akp has completed the first stage of works on the £200,000 refurbishment of Springhill Care Home in Kilmarnock.

The restoration included mechanical and electrical upgrades, structural repairs, re-roofing works, stone repairs and alterations, installation of beautiful new sash windows throughout and a full redecoration.

East Ayrshire's Provost, Councillor Jim Todd, officially reopened the care home in a ribbon-cutting ceremony earlier this week.

The Provost was joined by Eileen Welch, Springhill's Home Manager, and several of the home's 60 residents who enjoyed the celebrations.

Springhill Care Home is a Georgian B listed building which was built as a family home (Springhill House) in 1830 by Archibald Finnie, one of the main employers in Kilmarnock during one of Ayrshire's golden ages of commerce.

The reopening marks the first stage of an investment in the building by new owners Silverline Care, who took over the management of the care home in July 2017.

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Councillor Jim Todd, Provost of East Ayrshire, said: "What a wonderful way to celebrate a person's life by keeping that person active through constant care. Silverline Care have invested in a much-loved Springhill House to provide constructive lifestyle for all residents at the home and all of the staff provide a first-class care package."

Tim Bolot, Silverline Care's Chief Executive, commented: "Silverline Care aims to become the leading care provider in each of the local communities we serve. So we are very proud to have been able to restore Springhill Care Home, a building which we know means a great deal to the people of Kilmarnock.

"This is just the first stage in our refurbishment journey at Springhill as we will be carrying out substantial work over the next two years as part of a £200,000 overall investment. We hope that the addition of the cook school, residents' salon and beautiful gardens will not only enhance the enjoyments of our residents but also provide greater peace of mind for their relatives."

Ian McEwan, akp Joint Managing Director added: "Working on a listed building, such as Springhill, always provides an extra element of project satisfaction and we have thoroughly enjoyed delivering this refurbishment. Being involved in giving a building a new lease of life is always rewarding, but there was an additional sense of satisfaction with this job as we became invested in the lives of the residents during the works, talking with them on a daily basis, so when handing over the extensive refurbishment of the building, we knew how much it would benefit those residents moving forward."

(CM/MH)