Members of South Ayrshire Council’s Rural Communities Committee have approved financial support totalling £8,000 for two rural community projects.

The Rural Communities Committee has at its disposal a budget that allows provision of financial support to approved projects that impact in rural parts of South Ayrshire.

The budget for financial year 2006/07 is £112,570.  This amount includes accrued funds for projects that have been previously approved but yet to be put in place.  Taking previously approved funding into account the budget currently available to the Committee after approving the undernoted projects is £50,437.

The latest projects to receiving funding are:

Maybole Juniors Football Club - £3,000

The Club will use the funding towards improving facilities at Ladywell Stadium in Maybole to allow use of the facilities by the wider community.  The Club has a long term lease on the stadium from the Council, and uses the facility for training and playing competitive matches.  The Club works in partnership with local agencies to help provide educational, recreational and sporting facilities for young people from Maybole and the surrounding area.  The Club offers use of the ground to the Carrick Colts youth football team that provides activities to young boys and girls.

Currently the condition of the ground and its surrounding detracts from the use that can be offered to the wider community, for example the toilet facilities are extremely limited, with female toilet facilities being a particular problem.

The total cost of the improvements is £7,000, the Club intends to use £1,000 from its own funds and the £3,000 from the Council towards funding the project.

Annbank Bowling Club - £5,000

The Club wishes to resurface their car park which is currently in a state of disrepair with potholes and broken tarmacadem.  This project is one of three ongoing improvements projects that aim to build a part perimeter wall, provide covering to the seating areas surrounding the green itself and the car park upgrade.  The facility is used by Club members, visitors to the Club, people living adjacent to the Club and Ramblers using the nearby entrance to the River Ayr Walk. 

The Club is a community asset, used for bowling events for seniors and juniors and  attracts visitors from North, East and South Ayrshire.  In addition other village social events such as bingo and receptions are held within the Club.

The total cost of the three ongoing project is £16,190, with the cost of the car park project being £6,190.  The Club is actively seeking further external funding to meet the total cost of the project.  The Committee has approved an award of £5,000 towards the cost of the project subject to the Club gaining funding from external sources.  The grant award made by the Committee will enable the Club to lever in more funds from external sources to support their three ongoing improvement projects.

May 2006