The 1^st public meeting of the Kilwinning Community Archaeology Project was held on Thursday evening 22^nd July in the Abbey Church Hall to present the plans for the upcoming field season, explain the planned archaeology and to discuss volunteering opportunities. The community turned out in strength, filling the hall with at least 110 registered at the event and more than 40 volunteer forms being filled out on the night. Jim Miller of the Kilwinning & District Preservation Society explained the development of the project and stressed the essential financial support of Irvine Bay and the Heritage Lottery Fund, without whom the project could not have gone ahead. The meeting then heard from Thomas Rees of Kilwinning based Rathmell Archaeology Ltd who will be providing the core professional team throughout the project. Thomas explained the first season, focused on digging up parts of the Cloister and Abbey Church during the first three weeks before moving on other locations around the town for the last two weeks. Jim Kennedy of the Society also spoke on the long road to realising the project before moving on to a popular Question & Answer session. 

The first field season of the project will commence on Wednesday 18^th August, working Wednesday to Saturday week for 5 weeks. Volunteering opportunities are still available for both field archaeology and heritage centre staff during this period, contact Jim Miller (01294 558352, jjbonaccord@yahoo.co.uk). The Kilwinning Community Archaeology Project has a FACEBOOK Page with information and photos from the project. This page also allows the community to comment and provide information to the guidance. Jim Miller, Chairman of the Project, intimated to the audience that the next public meeting would be on Monday 4^th October at 7pm again in the Abbey Church Hall to present the initial findings from the first field season. 

 Thomas Rees from Rathmell Archaeology Ltd quoted: 

‘I was delighted by the strong turnout at the project’s first public meeting, it was a very visible display of the interest the community has in discovering more about the past of Kilwinning and the Abbey. The number of volunteers who have already committed to the first season means that I am looking forward to a very busy five weeks of excavation and I have high hopes of the discoveries we will be able to make. We are now in the process of getting ready for the start the dig on the 18^th August when the hard work will start’