Ayr has moved closer to a formal friendship agreement with Providence in Rhode Island after South Ayrshire councillors gave unanimous backing to the proposal at a meeting on September 10.
The application will be submitted by the Ayr-Providence Friendship Initiative (APFI), a group created after Scotland supporters travelled to the United States for the FIFA 2026 World Cup. South Ayrshire Council will provide civic support for the proposed agreement, while APFI will lead the partnership’s development.
What the proposed agreement would involve
Under the proposal, the Provost would take part in civic activity linked to the relationship. The council would also support future initiatives where appropriate, although council officers said assistance beyond civic engagement would be limited to working with APFI where suitable.
APFI has held extensive discussions with the Providence mayor’s office. Those talks have considered possible cooperation between the two places in tourism, education, business, sport and culture.
The tourism element would aim to encourage visitors from Rhode Island to come to South Ayrshire and the south-west coast, while promoting Providence to Scottish travellers. The group also wants to explore whether a transatlantic flight between Providence and Prestwick could be developed.
How the Ayr-Providence connection began
The relationship developed during the World Cup, when Scotland’s men’s national team played its first two matches in Boston, Massachusetts. The tournament marked Scotland’s first appearance since 1998 and drew tens of thousands of supporters to the United States.
Many supporters stayed outside Boston, including in Providence, where the Providence Tartan Army was formed for the tournament. The group raised thousands of dollars for Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence and established bagpipe lessons in schools. It also built friendships and links with people in the city.
Earlier this summer, a group of Tartan Army members from Ayr contacted South Ayrshire Council with the idea of creating a formal civic relationship. APFI was subsequently formed to take the proposal forward.
The initiative includes people from several backgrounds, including Ayr businesspeople, the chief executive of Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce and the local MSP. Its members will now continue work towards the formal application and further links between Ayr and Providence.
Councillors welcome the proposal
Councillors welcomed the plan during the meeting. Councillor Alec Clark praised the actions of Scotland supporters during the World Cup.
“I think myself and every other councillor would commend the actions of the Tartan Army during the World Cup. “If the World Cup was based on friendship and representation of our country, Scotland would have won it hands down.”
Councillor Bob Shields also backed the proposal, drawing on his own connection with Providence.
“This item is a hat-trick for me. I’ve been to Providence, it’s a historic and friendly city. “I am a proud member of the Tartan Army, and I’m all for raising the profile of my wonderful home town which is exactly what this does.”
The unanimous vote allows APFI to continue developing the formal application and exploring future cooperation between Ayr and Providence.