North Ayrshire Council

06/07/2023 | News release | Distributed by Public on 06/07/2023 04:35

Three Towns Locality Partnership help Ardrossan Scout Group to secure £100k CIF funding

Posted on 7 Jun 2023

The Three Towns Locality Partnership has successfully teamed up with Ardrossan Scout Group to secure £100,000 Community Investment Funding from North Ayrshire Council.

Presented by the Three Towns locality partnership and approved by council officials at our previous Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, May 2, the successful proposal will see the much-loved Scout group, which is over a century old, receive the funds they need to update their premises at Kilmeny Terrace.

First built in 1967, the local scout hall is in danger of falling into disrepair as the roof and exterior is reaching the end of its intended lifespan.

David Howie, Group Scout Leader from Ardrossan Scout Group said: "Thank you to our locality officer, North Ayrshire Council, Ardrossan Community Development Trust and everyone else involved in helping us to secure our first round of funding.

"The Community Investment Fund is such a good way to help local groups to secure their future in offering local opportunities.

"When it comes to scouting, our aim is to actively engage as many young people as we can to give them skills for life and help them to make a positive contribution to society.

"Not only do we help children and young people, we also help adults in their own personal development opportunities through volunteering as leaders, assistants and trustees.

"The funding boost is really going to go a long way. Thanks to North Ayrshire Council, we will now be able to tackle phase one of our action plan so that we can completely remove the roof of our Scout Hall and replace it with an alternative."

The next phase of the development will involve replacing internal ceiling panels, installing an effective and efficient heating system, and reconfiguring the internal layout of the building.

Once the plans are fully realised, the Scout Hall will provide even more flexible spaces for community groups and individuals to let for activities such as toddler groups and martial arts.

David adds: "With CIF sorted for the roof renovation, we can now focus our efforts on attracting other external funders who can help us on our way to the second phase of our development plans."

Councillor Alan Hill, Cabinet Member for Communities and Islands commented: "Ardrossan Scout Group has been providing fun and adventure to local young people for over 100 years.

"A brilliant example of community empowerment in action, the local scout group have been working closely with the Three Towns Locality Partnership to develop their funding application.

"We are pleased that they have been awarded the recent funding boost to begin the much-needed repair works required.

"Not only will the funds help them to lower maintenance and running costs, it also supports the Council's efforts to become a carbon neutral local authority by 2030 as the new roof will significantly reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions once it is installed. So, this is great news for the environment too."

If you are part of a community group in need of funding or know a group that could benefit from an upgrade to their facilities, please get in touch with us to find out more and help your community to realise its full potential.

If you would like to find out about how to apply for Community Investment Funding, visit the Council website: https://tinyurl.com/NorthAyrshireCommunityFunding