A new charity -West Coast Animal Outreach - aims to provide conservation, rescue, rehabilitation and release of wildlife.

It will host an 'animal hospital' and provide educational advice in terms of conservation, natural history, farm animals, vegan and budget living.

The education and conservation centre will have classrooms and offer courses on animal care, with a 24 hour on call service for the rescue of any injured, neglected or mistreated animals and birds.

They will be running education programmes in eco living, vegan eating, and natural history, and offering small organic farming and sustainable growing for families in poverty.

One of the directors is Skelmorlie man Martyn McCulloch, who runs KG Hawks, and will be familiar to Largs 'News' readers after he offered his birds of prey to help with the seagull problem on Largs Prom last year.

Martyn said: "It took a while to get the charity status but it is great to get it. The next stage is getting the funding and land together. There are a couple of areas we are looking at.

"We are now looking for help with donations, and will be carrying out our own fundraising.

"There is nothing like this on the west coast, and we are hoping to work with other charity groups and encourage retired people, and people in poverty, to grow their own vegetables, and reap the rewards. It will also have a sensory aspect for blind people to get closer to nature. We hope to have cows, sheep, ducks, and chickens, and all manner of wildlife."

West Coast Animal Outreach originated from a group of people keen to use their experience to assist in education and to help others. Trustees come from falconry or farm backgrounds and work in the public care and animal welfare sectors, and have experience in helping people, caring for people, animal welfare and sustainable living.

The outreach group will work closely with various other charities including those covering animal welfare, children’s charities, families in poverty help groups, retirement homes, and disabled aid.

The centre will have full disabled access and specialist equipment and sensory rooms so disabled people can enjoy the experiences on the same levels as any able bodied fit person.

The centre also intend to install solar panels as a way to power the facility, and will also provide additional income in terms of extra power being sold back to the grid.

The charity is also keen to get funding support from donations. If you can help, contact Martyn McCulloch on 07539 658 910 or 01475 528982.

Pictures by Lesley Roberts.