Ayrshire College Foundation Newsletter Issue 4 | Page 3

I understand the Foundation has now provided
funding for various projects at Ayrshire College as
part of the Innovation Fund, what advice would
you give to anyone else thinking of applying to the
Innovation Fund?
Everything starts with a great idea. If you are passionate
and committed, go for it. Always remember to do your
research, take advice and be prepared for challenges.
Ask yourself, can you convince and demonstrate
to others your project’s potential to succeed and if
someone brought it to you, would you invest?
Reflecting on the achievements of the Ayrshire
College Foundation, what are you most proud of?
I have enjoyed working with an amazing range of
people from different disciplines, with a great focus
and common goal. It is fantastic and fascinating to hear
different perspectives on projects and then coming
together in unity for the better good. Also, reflecting on
the completed development and upgrades of student
facilities that have been carried out across the various
campuses, we now have an incredible resource across
all the Ayrshire College campuses.
Opening
Ayrshire College’s new training
restaurant at its Ayr Campus is officially
open for business.
The ‘Inver’ restaurant was opened by Ayrshire
College Foundation Chair, Tracey Stark, and Bill
Costley, Ayrshire College board member and
owner of the Costley & Costley restaurants and
hotels.
Inver is now available for public reservations every
afternoon from 12pm-1:30pm and during some
Tuesday and Thursday evenings for special events
during term time.
The restaurant allows the College’s hospitality
students based at the Ayr Campus to hone their
cooking and serving skills on a daily basis in a real-
life restaurant environment.
As it is a training environment, guests of the
restaurant are able to benefit from the pricing
structure in place at the restaurant. Three courses
start from only £8.50 at Inver, which uses the
freshest local ingredients.
The town of Ayr was historically known as
‘Inverayr’, meaning “mouth of the River Ayr”. The
College took this into consideration when naming
the restaurant ‘Inver’ - as the restaurant’s position
within the Dam Park building offers beautiful views
of the river.
The restaurant was funded by the Ayrshire College
Foundation. The Ayrshire College Foundation was
set up to advance education by providing financial
support for projects and activities carried out and
supported by Ayrshire College.
Bill Costley said “We’re delighted to be part of
these inspirational college facilities. It’s a wonderful
opportunity for young people to develop their
skills. The Inver restaurant will be the perfect
environment to showcase their abilities.”