Time capsule ceremony at The Bridge - Dunlop Early Childhood Centre

Acting Head Teacher Mrs Nouillan and the children were joined by Leader of the Council, Councillor Douglas Reid, Councillor Elaine Cowan, Councillor Maureen McKay, local members Councillor Stephen Canning and Councillor Ellen Freel, Linda McAulay-Griffiths, Chief Education Officer and Head of Education, representatives from Facilities and Property Management and the main contractor, Ashleigh (Scotland) Ltd.

All the children from the ECC had been working hard preparing items to be included in the time capsule which includes drawings, a photograph of all the children and staff, and a letter to the ‘Future Finder’. The letter prepared by Mrs Nouillan is a beautiful description of life in 2024 and the village of Dunlop.

Mrs Nouillan said: “We had the perfect day for our time capsule ceremony, with the sun shining on us all. The children loved being part of the ceremony and we have given the time capsule to Ashleigh for it to be buried in a safe location near to our favourite tree.

“I wrote a letter for the time capsule that included information about our village, the children and life in 2024. It actually made me feel excited, nostalgic and a little tearful to write to our ‘Future Finder’ and for us all to be part of Dunlop’s amazing history.”

The ECC, which is called The Bridge, is due for completion in June. The design will ensure that children have access to quality learning opportunities and experiences both indoors and outdoors.

This project is the Council’s first Passivhaus building. This means that the ECC is being built to a world-leading energy efficiency and thermal performance standard. Heat loss from the building will be minimised reducing energy usage and helping the Council move towards achieving sustainability targets while providing an environment with a high standard of internal comfort.

Councillor Cowan, Spokesperson for Education, and Children and Young People said: “It was wonderful to join Dunlop ECC at The Bridge for the time capsule ceremony and to view the progress on site. It was a glorious day and the view of Arran from the mezzanine floor was really lovely. I can’t wait to come back and visit the completed facility once the children have moved in.

“This development builds on our commitment to both tackling the climate emergency, by building to the Passivhaus standard, and ensuring that every young person in East Ayrshire benefits from the very best facilities possible.”