South Ayrshire sets up £75k community wellbeing fund
A NEW £75,000 community wellbeing fund is to be set up by South Ayrshire Council.
The money was made available after councillors deferred a decision on funding for Whitletts Vics Community Hub.
South Ayrshire’s allocation of the national ‘Place Based Investment Programme’ for 2022/23 was £691,000 and 13 projects valued at £616,000 were agreed at a cabinet meeting in September.
A decision on the use of £75k for Whitletts Vics was deferred to a future meeting.
Councillors agreed that it would be more ‘transparent’ to open up the application process to all community based, not for profit or charitable clubs before making any awards.
On Tuesday, the Cabinet agreed to use that £75,000 for a Community Wellbeing Facilities Fund.
Projects will be required to show that they provide ‘specific improvements in community wellbeing and accelerate ambitions for net zero’.
The report to Cabinet states: “Expressions of interest will be invited from all community and sporting organisations who are constituted to deliver health and wellbeing aims and objectives and where proposals meet the aims of the fund.”
Funding of up to £25,000 will be available for each application and there will be no requirement for the groups to match fund.
The council will assess proposals to determine whether they meet the fund criteria, are deliverable, provide benefits and what risk they are are of failing to deliver.
These applications will be considered by December.
Grants would require to be used in the financial year 2022/23, with work started or contracts signed by March 31 next year.
The report on the new funds was approved by Cabinet.