A SOUTH Ayrshire church has won a national award for its 'life-changing' outreach work.

St Quivox Parish Church in Ayr was given the Church and Volunteer Award for Scotland at the 2024 National Church Awards, alongside a prize of £750.

The award recognises the significant contribution of volunteers in caring for and making the most of church resources for community outreach.

This is the first award the church has won, and it was nominated alongside St Mary the Virgin in Hamilton and the Musselburgh Congregational Church.

Reverend John McCutcheon, the church's minister, attended the award ceremony at Lincoln Cathedral in England.

The church runs several community and volunteer projects (Image: Dalmilling Church) He said: "It's an award not just for the church but it is also an acknowledgement of all the hard work that our volunteers are doing within the community.

"We couldn't do most of the things we do without them.

"Ultimately the church is just a building but when God works and his people get involved with what he is doing, things change, lives are transformed, and the church is able to be the living heart of God's kingdom within the community."

Members of the church initially wanted to display the brass plaque outside, but were worried about it getting stolen.

Instead, they'll display it 'pride of place' inside, and are currently deciding where to put it.

St Quivox Parish comprises two churches, which are Auchincruive Church and Dalmilling Church.

Most of the initiatives occur in Dalmilling Church hall, frequented by hundreds of people each week.

It runs several community projects, including a mother and toddlers group called Teddy Bear Tots, which provides a safe space for parents and their children.

The group offers nappies, wipes, and baby food to ensure no one struggles with essential items.

A project called the Community Corner is held every Wednesday afternoon to provide people who might otherwise feel lonely with a warm space to gather, a delicious lunch, and activities like games, music, and crafts.

There is also a disability music group called Wild Rhythm, which meets on Thursdays, providing a platform for around 40 people with seen and unseen disabilities and their carers to enjoy live music.

Kirsty McArdle, a church volunteer, said: "We just thought its not the kind of thing that really happens to us, being just a small church, and there's so many out there that are more lively and bustling, but for it to go to us in an area where there's so much deprivation, it's just unreal.

"I was actually in the church when I got the phone call, and I thought they were calling to tell us we hadn't won.

"I kept waiting until everyone was in and then the minister was the last person through the door, then I announced it to everybody and it was amazing, everyone was just cheering and clapping."