As local and international support for the campaign to “Keep Johnnie Walker in Kilmarnock” continues to grow, East Ayrshire’s Leisure Services team have been busy creating their own home grown iconic “striding Man” logo in flowers as a display for this year’s municipal exhibit at Ayr Flower Show.

Featuring a range of plants including begonias, the display was the brainchild of John Roxburgh, Assistant Outdoor Amenities Manager who was faced with a tough challenge, having just a few week’s notice to design, source plants and construct the exhibit –  a process which would usually take months.

Members of Cross Party Working Group for the “Keep Johnnie Walker in Kilmarnock” Campaign, set up to fight the Diageo closure plans, were very impressed with the results: “Municipal exhibits at Ayr Flower Show are always a showcase for East Ayrshire, displaying the range of skills available within the Council. This year the exhibit has a triple purpose. Firstly it reflects the versatility and green fingers of our own staff, who have redesigned and achieved a magnificent result in a short timescale. Secondly it demonstrates our support for another skilled workforce, that of Johnnie Walker whose employees face an uncertain future. Lastly, it reaffirms the strength of our community, striding forward together and united in showing Diageo just what loyalty to each other and to the brand means to the people of Kilmarnock.”

A stall situated at the exhibit collected a phenomenal 4500 signatures in support of the petition to “Keep Johnnie Walker in Kilmarnock”. Already thousands of people from all over the world have put their names to the campaign both in person and online at the www.keepjohnniewalkerinkilmarnock.com  website.