Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all our members and friends.

We are now half way through this session's talks and have settled into our new home at the brand new Kilmarnock Campus of Ayrshire College. 

The new facility is quite different to the old lecture hall in Holehouse Road but we seem to have become used to it now after it all feeling a bit strange at first. 

Attendances are in line with those of previous years. However, the new venue has a larger capacity and, with the seating being arranged horizontally rather than vertically, it seems that we are more spread out. Overall though, the venue is up to date and will suit our needs going forward with a higher quality of equipment available  - and no noisy air conditioning units.

Membership numbers remain strong with just over 100 having paid subscriptions. We also have a number of visitors at most meetings and usually have about 70 to 85 people at each talk. This is the envy of local history groups - thank you for your commitment. Please continue to encourage friends to come along to talks - many visitors do join and we need to maintain and increase or membership levels going forward.

At our last meeting in 2016, members were invited to donate a small cash sum in return for old books and maps we were given by the family of the late John Hood. We are happy to advise that, after a small rounding up, we have forwarded £100 to The Ayrshire Hospice. The 'unsold' books were donated to the Killie Browser at the station and will raise funds for their Trust. Many thanks to all who contributed.