Tragic mum and daughter remembered at East Ayrshire nursery

Rebecca and Arianna were killed in a road crash in October

Author: Tom GrantPublished 17th Feb 2025
Last updated 17th Feb 2025

An East Ayrshire school has thanked the family of a staff member killed in a road crash last year after they received a funding boost.

Rebecca Hill, who worked at Onthank Early Childhood Centre (ECC), was killed in an accident on the A76 between Mauchline and Auchinleck, alongside her six-year-old daughter Arianna Aliu.

The tragic one-vehicle collision in October rocked staff and pupils at the nursery, with tributes paid at the time describing Rebecca as a ‘kind, caring and nurturing soul.’

Rebecca and Arianna’s family raised £4,500 while at the same time celebrating their lives, and have now donated the funds to Onthank, saying it was Rebecca’s wishes to make the learning hub the ‘best possible place’ for the youngsters who take their first steps into education there.

This includes the installation of a new wooden bench, with ‘Our Rebecca’ written on a plaque.

In a post on Facebook, the nursery wrote: “The family have consulted with children and staff on what the funds could be used to enhance the provision for our children.

“We all agreed on a bench for our garden where we can “sit and remember.”

Before adding: “We would like to send a huge thank you to all of the family for their generosity and kindness towards the centre.”

There are also plans to use the money to install sound systems in each playroom, as Rebecca ‘loved to sing and dance.’

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