefit Company (NCCBC) and Go Girvan have teamed up for this year's competiton.

The four categories for the photography competition include Bruce Country, celebrating the upcoming 750th anniversary of the birth of Robert the Bruce.

Water and Wildlife focuses on the Carrick natural environment, including wildlife and coastline.

Off the Beaten Track highlights adventure, escape and exploration whilst My Favourite Place in Carrick can feature photos of anything from favourite walks to favourite local businesses.

Each category will have a first and second place winner, receiving a £100 and £50 South Ayrshire Gift Card respectively.

The four first place winners will also be in with the chance of being crowned the overall winner, with a £300 South Ayrshire Gift Card prize. All winners will also have the chance to have their work displayed in Carrick.   

With similar aims of promoting tourism in the region, Go Girvan and NCCBC believe their collaboration on the Creative Carrick competition can showcase the best of Carrick, with photography used to promote the region.

Zanne from Go Girvan said they are encouraging residents to let their imaginations run free with their photo entries.

She said: “In Carrick, we’re fortunate to be blessed with fascinating history, award winning beaches, UNESCO World Heritage Sites as well as being part of the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere, and, and we can’t wait to see this represented through the competition entries.

"We’re also encouraging residents to think slightly differently about what they love about the area, particularly in the My Favourite Place in Carrick category, which could be inside their local coffee shop or even their favourite dish at their local restaurant.”

This desire to showcase the best of local is behind the decision to use the South Ayrshire Gift Card as prizes in the competition.

Claire Bryan, assistant manager at NCCBC, said that the initiative builds on their community wealth building aims.

She added: "NCCBC is a charity focused on improving and regenerating North Carrick, including developing tourism.

"The Creative Carrick photography competition will shine a spotlight on Carrick’s many charms, and using the South Ayrshire Gift Card as prizes shines a spotlight on our businesses.

"The South Ayrshire Gift Card is the natural choice for prizes, because it builds on our previous work with the Scotland Loves Local campaign and keeps spend local, aiding community wealth building.”

Over 190 businesses are currently part of the South Ayrshire Gift Card. Around 9900 households in South Ayrshire were issued with a £50 Scotland Loves Local South Ayrshire Gift Card by South Ayrshire Council in 2022 to help with the cost-of-living crisis.

Councillor Bob Pollock, South Ayrshire Council’s portfolio holder for economic development, said: "It is fantastic to see local groups coming together with creative initiatives to showcase the best of South Ayrshire, encourage the visitor economy and underpin community wealth building principles by using South Ayrshire Gift Cards as prizes.  

"The South Ayrshire Gift card is a good prize for anyone who wins because of the wide variety of local places where the card can be spent including at great local restaurants, shops, cafes, bars and leisure sites.

"I wish all entrants the very best of luck and look forward to seeing winning submissions displayed in Carrick.”

The competition closes at 5pm on July 28.

For more information visit: https://nccbc.org.uk/creative-carrick-photography-competition/ or https://gogirvan.co.uk/news-and-events/carrick-photography-competition/.