PARENTS at a South Ayrshire primary school have received a cash boost from the Scottish Government as they bid to encourage pupils to take pride in their community.

The parent council at Annbank Primary, in Mossblown, is one of more than 180 projects across Scotland receiving cash from a government fund set up to improve rural communities.

The Annbank group has received £4,996.96 from the Rural and Island Communities Ideas Into Action (RICIA) find.

The school parent council plans to use the cash on a project called 'Developing Community Cheerleaders'.

A document explaining the funding given to each of the 181 projects states: "The funding will be used to offer the young people of Annbank and Mossblown, inspiring opportunities within their local community to improve the appearance of communal areas, support community growing and build awareness and appreciation of the local environment."

According to the Scottish Government, the RICIA fund "encourages and supports not-for-profit community groups with innovative approaches to community-led local development, including work towards net zero and just transition goals, tackling rural poverty and supporting rural communities through the cost of living crisis."

Read More: South Ayrshire Council in running for a top prize at Scottish Apprenticeship Awards

Mairi Gougeon MSP, cabinet secretary for rural affairs and the environment, said: “We are working to ensure local communities are empowered to tackle local challenges.

“This investment comes at a critical time for our rural and island communities, who are disproportionately impacted by the cost of living crisis compared to the rest of the country.

“I wish all the successful community groups well as they now look to take forward these projects and make a positive difference to their local areas.”