Regeneration projects across East Renfrewshire are to share a £385,000 windfall from the Scottish Government.
Among the initiatives that will benefit Barrhead are a new community space in Auchenback and a play area in Newton Avenue.
Cash from the second round of the Place-Based Investment Programme (PBIP) was made available to community groups, public, private and third sector organisations, charities and housing associations.
The fund supports capital projects that boost local economic development and regeneration, such as environmental improvements to neighbourhoods and greenspaces or making better use of land and existing buildings.
Applicants had to demonstrate support for their initiative from the local community.
Successful bids approved by East Renfrewshire Council include £7,000 for a community space with seating outside the Auchenback Resource Centre (ARC).
This will allow the team there to provide outdoor activities and expand their café, with work to transform the space due to begin on Monday, October 16.
Brian Connelly, the ARC’s chairperson and manager, said: “The garden is getting into an awful state and it’s not getting maintained, so we want to slab it all in the front and put a couple of benches in.
“We want to keep the trees, but we want to do away with all the rest and make it a place where people can sit if we get a good day.”
One bench will be dedicated to Brian’s wife Rita, known to many as Aunty Rita, who passed away just over two years ago and was a leading light in a number of local organisations, including the ARC and Barrhead Community Council (BCC).
The other bench will commemorate Irene Simpson, who passed away several years ago, and was an original member of the ARC’s board and operated its café every Tuesday.
“It means a tremendous amount to get this money and I hope that people realise the work that Irene and Rita did for us to keep the ARC going and afloat,” added Brian.
Elsewhere, Barrhead Housing Association will create a new play park in Newton Avenue to support the wellbeing of young people in the area.
Funding has also been awarded to the Off Grid community food growing project to expand its existing environmental learning activities in Clarkston.
In addition, there is cash for the Hugh Fraser retirement village, in Newton Mearns, which will be used to improve the community hub at Crookfur House.
Councillor Danny Devlin, East Renfrewshire's environment and housing convener, told the Barrhead News: “This fund is a fantastic regeneration opportunity for our towns and villages, so I’m really pleased to see these projects have been approved.
"We are committed to improving and upgrading areas across East Renfrewshire and this funding allows the community to get involved and get projects moving.
"We’ve already seen some great activity through this programme and I look forward to seeing these new projects get underway in the near future.”
The council is set to receive around £2.3million from the Scottish Government over the lifespan of the PBIP programme.
These newly-approved bids follow on from last year’s successful applications, which included festive lights in Neilston, improvements to the Busby Glen play area, new digital information signs across East Renfrewshire and Young Enterprise Scotland’s business start-up space in Rouken Glen.
Anyone who is interested in applying for support from next year’s fund can send an email to business@eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk for more information.
Share