Local lotto cash boost

TWELVE community groups across East Ayrshire are sharing in a cash boost of almost £150,000 from the National Lottery.

The biggest East Ayrshire award from the National Lottery Community Fund, of £35,000, is going to the

East Ayrshire Churches Homelessness Action project and will be used to build the capacity of the recovery community to cope with the cost-of-living crisis.

The Sticky Fingers Club in Auchinleck is also receiving £25,000 to continue with its programme of free and inclusive activity sessions supporting children and families.

And the Logan Community Events group has been confirmed for an award of £10,550 to provide an outdoor family fun day for residents of Logan and Lugar, featuring inflatables, DJs and performances from local amateur musicians.

The event, the Logan

Gala Day, will take place on Saturday, July 20 and is the climax of six days of Logan Gala Week events.

Other awards to groups in Cumnock and the surrounding area are as follows.

Ochiltree Community Hub: £4,420 to stage a series of themed activities to engage people across the community.

Auchinleck Community Shed: £7,200 to provide a community meeting space and a fruit tree orchard.

Rowantree Court Social Club: £6,440 to provide weekly social activities for older people and adults with disabilities in Drongan.

Stair Community Association: £9,000 to install sound absorption panels at Stair Community Centre.

Helping Hands: £16,900 to keep their food larder in Drongan well stocked and supplied with vouchers to help local families.

In addition, Release Ayrshire, which was founded by Auchinleck man Robbie Muir but works across the whole of Ayrshire, will receive £9,000 to offer an online 24 hour men’s mental health first step support service, as well as delivering awareness raising campaigns in Ayrshire.

The Holiday Project, which is based in Kilmarnock but supports families across East Ayrshire, will receive £10,000 to help fund a replacement caravan used for affordable respite holidays for local residents at a caravan park in North Ayrshire.

The East Ayrshire initiatives are among 384 projects across Scotland sharing in more than £15 million from the fund.