Hundreds of people from across North Ayrshire will step up to the plate in the battle against bigotry this week as part of a charity’s efforts to rid Scotland of sectarianism.

Campaigners Nil by Mouth will lead an ‘Action Week’ in schools, colleges and workplaces, delivering staff training, workshops and sports activities to raise awareness of sectarianism from 27th January until 1st February.

The week will kick-off at Ayrshire College’s Kilwinning campus as the charity launch a photographic competition for art students and move on to the Irvine campus where classes will participate in ‘Pause B4U Post’ workshops examining the consequences of sectarian behaviour online. Pupils from St John’s and Glenciarn Primary Schools in Stevenston will come together for a morning of activities to celebrate community and learn more about cultures and traditions different to their own and children from Castlepark Primary in Irvine will also take part in a special workshop led by Nil by Mouth staff.

Activists from the North Ayrshire branch of Unison will meet with the charity on Wednesday in Irvine the 28th to focus on how sectarianism can be addressed at work as part of Nil by Mouth’s Scottish Government’s backed ‘Beyond Religion & Belief’ project.

Nil by Mouth was set up by Glasgow teenager Cara Henderson in response to the brutal sectarian murder of her school friend Mark Scott as he made his way home from a football match in the city in 1995. Every year the charity works with thousands of people right across Scotland as well as campaigning for changes in the law, investment in anti-sectarian programmes and putting pressure on Scottish football to take action on the depressing levels of bigotry still apparent in our national game

Nil By Mouth Director Dave Scott said:

‘We are very excited to be spending a week working across North Ayrshire with people who want to stand up and be counted on this issue. We know that sectarianism remains an issue in this part of the world and it’s important that we work right across the board to remind the public that it is not acceptable or welcome in our communities. From helping primary sevens learn more about other cultures to working with trade unionists seeking to raise awareness of the issue in the workplace we want to carry home the message that Ayrshire is bigger, better and bolder than bigotry.’