Community groups across North Ayrshire have been given major funding to boost their facilities.

Ardrossan Scout Group, who are more than 100 years old, applied to the North Ayrshire Council community investment fund (CIF) for £100,000.

The Scout Hut was built in 1967 and requires refurbishment to bring it up to modern-day building standards to make it fit for purpose and sustainable with reduced running costs and maintenance.

The fabric of the building is now failing and beyond designed lifespan.

The most pressing requirements are to remove the roof, including removal of asbestos, and replace it with an insulated alternative, install an effective and efficient heating system and make it a more flexible and usable space.

The funding requested is to support the first phase of work, which is the removal and replacement of the roof.

An energy efficiency assessment has been completed by Business Energy Scotland, which includes financial savings and reduction in carbon emissions, which would result from replacing the roof.

The Scout group has been working closely with Ardrossan Community Development Trust (ACDT), Ardrossan Community Sports Hub and North Ayrshire Council community development staff and this project would complement other local plans such as the South Beach project by Ardrossan the ACDT.

The project would help reduce carbon emissions and utilities costs.

The Three Towns Locality Partnership requested the early release of £15,000 to Ardrossan Community Sports Hub.

This will enable the project to progress with consultancy and design work needed to obtain match funding for the project.

This award will be part of the £100,000 money previously set aside from CIF by cabinet in January for the installation of a 3G synthetic surface at their Winton Park facility.

Money is needed for planning, design and architectural fees to allow the project to proceed.

The group has indicated that until it is able to do this, the entire project is at risk of not proceeding and the early release will allow them to continue their work to obtain the match funding required.

The full cost of the project including VAT is expected to be around £550,000. 

Meanwhile, West Kilbride Community Sports Club (WKCSC) and Friends of Kirktonhall Glen (FOKG) applied for £6,750.

The community sports club has undertaken two main projects so far in Kirktonhall Glen in pursuit of its aim of improving sports facilities in West Kilbride.

These have been an upgrading of the formerly redundant tennis courts and the comprehensive refurbishment of a previously dilapidated sports pavilion. Both projects were completed within budget and to a very high standard.

The tennis courts are now operated by the relaunched tennis club which has subsequently become one of the largest and most successful in Ayrshire with a membership of around 200.

The new sports pavilion has been shared between the tennis club and West Kilbride Amateurs FC, providing excellent facilities for both.

FOKG is a properly constituted sub-committee of West Kilbride Community Council. It asked for funding to employ a funding consultant to scope the availability of funding for two projects and to complete applications on their behalf.

There is the potential to raise £800,000 for the development of a synthetic pitch on the currently derelict blaes area of the Glen.

And to  identify funding to cover a further 30 per cent of funds needed to complete the upgrading of two pathways in the Glen. The initial 70 per cent is being provided by Pathways For All through the Ian Findlay Fund.

North Ayshire's Cabinet agreed the funding requests on Tuesday.