AS part of our series of articles looking at depopulation in Cumnock and the surrounding area we met up with a group of Robert Burns Academy pupils to find out about their future plans and what the area has, and doesn't have, to offer young people...
POOR transport links and a lack of local opportunities in employment and in further and higher education have been cited by pupils at Robert Burns Academy as reasons they’re looking to leave the area when their school days are done.
The Chronicle visited the Academy to speak to seven senior pupils about their plans for the future, and about the things that might keep them in the local area – and what might drive them away.
Several of the pupils we spoke to praised the community spirit that shines through where they live, but several also spoke about a lack of things for young people to do, as well as feeling isolated by the area’s relatively poor rail and road links.
The desire to fly from the nest, and to get out and see what else the world has to offer, is neither new nor unique to Cumnock, of course, but our conversations with the group of RBA pupils still threw up plenty of fascinating insights into what the area’s young people are thinking in 2024.
Here’s what they had to say…
Ethan, 16, Cumnock
"I’m hoping to go and get a graduate apprenticeship in engineering. Uni is kind of off the table for me.
"I could stay in Cumnock and travel, because it’s not too far away. But in the long run I’d hope to leave the area just to get more opportunities.
"For things like jobs and, in the future, raising a family, I think there would be more opportunities elsewhere.
"You can get a train from Auchinleck to Glasgow easily enough, but it’s not ideal, so travelling is hard.
"When I was younger, I loved living in Cumnock, but the past few years when I’ve been thinking about my future then it’s made my decision for me.
"I wouldn’t stay in the city for my whole life, so it depends how life goes whether I would come back to Cumnock or not."
Chelsie, 17, Logan
"I would love to go and study at a music college in America and sing, because a lot of colleges here don’t have great singing courses.
"My plan wasn’t always to move to America. I wanted to stay in Glasgow, because I like the city centre and there’s a lot more things to do.
"This place has a great sense of community, but I think there needs to be more events and gala days and things like that.
"If people want to sing or something like that, then these kind of events can give them a chance to explore their options more.
"I think there could be more music events or things at the Town Hall every so often that would draw people in."
Zosia, 16, Netherthird
"I plan to go to university to study languages. But I don’t exactly know what uni yet.
"I want to be a translator. I’ve thought about moving away, because I haven’t found any translator jobs here, but I’m planning to go somewhere in Europe.
"I’d rather move away and see the world, because then I can experience different cultures and different dialects.
"I’m Polish and my family moved here in 2009. My parents aren’t fully fluent in English and I have to translate for them a bit as well.
"I stay in Netherthird, and all we’ve got is two wee shop and the community centre and the buses aren’t great to get through Netherthird.
"A lot of buses go to Ayr and Kilmarnock from Cumnock but there’s not great transport to where I live.”
Ryan, 16, Mauchline
"I plan to go on to an engineering apprenticeship when I leave school.
"I’m quite keen on staying close to here, because I like the area and I don’t really want to move away.
"I think there’s enough here that could keep me here and make me want to stay.
"I think the place needs some places to shop, because you’ve always got to go to Glasgow, or even Ayr and Kilmarnock, for things.
"My mum and dad moved to Mauchline from Glasgow before I was born, because they wanted to get away from the city.
"I do think about what it would be like to live in Glasgow because everything is so accessible, but here you’ve got to travel everywhere."
Chris, 16, Mauchline
"I want to go onto an apprenticeship in finance, which would probably involve me having to go up to Glasgow, but I don’t know if I’d travel or move away just yet.
"I’d rather stay in a city centre because there’s so much more to do, although I don’t mind where.
"There’s not much around here to do. You always have to travel to Kilmarnock, Ayr, Glasgow or somewhere else.
"I don’t think there’s much here for youngsters and I think there needs to be more social things.
"They took away the games hall and community centre and built flats, which was a shame because everyone used the games hall.
"Even if I don’t move away for uni, I’d like to move away at some point, just to see different places."
Amber, 17, Mauchline
"I want to study musical theatre when I leave school. I’ve done musical theatre since I was small and wanted to be a singer and actor as well.
"I’ve always thought about moving away to study. I want to experience the uni life and I think there’s a lot more opportunities elsewhere for that kind of thing.
"Cumnock and Mauchline and places like that are full of good people, but I think they maybe fall into the wrong habits.
"I don’t think any of the places are necessarily missing anything. I think they are what they are, and they just offer different things to the likes of Glasgow and Edinburgh.
"If I do leave the area then I don’t think I would see myself coming back to the area when I’m older."
Finlay, 17, Mauchline
"I’m hoping to apply for an accounting apprenticeship in Glasgow.
"I think it’s something I could while living in Mauchline, but for convenience I think I would up closer to Glasgow.
"Even if I moved away, I’d probably come back.
"I don’t think there are many issues with Mauchline, like litter or vandalism or things like that.
"In comparison to a lot of places I think it’s a good place, so I don’t really know what could be added to it."
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