A BRAND new source of grant funding for North Ayrshire community projects opens this week.

The Communities and Place Fund, run by North Ayrshire Council (NAC), will offer grants to support communities in helping to make positive change in their area.

A series of community information sessions are to be held across North Ayrshire in the coming days and weeks to share details of how to apply for the new funds.

The sessions will cover the new Communities and Place Grants and the Council Participatory Budgeting programme, part of the funding allocated to North Ayrshire through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which replaces European funding.

With applications opening on Wednesday, June 21, the information sessions are:

· Thursday, June 22 - Online session via MS Teams 11am-12.30pm. Please register your interest by contacting spf@north-ayrshire.gov.uk

· Friday, June 23 - Redburn Community Centre, Irvine 10am-12pm (drop in)

· Tuesday, June 27 - Kilwinning Library, 4.30pm-6.30pm (drop-in)

· Tuesday, July 4 - Stevenston Library 11am-1pm (drop-in)

· Thursday, July 6 - Arran Library 1pm-3pm (drop-in)

Dates and locations will be confirmed in the near future for the North Coast and Garnock Valley, and there will be a final online session too – please keep an eye on North Ayrshire Council’s social media channels for further information.

The overarching objective of the Shared Prosperity Fund is to build pride in local communities and increase life chances of local residents.

Councillor Tony Gurney, NAC's cabinet member for green environment and economy, said: “The aim of the fund is to help restore pride in our communities and build resilient, healthy and safe neighbourhoods.

“That’s at the heart of what we want to do here in North Ayrshire – supporting our residents and ensuring they can be at the forefront of positive change in their local area.”

The grant funding will be available for a wide range of potential projects including improving community facilities and supporting environmental improvements and active travel, as well as sport, art and cultural projects, and others.

More details on the Shared Prosperity Fund are available online at www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk/spf.

Projects must deliver one of the SPF programme objectives:

· Strengthen our social fabric and foster a sense of local pride and belonging, through investment in activities that enhance physical, cultural and social ties and access to amenities, such as community infrastructure and local green space, and community-led projects.

· Build resilient, healthy and safe neighbourhoods, through investment in quality places that people want to live, work, play and learn in, through targeted improvements to the built and natural environment and innovative approaches to crime prevention.

The information sessions will also provide an opportunity to find out more about the Council’s Participatory Budgeting programme, including how it works and information the next round of the PB process coming later this year.