SOME £60,000 has been awarded to Girvan Town Team in a bid to improve the town for its residents.

The Big Lottery Fund has awarded the group £20,000 over the next three years totalling £60,000.

There are already projects underway which the money will be put towards - including the Men’s Shed Initiative, making the Town House more appealing for young people and making Girvan a safe and friendly place for those living with dementia and other disabilities.

Roddy McDonald explained: “This is a great success. 
“We put in an application for funding recently and now it has been confirmed.

“I got a phone call with the good news about two weeks ago.

“Now we have been successful there are at least four projects the money will go towards.”

The aim is to help those who experience challenges at some point in their lives. 

They want to support activity that helps them overcome these difficulties and become more resilient.

Activities include: identifying ways to take control over their lives and building resilience, shaping the activities and services they use to better meet their needs and having more access to support and opportunities to improve their lives.

The Big Lottery Fund is responsible for distributing 40 per cent of all funds raised for good causes by the National Lottery - around £670 million last year.

Since June 2004 they have awarded over £9 billion to projects supporting health, education, environment and charitable purposes, from early years intervention to commemorative travel funding for World War Two veterans.

They believe people should be in the lead in improving their lives and communities. 

Their approach focuses on the skills, assets and energy that people can draw upon and the potential in their ideas.

They feel that strong, vibrant communities can be built and renewed by the people living in them – making them ready for anything in the face of future opportunities and challenges.

A meeting will be held in Girvan in due course to discuss how the money can be put to good use and benefit those living in South Carrick who face difficulties on a day to day basis.

Watch this space.