Meet the Team

Stephen McCarron

Chief Operating Officer

Chloe Findlay

My first involvement began a few years back when I saw an advert on Facebook. Being curious, I searched online and was immediately hooked by The 9CC Group’s key themes and priorities: Creating an active, entrepreneurial, connected, and Net Zero community - with a focus on children and young people.

I hadn’t realised just how much they would be doing for each of our communities and their vision and values were even greater than my expectations.

Financial Officer

So, after seven years at Tesco, where I’d been a Team Leader running the cash office and financial reports for the Auchinleck and Ayr branches, I joined as an administrator before also becoming Finance Officer. Essentially my role is overseeing the smooth running of the operation; managing and co-ordinating Community Benefit income and all grant payments; liaising with communities and local groups; the website – and, of course, making my boss Stephen’s life easier.
I’ve lived in Logan all my 28 years and have two babies – my beautiful Staffies who need constant love and attention. For 21 of those years, my neighbour has been 9CCG treasurer Tony Esquierdo. That puts an added pressure on getting those sums right!
Why you are part of The 9CC Group?
I’m really excited by the huge opportunities Community Benefit will bring to Cumnock & Doon Valley and I want to make a positive difference, particularly for youngsters coming out of school and my own generation.
Dealing with each community and all the grant applications gives me a greater perspective on their needs and hopes and why it is so important everyone benefits. I’m proud of what we have achieved through the 9CCG’s inclusive and collective vision. It’s inspiring seeing how much of an impact grants can have on recipients and their groups.
What is your strategic vision for Cumnock & Doon Valley?
To ensure Community Benefits make a difference to all our communities and for every generation. Having a funding matrix which is fair and equitable means each community benefits both individually and collectively as part of strategic investments.
What are the key priorities for your community?
· Delivering a lasting strategic legacy across all nine communities: Auchinleck; Patna; Ochiltree & Skares; New Cumnock; Netherthird; Cronberry, Logan & Lugar; Drongan, Rankinston & Stair; Dalmellington; and Cumnock.
· Creating jobs and more skilled career opportunities for kids leaving schools . There are limited opportunities to stay local unless you go into care and hospitality work or go to college and university. The new apprenticeship partnerships with Emergency One and Egger are brilliant steps in the right direction.
· Growing our tourism offering and, with it, the jobs and economic growth that will bring prosperity and encourage people to stay.
· Supporting all the smaller organisations that have a vital impact in their communities.
· Providing more for youngsters to do but ensuring they have a say and take greater pride in building and creating that offering. I am still close to my old school friends from Cumnock Academy and they are not shy in sharing their hopes and ambitions and we need to tap into that.
What is the best thing about your area?
Being from a small rural community. We all look out for each other and are nicer and friendlier than perhaps the big towns and cities. We are all friends who share the same history, culture, background and hopes. That’s also the ethos behind the 9CCG which pulls us all together for the collective, greater good.

I hadn’t realised just how much they would be doing for each of our communities and their vision and values were even greater than my expectations.

So, after seven years at Tesco, where I’d been a Team Leader running the cash office and financial reports for the Auchinleck and Ayr branches, I joined as an administrator before also becoming Finance Officer. Essentially my role is overseeing the smooth running of the operation; managing and co-ordinating Community Benefit income and all grant payments; liaising with communities and local groups; the website – and, of course, making my boss Stephen’s life easier.
I’ve lived in Logan all my 28 years and have two babies – my beautiful Staffies who need constant love and attention. For 21 of those years, my neighbour has been 9CCG treasurer Tony Esquierdo. That puts an added pressure on getting those sums right!
Why you are part of The 9CC Group?
I’m really excited by the huge opportunities Community Benefit will bring to Cumnock & Doon Valley and I want to make a positive difference, particularly for youngsters coming out of school and my own generation.
Dealing with each community and all the grant applications gives me a greater perspective on their needs and hopes and why it is so important everyone benefits. I’m proud of what we have achieved through the 9CCG’s inclusive and collective vision. It’s inspiring seeing how much of an impact grants can have on recipients and their groups.
What is your strategic vision for Cumnock & Doon Valley?
To ensure Community Benefits make a difference to all our communities and for every generation. Having a funding matrix which is fair and equitable means each community benefits both individually and collectively as part of strategic investments.
What are the key priorities for your community?
· Delivering a lasting strategic legacy across all nine communities: Auchinleck; Patna; Ochiltree & Skares; New Cumnock; Netherthird; Cronberry, Logan & Lugar; Drongan, Rankinston & Stair; Dalmellington; and Cumnock.
· Creating jobs and more skilled career opportunities for kids leaving schools . There are limited opportunities to stay local unless you go into care and hospitality work or go to college and university. The new apprenticeship partnerships with Emergency One and Egger are brilliant steps in the right direction.
· Growing our tourism offering and, with it, the jobs and economic growth that will bring prosperity and encourage people to stay.
· Supporting all the smaller organisations that have a vital impact in their communities.
· Providing more for youngsters to do but ensuring they have a say and take greater pride in building and creating that offering. I am still close to my old school friends from Cumnock Academy and they are not shy in sharing their hopes and ambitions and we need to tap into that.
What is the best thing about your area?
Being from a small rural community. We all look out for each other and are nicer and friendlier than perhaps the big towns and cities. We are all friends who share the same history, culture, background and hopes. That’s also the ethos behind the 9CCG which pulls us all together for the collective, greater good.

Meet the Board

Alex Baird

9CCG Chairperson | Ochiltree & Skares Community Council

Rae Smith

Like most communities, we have been scarred by the failures of the past to create a legacy from regeneration money awarded following the closure of the coal mines. There is nothing to show today from what little we got from the Minerals Trust.

So, when I was asked to join the 9CCG in the early days, I was delighted because I wanted to ensure our community benefitted from the vast sums of wind farm benefit coming our way.

9CCG Secretary | Dalmellington Community Council

The community council chair Lorraine Mair was a founder of the 9CCG with Alex Baird and Stephen McCarron but being a publican and also a development officer for Dalmellington Parish Development Trust she was too busy to give it the attention and focus it needed. I gladly stepped in as, having stayed here all my life, I want to make a difference and build a better future for us all.
I’m vice chair of the community council and, after working in heavy goods and transport I left to manage the community centre six years ago. I’ve been volunteering, helping local groups, football teams and organisations as well as managing the community centre so I know the difference these facilities make to the quality of people’s lives.
My wife Sharon is a development officer with Dalmellington Parish Development Trust and we both want to make a positive difference wherever we can.
Why you are part of The 9CC Group?
I was anti-windfarm initially but with the pro windfarm Scottish Government deciding on approval for any site with more than 50 megawatts and not local communities, I knew we had to focus instead on embracing community benefit investment from these developments.
We have a fantastic opportunity to learn the mistakes of the past and build a lasting legacy by working together and not against each other. That drives all of us at the 9CCG and we want to see that money spent wisely and well.
Every day I see the huge impact quality community facilities bring to so many people. We run events and activities including weddings, tea dances and regular health screenings and services. We simply couldn’t do that without multi-year funding grant from the 9CCG. The money invested in the area already, from buying the bowling club and church, and renovating and refurbishing facilities has been brilliant for people of all ages in our community.
Anyone who is interested in community benefit needs to get involved, even if just to see how that money is being invested and one of the key strengths of the 9CCG is that we are fully transparent about everything we do. There is no secret behind our spend and the value it brings.
What is your strategic vision for Cumnock & Doon Valley?
We need to think big and think strategic. Dalmellington has been doing that for years and we are now on our third Priority Action Plan only this time there is money to help us deliver a lasting legacy.
We simply cannot afford to waste this opportunity and that means working closely together and sharing a common vision which embraces each community.
What are the key priorities for your community?
· Jobs is the key difference maker. Local employment brings prosperity, keeps people in the area and provides the platform for a better future.
· Supporting community facilities . They are vital and mean everything to people - from providing activities to helping with social isolation and improving mental health and wellbeing. Too many have closed through lack of funding and we need to ensure they are sustainable.
· Growing tourism for the wider area: extending the railway, an Eco museum and outdoor activity centres will all bring in people and create jobs. We need to help the wider area reach its full potential and that requires each community to do their bit.
· Investing in education and training. We have helped 290 people over the last three years through 20 different schemes providing support, but we need to do much more. Tradespeople are few and far between, so I’m delighted to see our apprenticeship partnership with Egger to help young people gain the skills for a quality job.
What is the best thing about your area?
No question about it – our people. This is the friendliest place ever and if you need anything just chap the doors and they will help you.
There are also 40 different groups in the area, from fishing to football. Not to mention the bonus of having beautiful scenery and walks.

I represent the Ochiltree and Skares Community Council, having made Ochiltree my home since the early 2000s.

Over the years, my roots in the community have deepened, both personally and professionally. Alongside my involvement with the 9CCG, my wife Roberta and I have been trustees of the Ochiltree Community Hub since 2013 where along with the other trustees we raised £1.82m to build this fantastic facility for the village.

Roberta and I have been married since 1970, and together we’ve raised our son Colin and daughter Claire. Our family has grown to include our grandchildren, Jack, Joseph, and the youngest Eve, who is at Ochiltree Primary School.
My career journey began when I left school at fifteen, serving an apprenticeship in the motor trade and working my way up from technician to general manager of a Jaguar and Land Rover dealership until my retirement in 2013. That early opportunity to gain skills and build a career underpins my motivation to help our younger generations by using community benefit funds to create more lifelong opportunities.
Why you are part of The 9CC Group?
My involvement initially stemmed from a determination to ensure the Ochiltree and Skares community received their fair share of available funding but the 9CCG has opened my eyes to the fantastic opportunities to make a difference, not just to my own community, but crucially the wider area.
Today, it is driven by both opportunity and responsibility, to collectively build a lasting positive impact.
What is your strategic vision for Cumnock & Doon Valley?
Looking ahead, we need an integrated approach to revitalisation. Our communities are historically linked together and the 9CCG is uniquely positioned to create a meaningful and collective legacy - a place where people can live, work, play, and visit with pride.
Achieving this vision depends on the nine communities collaborating closely, focusing not on isolated projects, but on a unified, collective plan. With this opportunity comes an equal measure of responsibility; together, we must ensure that the legacy we build is enduring and beneficial for generations to come.
What are the key priorities for your community?
· Addressing rising energy bills, the cost of living and creating local job opportunities.
· Ensuring community benefit funding decisions are made locally, democratically and in the best interests of ALL our communities, with full transparency on how that money is spent and on what. The 9CCG is really well placed as the enablers of that CBF and having strategic oversight of each community’s local plans so that we can all benefit.
· Delivering a sustainable and lasting legacy which delivers a wonderful place to live, work, play and visit for future generations, including my own children and grandchildren.
What is the best thing about your area?
The countryside around Ochiltree and Skares. I love walking along the River Lugar which joins Ochiltree with Dumfries House estate. From there you can walk to Ochiltree and Muirkirk or head in the opposite direction and join the River Ayr. It’s wonderful being so close to nature, the peace and tranquillity, and of course the stunning scenery.

Tony Esquierdo

9CCG Treasurer | Cronberry, Logan & Lugar Community Council

Neil McGhee

I was a councillor for Ward 7 (Muirkirk, Logan, Lugar, Catrine, Mauchline and Auchinleck) for more than 20 years and I also represent Auchinleck on the 9CCG Board.

My involvement in the community began back in 2003 when there was a great need to revive Auchinleck High Street which was blighted by derelict shops and buildings. It was clear we needed to secure investment, and we formed the Auchinleck Community Development Trust.

Auchinleck Community Council

The ACDT funded The Domes, a garden project where we created scenic paths and hanging baskets, providing much needed training for young people. Over ten years it employed 300 youths and gave them valuable skills, with 60% going on to secure jobs after. It still makes me proud to know we gave so many hope and a proper start in life.
We also secured £5m for a new community centre and launched many initiatives aimed at providing facilities and things for people of all ages to do. That need is still there today, and that’s why it is vital we make best use of Community Benefit.
I married a local lass Jane, in 1969, after meeting her at the dancing and we live in the house she was born in. Our daughter Kimberly also lives locally, she with a wee dog called Rum. Dogs were a big part of our life and we use to show bearded collies at Crufts, securing a third and first place!
My other passion was bowling, and I played in the indoor centre when it was built in 1983, becoming Scottish champion three years later and number 6 in the world. It still irks me I never won the UK or World championship despite outplaying my opponents on points but not games!
We need to create more opportunities for people, particularly the young, to get involved in sports or interests. It sets you up for life.
Why you are part of The 9CC Group?
Our communities need investment and the huge sums available through Community Benefit could make a significant difference, but we need to be imaginative and show ambition.
Unfortunately, the lack of cohesion and isolated mindset of the past still rumbles on in the present and that makes the achievement of the 9CCG to bring our communities together rather than fighting for individual crumbs, all the more remarkable. The benefits of working collaboratively and strategically are enormous.
This area has provided so much for the country over the years, from wars and mining, and got little, if anything, in return. Through the 9CCG we can fund jobs and training as well as investing in making our communities better places to live.
What is your strategic vision for Cumnock & Doon Valley?
This area was left with the slag heaps and coal dust of our open cast coal mining past and sadly abandoned when it came to getting meaningful funds and action to address multiple issues. We now have a fantastic opportunity to learn from that and create a lasting legacy around jobs, connectivity and the restoration and promotion of our landscape and history.
The 9CCG is leading the way by showing the value of working together to secure greater funds and then investing strategically in our collective future. There is still a lot of work to be done to convince people that there is a bigger picture with greater prospects for every community if we collaborate and stand united. We need to continually remind them of what we all stand to gain.
What are the key priorities for your community?
· Building on the success of our apprenticeship schemes with Emergency One and offering young people more employment opportunities.
· Providing a technical and vocational campus in Cumnock. There has been a huge void since Ayrshire College decided to close it.
· Improving connectivity through better transport links and services. If we can make it easy for people to move around our communities it will provide a welcome boost for our shops, businesses and trade and importantly local employment.
· Getting uplighters under our viaduct!
What is the best thing about your area?
It’s wonderful to see people taking an interest in our landscape again. This is an incredible area steeped in fascinating history and has so many tales to tell - not just about mining but the days of the Covenanters, rich fiefdoms and then the industrial heritage. We even have the second highest viaduct in the world – and one day I will get that lit up despite the many obstacles Ayrshire Council keep putting in my way!
However, the best thing for me is the community spirit. It’s still strong but we need to pull together more to create a better future we can all be proud of.

I’m truly proud and honoured to represent Lugar, Logan and Cronberry having lived here almost all my life. I love its history as well as the beautiful countryside and wildlife all around us.

Apart from five years in the early 70s when I was working with the RAF, I have always stayed in the area – even meeting my wife Catherine at a local dance. Our daughter Francine, is a primary school teacher and also lives in the community with her two lovely children Lyle and Ali.

My first involvement with the community began with the amazing Lugar Litter Pickers who do such a fantastic job cleaning up Cumnock & Doon Valley. In 2018, I became aware of the huge opportunities community benefit could bring to our area if we worked together. I joined the community council to make sure we didn’t miss out and could make a positive difference.
I’ve also been a member of a local working men’s club and President of Boswell Thistle, but my proudest moment was receiving the Cumnock Citizen of the Year award in 2021.
When I left Cumnock Academy I started worked at the local Co-op, learning bookkeeping. I went on to do that for another firm until retirement, and it probably explains why I was ‘volunteered’ to be treasurer for the 9CCG. Thankfully, all accounts have been filed on time and approved by the auditors and the charities regulator.
Why you are part of The 9CC Group?
It brings a much-needed collective perspective to the fair and equitable distribution of community benefit. Having witnessed the lessons of our past, when £9.2m of funding from the Minerals Trust for our former open cast coal mining communities was unfairly distributed, I want to avoid those painful divisions.
Unity is our core strength and a key factor in why developers have chosen the 9CCG to manage and distribute the vast sums of community benefit.
Our funding model and matrix is widely recognised as delivering industry best practice by developers, politicians and government bodies. It’s fair and equitable to ensure each - and all - communities benefit, as well as providing investment for wider strategic priorities.
What is your strategic vision for Cumnock & Doon Valley?
I want to restore pride in our communities and offer hope and ambition for a better future, particularly for our younger generations.
It’s a fantastic area and only by working together and using the funding wisely can we provide a solid foundation for making a sustained and long-term difference for each community, whether through local apprenticeships, building our tourism offering or providing units for local business.
What are the key priorities for your community?
· Creating more local opportunities for work, particularly for young people.
· Improving the transport links and services.
· Tackling the growing issues with fly tipping and making our communities cleaner and a better place to live
· Restoring pride in our communities and instilling hope and ambition for our future generations
What is the best thing about your area?
The fabulous countryside walks, across the hills and alongside rivers and lochs. Before I was injured in a car crash a few years ago, I would walk for miles, and I love the peace and tranquilly that brings.
It’s encouraging to see local organisations and many wind farm developers putting a greater focus on nature and improving accessibility for everyone to explore and enjoy.

John Holland Clark

Drongan, Rankinston & Stair Community Council

Neil McGhee

I was a councillor for Ward 7 (Muirkirk, Logan, Lugar, Catrine, Mauchline and Auchinleck) for more than 20 years and I also represent Auchinleck on the 9CCG Board.

Auchinleck Community Council

The ACDT funded The Domes, a garden project where we created scenic paths and hanging baskets, providing much needed training for young people. Over ten years it employed 300 youths and gave them valuable skills, with 60% going on to secure jobs after. It still makes me proud to know we gave so many hope and a proper start in life.
We also secured £5m for a new community centre and launched many initiatives aimed at providing facilities and things for people of all ages to do. That need is still there today, and that’s why it is vital we make best use of Community Benefit.
I married a local lass Jane, in 1969, after meeting her at the dancing and we live in the house she was born in. Our daughter Kimberly also lives locally, she with a wee dog called Rum. Dogs were a big part of our life and we use to show bearded collies at Crufts, securing a third and first place!
My other passion was bowling, and I played in the indoor centre when it was built in 1983, becoming Scottish champion three years later and number 6 in the world. It still irks me I never won the UK or World championship despite outplaying my opponents on points but not games!
We need to create more opportunities for people, particularly the young, to get involved in sports or interests. It sets you up for life.
Why you are part of The 9CC Group?
Our communities need investment and the huge sums available through Community Benefit could make a significant difference, but we need to be imaginative and show ambition.
Unfortunately, the lack of cohesion and isolated mindset of the past still rumbles on in the present and that makes the achievement of the 9CCG to bring our communities together rather than fighting for individual crumbs, all the more remarkable. The benefits of working collaboratively and strategically are enormous.
This area has provided so much for the country over the years, from wars and mining, and got little, if anything, in return. Through the 9CCG we can fund jobs and training as well as investing in making our communities better places to live.
What is your strategic vision for Cumnock & Doon Valley?
This area was left with the slag heaps and coal dust of our open cast coal mining past and sadly abandoned when it came to getting meaningful funds and action to address multiple issues. We now have a fantastic opportunity to learn from that and create a lasting legacy around jobs, connectivity and the restoration and promotion of our landscape and history.
The 9CCG is leading the way by showing the value of working together to secure greater funds and then investing strategically in our collective future. There is still a lot of work to be done to convince people that there is a bigger picture with greater prospects for every community if we collaborate and stand united. We need to continually remind them of what we all stand to gain.
What are the key priorities for your community?
· Building on the success of our apprenticeship schemes with Emergency One and offering young people more employment opportunities.
· Providing a technical and vocational campus in Cumnock. There has been a huge void since Ayrshire College decided to close it.
· Improving connectivity through better transport links and services. If we can make it easy for people to move around our communities it will provide a welcome boost for our shops, businesses and trade and importantly local employment.
· Getting uplighters under our viaduct!
What is the best thing about your area?
It’s wonderful to see people taking an interest in our landscape again. This is an incredible area steeped in fascinating history and has so many tales to tell - not just about mining but the days of the Covenanters, rich fiefdoms and then the industrial heritage. We even have the second highest viaduct in the world – and one day I will get that lit up despite the many obstacles Ayrshire Council keep putting in my way!
However, the best thing for me is the community spirit. It’s still strong but we need to pull together more to create a better future we can all be proud of.

There is so much we can do to improve the lives of everyone in our area and the money coming from Community Benefit is a huge opportunity we need to grab with both hands.

I’ve always been pushing for more to be done in Drongan and have been heavily involved since 2019, holding the post of chair for the Community Association from 2021 till 2025 and currently as vice chair of the community council.

Nothing purposeful was achieved by the Minerals Trust money from the coal mining past and we need to learn from those painful lessons. The 9CCG is key to delivering that and I have been involved from the start – and I’m proud to have named the organisation although that does put added pressure to ensure it is successful for all communities.
I’ve been a resident in Drongan for 45 years since I married Elizabeth, or San as she is better known. She is a senior carer in a local nursing home and we have three grown up children with seven grandchildren between them – all in East Ayrshire. We also have Lily – a lovely little dog who greets everyone as a friend.
I was educated at Annbank Primary School and Ayr Academy before entering the motor trade as a mechanic. I then became parts manager for a few dealerships, ending my career at a large three storey warehouse.
Why you are part of The 9CC Group?
I like to make a difference in the community and my involvement with the 9CCG has been a pleasure since its inception in 2019. I have watched it grow and witnessed the huge amount of good it has done for groups within the Drongan, Rankinston and Stair community.
The funding has been amazing and much, much more is coming. I would love to see a worthy legacy left behind for future generations to enjoy, as well as sustainable support for our fantastic local groups. The 9CCG is progressing well and making a positive difference.
Honesty, integrity and transparency are vital to me, and I want to ensure money is spent well. That’s at the heart of all we do at the 9CCG, from administration and fair distribution of funding to our collaborative partnerships with communities and key stakeholders.
What is your strategic vision for Cumnock & Doon Valley?
I would like to see a legacy project between all the communities to define who we are and what can be done with the correct backing and insight.
With the funding deals signed, we will be able to do so much more and deliver bigger projects and it would be great to get everyone involved to pull this area up and create something special.
Hopefully over the next 25 to 30 years this funding can also go a long way to improve education, wellbeing and most of all poverty.
What are the key priorities for your community?
· First and foremost is tackling the deprivation and poverty. There are a lot of proud people struggling and we have to offer more support as well as create much needed local jobs
· Connectivity is vital and we need better transport links, particularly from Rankinston, to bring people and our communities together. That should also include cycle tracks and walkways to boost tourism.
· A modern community hub that caters for a range of activities and events, and includes a sustainable café. It would be also lovely to offer youngsters more than just football and caters for different sporting interests.
What is the best thing about your area?
Back in the day everyone was involved in the community and fought for everything to try to make a positive difference. We need to get that mentality back where we unite to make the area better and secure the resources we need.