Cost of living crisis grant details at Free for All event

Information about grant funding to help tackle the cost of living crisis will be available at a community event on Arran tomorrow, Saturday.

Additional financial support is being made available to people living and working on the islands of Arran and Cumbrae to help ease the pressures being caused by the cost of living crisis.

Representatives of community groups and organisations can head along to an event called Free For All in Arran High School from 11am to 2pm.

This has been organised by Arran Community and Voluntary Service (CVS), a charity that unites community and voluntary organisations, offering a single point of access for support, training and funding information.

More than £60,000 has been allocated to North Ayrshire through the Scottish government’s island cost crisis emergency fund.

This money recognises the increased costs being faced by island communities compared with those living on the mainland.

At a recent meeting of North Ayrshire Council’s cabinet, it was agreed the funding should be distributed in four areas:

❚ £30,000 to support the valuable work of third and voluntary sector groups on Arran and Cumbrae.

❚ £15,000 to schools on Arran and Cumbrae and Largs Academy to provide additional study support to pupils, as well as the introduction of family support initiatives and visiting specialists to broaden the experience of children who may miss out on mainland visits

❚ £10,000 to support the council’s Energy Smart initiative, which aims to improve energy efficiency in homes and reduce bills

❚ £10,000 to support the Money Matters service, which offers welfare rights advice and helps residents across North Ayrshire to access their legal entitlement to benefits.

This also includes council top-up funding to enable the money to go further. In addition, the emergency fund has also pledged a further £17,000 for capital projects to support island communities and it is anticipated this will be used to buy equipment for community groups.

Councillor Alan Hill, cabinet member for communities and islands, said: “It is important community organisations on Arran go along to the event on April 22, when groups can find out what the main criteria will be for the grants and what kind of activities we will be looking to support. “Applications will not be open on the day but groups can get the information ahead of the fund going live and start thinking about the possibilities and where, with a little financial help, they could assist in helping the community with the current challenges.”

The council’s top priorities include tackling child poverty and supporting residents through the cost-of-living crisis. The three key drivers of child poverty are income from employment, income from social security and the cost of living. If you can’t attend tomorrow’s event, information on the funding will be posted on the council’s website and social media channels and will be shared by their valued partners, in particular Arran CVS.