Youngsters will find it easier to explore the great outdoors, thanks to funding from a supermarket.

Muirshiel Visitor Centre, near Lochwinnoch, received £10,000 in an early round of Tesco’s Bags of Help funding programme.

The money has been used to build a large pond which will be used in environmental education activities.

The completion of the project has been marked by the delivery of a specially-designed plaque from Tesco, which will serve as a permanent record of the project being chosen and backed by the local community.

Judy McCready, senior ranger at Muirshiel, said: “We would like to say a huge thank-you to Tesco. Building this pond would simply not have been possible without Bags of Help funding.

“Our original pond was comparatively small and wasn’t practical for large group activities. The new pond is around four times its size and we’re already seeing the benefits of being able to welcome much bigger groups to the centre for outdoor activities.

“When pond-dipping, youngsters develop their counting and identification skills and we continually reinforce the importance of looking after animals and the environment.”