YOUNG people from the Three Towns will descend on Ardeer next Monday for their chance to win £450 for community projects.

Local youngsters aged 12-25 will have the chance to pursue their ideas as the Young Persons Participatory Budgeting event comes to Ardeer Community Centre on Monday, July 25.

Participatory Budgeting (PB) lets communities decide how to spend a small amount of the public monies and is already helping 1,500 localities around the world achieve their aspirations.

This event is the second one entirely dedicated to young people and forms part of the Council’s overall pilot event being rolled-out across North Ayrshire. So far, young people from Kilwinning have secured over £3,500 for their community.

This event will see each young participant showcase their idea to their peers, who will then vote for who they think is most deserving of the money.

Successful participants will then be awarded with funding of up to £450 to help see their ideas come to fruition.

Council Leader Willie Gibson, said: “Our Participatory Budgeting events have been hugely successful, so it’s only fitting that we allow our young people to get involved too.

“After all, we are well aware of how ambitious our young people are for their communities and through our various joint working initiatives, we know that they have some impressive ideas to bring to the table.

“We look forward to hearing what they have to say and seeing how they can use this money to really make a difference to our communities and the lives of those within them.

“We would like to encourage young people to come along on the day, even if they are not pitching, as they will get to vote on how the money is spent.”

The event will kick-start at 11am.

Any young person wishing to get involved should contact the Council’s Youth Participation and Empowerment Team on 01294 475900.