Arran public toilets will receive cash to reopen
Arran’s community public toilets have secured a £5,000 grant which has allowed them to safely reopen and provided with equipment and supplies, despite the ongoing pandemic.
Many areas of Scotland have been blighted with problems as tourism numbers increased post lockdown and public toilets remained closed. This is not the case on Arran where all 11 volunteer run toilets around the island have been successful in an application, agreed with the North Ayrshire Council, to the Towns & BIDs Resilience and Recovery fund.
As an added bonus, and much needed top up to the £5,000 grant, NAC have kindly almost doubled the contribution adding another £4,000 to the pot, which has been very gratefully received by all participants.
Joao Goncalves, development worker at Arran Community and Voluntary Service (ACVS) said: ‘The success of this bid is not down to any one individual, each and every participant is to be credited for their contribution and professional conduct throughout various discussions where differing opinions about how the money should be spent could have led to frustration.
‘The idea itself came from conversations via a ‘Health Check’ type of approach undertaken by Arran CVS with various groups during the lockdown period, with many raising this as a matter of concern for recovery and vital to community and tourism. Local toilets are run and managed by volunteer groups and there is a need to ensure no one is put at risk by either cleaning or using the facilities.
‘Arran CVS facilitated a discussion with village toilet representatives and community council, then put together a funding application, as part of their role as an interface organisation, with agreement of the local authority. The community council are administrator of the funds and for central procurement. This leaves representatives from the local loos free to record their collective needs for resources and support in order to develop a fully comprehensive order, hopefully at reduced bulk cost, and a cohesive plan to keep as many public toilets as possible open and accessible whilst everyone enjoys more outdoor activity.’