Address:
Ayr Battalion Headquarters
8 Limekiln Road
AYR
KA8 8DG
Contact:
Phone: 07709 715545
Previous entries from our Company Spotlight page giving some insight into individual Companies and their activities, shortcut buttons below display each Company;
The Company has been at St James' Parish Church since 1902 and to commemorate our Centenary in 2002, we marked the occasion with the dedication of our new Colours. The Company at present has good numbers of boys attending which indicates that we offer a good and varied programme for boys.
The Company meets on Friday nights (September – May) at St James' Church Hall. There are three sections – Anchor Boys, Junior Section and Company Section. Details of the three sections are as follows.
ANCHOR BOYS (6pm – 7pm) This is for boys in Primary 2 & 3 (ages 6 – 8).
JUNIOR SECTION (6.45pm – 8.15pm) This is for boys in Primaries 4, 5 & 6 (ages 8 – 11).
COMPANY SECTION (8.15pm – 10pm) This is for boys in Primary 7 and secondary school (ages 11 – 18).
The Company is very active, with all Sections participating in all Battalion Competitions and events. A high standard of badge work is encouraged, from Gold badge at Junior Section to the Company Discovery Scheme, Challenge Awards, Presidents and Queen's Badge Award. The Company is very active, with all Sections participating in all Battalion Competitions and events.
Last year we had one Boy gaining the Queen's Badge and this year we had three boys - our largest number for a few years. Last year 36 Boys and Leaders attended an adventure weekend at Lockerbie Manor - this proved a successful event with some of the younger boys claiming their best holiday ever !! We also had some of Junior Section Boys & Leaders attend the JS Sleepover in Glasgow Science Centre last year. We also support the Church by attending various services during the year, these included the Dedication Service, Remembrance Day Service & Christmas Gift Service (gifts donated to local childrens’ charities). We also received good support from the Church via Elders visits to each section and also support at events we hold.
This year the Company had the honour of hosting the annual Battalion Church Parade & Service on Sunday 30th April 2017 and the Battalion AGM on Wednesday 7th June 2017.
The 1st Alloway Company, The Boys' Brigade enrolled during 1978 in the village hall. The first Captain of this Company was Mr. Ronald Breingan. The Company continues to run in Alloway with all sections meeting on a Friday evening from the end of August to the middle of May.
Anchor Boys P2, P3 meet in Alloway Primary School from 6.00pm to 7.15pm.
Junior Section P4, P5 & P6 meet in Alloway Primary School from 6.45pm to 8.15pm.
Company Section P7 & all Academy ages meet in Alloway Primary School from 7.30pm to 10pm.
The Company is very active, with all Sections participating in all Battalion Competitions and events. A high standard of badge work is encouraged, from Gold badge at Junior Section to the Company Discovery Scheme, Challenge Awards, Presidents, Duke of Edinburgh Award and Queens Badge.
The newly formed Pipe band is on the expansion, with tutoring for drumming and chanters taking place on Fridays between 6pm and 7.30pm - this is open to all Junior and Company members. Two offshoots of the band are a String Quartet and a Rock Band. Bandsmen have been involved in many civic/council activities, Flag Day for Heroes, Commonwealth baton, Olympic torch, Burns birthday and community events
1st Alloway supports and are participants in the Ayr Flower Show, Scotland's Largest Flower Show. Staff and boys, run the fun fayre, fill the role of Stewards and a tremendous amount of behind the scenes work to ensure the event runs smoothly.
Santa's Sleigh has made the annual tour of Alloway/Doonfoot for the past 15 years, raising an incredible £21,000 which has been donated to charities of the boys request. During the session the sections are involved in various fund raising projects with cheques presented to: Clic Sargent, Autism Scotland, Ayr Hospice, SAAS, Brain Tumour and our Church halls fund. Total donated last year:£3,400
This year 1st Alloway Company has the honour of hosting the Annual Battalion Church Parade and Service on Sunday 26th April. The Parade will leave Alloway Primary School at 10.30am to arrive at the Church for the 11am Service.
The 12th Ayr Boys’ Brigade Company enrolled on 7th April 1925 followed by the Life Boys and the Junior Section enrolling on 10th April 1956. The first Captain of this Company was Mr William Ferguson Thomson. The Company has continued to run in Coylton with all sections meeting on a Wednesday evening from the end of August to the middle of May.
Anchor Boys – P2, P3 & P4 meet in Coylton Church hall from 6.30pm to 7.30pm.
Junior Section – P5, P6 & P7 meet in Coylton Primary School from 6.30pm to 8pm.
Company Section – all Academy ages meet in Coylton Primary School from 7pm to 9pm.
We are a very active Company and as well as the brigade badge work we provide a variety of activities both indoors and out. Extras we have done over the past year have included archery, golf range, 10 pin bowling, laser quest, Kidz Play, a soup lunch fund raiser and sponsored obstacle course evenings. Outdoors we have camped at Culzean, walked over hills at Glentrool, woodland activity day at Auchincruive and we are ending the year with Company Section going on an adventure activity weekend at Newcastleton.
During the Winter Olympics all sections of our company spent an enjoyable evening talking to Margaret Agnew (Morton) MBE, 2002 Olympic Curling Gold Medallist about her experiences of being part of Team GB. We followed this by the boys attending a curling coaching session at Ayr Ice Rink.
The staff at 12th Ayr has even tried their hand at writing and producing a few short Pantos were both staff and the boys have shown their creative talents.
This year 12th Ayr Boys’ Brigade has the honour of hosting the Annual Battalion Church Parade & Service on Sunday 27th April. The Parade will leave Coylton Primary School at 2.10pm to arrive at Coylton Parish Church for the Service at 2.30pm.
12th Ayr Company will also be hosting the Ayr Battalion AGM in Coylton Church Hall on Wednesday 4th June 2014.
The 7th Ayr Boys' Brigade Company were a hundred years old in November 2012. To celebrate the Boys and Leaders from the Company went on a holiday weekend to London in September 2012.
A special Centenary Service was held on Sunday 18th November 2012 at Newton Wallacetown Church, Main Street, Ayr. This was a very successful day with a great turn out from former members and after the service a celebration lunch was held in the Church Halls.
One of their former members,The Rev Ian Paterson now retired and formerly of Linlithgow assisted the minister Rev S Birse. The Colour Party consisted of former members who were all Queens Mens (the highest award you can gain in the Boys' Brigade). Cameron Kelly of our Company Section was presented with his President's Award by Mrs Gillian Hay, Ayr Battalion President, this is the second highest award and he also received a message of congratulations from Sir Alex Ferguson of Man United, himself a former Boys' Brigade Boy (not one of ours though!!)
A former BB,David 'Heavy' Whalley MBE, son of a former minister at Newton Mr Bill Whalley spoke to the congregation during lunch held afterwards in the Church Halls and expressed his delight at such a successful day and how pleased he was to catch up with 'old friends'.
A plaque was put up in the Church to commemorate the occasion.
To help celebrate the centenary of the 7th Ayr Company the Battalion Church Parade & Service will be held in Newton Wallacetown Church on Sunday 28th April 2013. Hopefully there will be a good turnout of Boys, Leaders and Guests on the day. The Interim Moderator, Rev Betty Smith will conduct the Service.
Also the Battalion will have their AGM at Newton Wallacetown Church Halls on Wednesday 5th June 2013.
Fiona Weir - Company Captain
Ayr Battalion Headquarters
8 Limekiln Road
AYR
KA8 8DG
Phone: 07709 715545