A NEW memorial to those who have lost their lives during the pandemic has been unveiled in Ardrossan.

Rising Strong is part memorial, part art installation at Ardrossan Memorial Gardens in Glasgow Street and it also has an accompanying website and memorial page for people in the Three Towns to

remember their loved ones too.

The project, which saw pupils from St Matthew’s Academy and Ardrossan Academy help design the memorial, was funded through the Three Towns Locality PB Fund and the funds this year were allocated from North Ayrshire Council and North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership. It is aimed at offering people somewhere to sit and take a moment to reflect and also take time to help them focus on the future and moving on from the pandemic and getting used to life out of lockdown too.

On Friday, pupils from both schools joined MSP Kenneth Gibson MP Patricia Gibson and representatives from groups in the Three Towns as well as members of the British Legion to watch the memorial being unveiled.

Speaking at the unveiling, MP Patricia Gibson said: “We all need to take a moment, take a breath.

“We’ve all lost something: education, jobs, social contact, certainty and sadly, some of us have lost friends and family.

“And there hasn’t been the time or space to take stock of our losses, that is why this memorial, Rising Strong, is a place where we can all pause and remember..

“Rising Strong also links us to resources that will help us deal with loss and care for ourselves through breathing, mindfulness and resilience exercises and I welcome it being in Ardrossan for everyone in the area to go along and take time out to reflect and breathe.”