£50,000 available to tackle poor mental health in North Ayrshire

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People from across North Ayrshire are being offered the chance to stake their claim for up to £1,250 for worthy projects which will improve the lives of others.

A total of £50,000 is up for grabs in the participatory budgeting event which aims to give financial backing to projects and programmes which make a positive difference to improving mental health and wellbeing in North Ayrshire.

Applications were opened in January 2017 for the scheme with the money due to be handed out in February 2017.

North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership and the Scottish Government are jointly funding the £50,000 Participatory Budgeting initiative. Participatory Budgeting (PB) lets communities decide how to spend a small amount of public money.

A number of successful PB events have already been held across North Ayrshire in recent months and this latest initiative will invite bids of up to £1,250 from groups and individuals to tackle issues such as social isolation, stress and anxiety, and young people’s mental health.

Councillor Peter McNamara, Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care, said: “Our Participatory Budgeting events have been hugely successful and I’m delighted that people now have the chance to bid for projects which will make a real difference to the mental health and wellbeing of many people across North Ayrshire.

“We look forward to hearing what the bidders have to say and seeing how they can use this money to really make a difference to our communities and the lives of those within them.

“We would like to encourage people to come along on decision day on February 25, even if they are not pitching, as they will get to vote on how the money is spent.”

For those wishing to find out more, special information sessions were held around North Ayrshire. The final decision on the bids is in late February 2017 at a special public event in Ardrossan Civic Centre. The bids will be subject to a public vote – with applicants also able to take part – and the successful bidders receiving funding up to £1,250 for their project.

  • Article sourced from the North Ayrshire Council website