A community centre in Netherthird, Cumnock, which offers a wide range of social activities and wellbeing services, has had its future secured following a grant from the Scottish Land Fund.
Netherthird Initiative for Community Empowerment coined in £111,268, allowing it to proceed with plans to take ownership of the building from which it operates.
Meanwhile, Kilmarnock-based Take A Bow Development Trust will use its grant of £65,650 to purchase the Take A Bow Community Centre in New Farm Loch, where it will continue to offer a range of community-focused events and classes.
The grants are two of 16 totalling £1,972,701 that have just been awarded to projects across the country by the Scottish Land Fund in their latest round of awards.
David Perriman, treasurer at Netherthird Community Trust, said: “This funding from the Scottish Land Fund will enable us to purchase the community centre that we have been running with a high degree of success for the past seven years.
“It will be a great asset to the local community who will now have ownership of it.”
And Martyn Hay, chief executive officer at Take A Bow, said: “The former New Farm Loch Community Centre was opened in 1974, however, following a decision to close the centre, Take A Bow Development Trust took over the running of it in 2019.
“Since then, we have been working to address social inclusion and support people back into work and this funding will allow us to create a dynamic community facility that will operate as a community hub and opportunities centre, helping to make New Farm Loch a vibrant and thriving place in which to live and work.”
Cara Gillespie, Scottish Land Fund committee chair, said: “Every one of these grants allows for the provision of assets and services that individual groups have identified as being essential to their areas. This localised approach helps to strengthen both urban and rural communities.”
And Sandra Holmes, Head of Community assets at HIE, said: “The successful projects announced are all great examples of people taking control of local resources for the long-term benefit of their communities.”
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