A beautiful bench in memory of a beautiful person.

Dec 9 2011 by Lisa Boyle, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

A MEMORIAL bench for Allister Boyd has been placed in the Burns Monument gardens.

The beautiful bench has a curling scene on it – reflecting the brave teenager’s passion for the sport.

Allister, 19, died in 2009 from an incurable brain tumour.

Throughout his battle with the illness, Allister raised £180,000 for CLIC Sargent and Teenage Cancer Trust.

Since his death, an astonishing £540,000 has been handed over to the charities in his name.

Allister’s dad Robert is a former area representative for Ayr on the Royal Caledonian Curling Club, and Allister and his younger brother Russell were enthusiastic members of Ayr Junior CC.

The bench project came about when Ayrshire Business in the Community Initiative suggested to two apprentice stonemasons at Culzean that they should design and make a bench seat in Allister’s memory as part of an ABiC competition.

John Crawford and Dale Dryden are National Trust employees at Culzean.

Although the bench didn’t win the competition, it remains a fitting tribute to an amazing young man.

The bench consists of two vertical stone ends between which run the timber planks which form the seat.

One outer end has a curling scene representation of a 'house'.

On the other end is an inscription which simply says: “Allister Boyd. Truly Inspiring.”

Robert said: “It’s in such a great place, when you sit on it you are looking straight at the Brig o’Doon.

“All the materials were donated, including the curling stones which came from the curling factory in Mauchline, and it took a lot of work to pull it all together. But the boys worked really hard.”

The next fundraiser in Allister’s name is a turkey shoot at Ayr ice rink.

The event will see a frozen turkey in the middle of the rink with people throwing curling stones at it.

Whoever gets closest to the turkey will win their Christmas dinner.

The turkey shoot is £2 a go and takes place on Sunday, December 18 from 1.30pm.

Participants must be 10-year-old or over and able to throw a curling stone.

The cafeteria will be open for lunches.

All funds raised will go to Teenage Cancer Trust.