There was £15,000 up for grabs provided from the housing association’s Community Investment project “Brighter Futures Barrhead” which has been funded by The National Lottery Community Fund.

240 members of the public came and voted for their favourite projects based on a Participatory Budgeting with the young people participating in Facepainting, Arts and Crafts and an Easter Egg Hunt.

These votes were added to the 145 votes cast digitally by Barrhead Housing tenants and customers and winning projects were announced at the end of the day. 15 projects with the most votes were awarded the full amount they asked for with three other projects being awarded half the amounts they had requested.

Lorna Wilson, chief executive, said: “It’s been great that we have been able to utilise funding from the National Lottery Community Fund to be able to facilitate a Barrhead Housing Community Fund, bring the community together and enable people to pick and choose community activities they want to support and provide much needed funding to these groups as we emerge from the pandemic.”

Bryan Dando, community investment manager, added: “It was wonderful to see how much community activity is happening in Barrhead and the surrounding areas. It’s been a very difficult 2 years, especially for the smaller groups, so it is extremely pleasing that Barrhead Housing Association is committed to our role as a Community Anchor Organisation by being able to promote these groups to the wider public.”

Gordon Blair, funding officer for The National Lottery Community Fund, commented: “Today was a chance for community groups to come together and celebrate their work, and for us at the Community Fund to learn more about different approaches to participatory budgeting. So much good work in Barrhead got well-deserved recognition and a boost in funding.” 

Funding was awarded as follows: 

• Dunterlie Community Food Share: £1000
• Back 2 School Bank East Renfrewshire: £1000
• Levern Valley Defibrillator Community Partnership: £1000
• National Autistic Society East Renfrewshire Branch: £952.66
• Barrhead Amateur Boxing Club: £1000
• IN CAHOOTZ Barrhead Drama: £1000
• Dunterlie arts and crafts group: £1000
• Barrhead Mens Shed: £741.99
• ERA: £1000
• Dunterlie Allotments: £1000
• St Luke’s H.S: £1000
• Magic WAND Community Safety &Health Project: £1000
• Dunterlie Breastfeeding Group: £988.3
• St Andrews Church: £1000
• Cross Arthurlie Primary School Parent Community Council: £1000
• Dunterlie Community Yoga and Well-being:  £500
• Auchenback Active: £500