Two projects in Paisley North area are to benefit from almost £20,000 in grants.
The Y Don’t U? Youth activity group has been awarded £11,000 to take local youngsters on a residential activity weekend to Aviemore, and Paisley West and Central Community Council has been given £9,000 to hold their first gala day.
The grants were agreed by Paisley North Local Area Committee, which is made up of councillors, council officers, and representatives of local groups such as community councils and tenants and residents groups.
Councillor Brian Lawson, convener of the Paisley North LAC, said: “The local area committees were set up with the purpose of bringing local residents into the process of making decisions which affect their communities. The LACs are able to award grants of up to £20,000 to projects which will provide benefits to the members of those communities. These are two great projects which have clear benefits for local people and the communities they live in.”
Y Don’t U? Group is run by Ferguslie Park Sports Recreation and Leisure Trust and was set up after outreach work showed that local young people wanted to participate in more activities and set up a constituted group to develop, coordinate and manage these activities.
The £11,000 grant will be used to fund a residential weekend at Glenmore Lodge National Training Centre, Aviemore, for young people aged between 14 and 18 from the Paisley North area.
Gerard Carr, Chair of Y Don’t U?, said: “The overall aim of Y Don’t U? is to provide sports, leisure and educational activities to the young people in the Paisley North area without having any barriers of cost. Previous activity weeks held at Ferguslie Sports Centre have been extremely well attended with over 150 young people per day. The aim of the residential weekends at Glenmore Lodge are to provide additional activities and training to young people to boost their self esteem and confidence and help them volunteer for future activities.
“Since the start of the group Y Don’t U? has seen 12 young people gaining ASDAN qualifications, 8 young people gaining SHOKK Assistant Coach qualification, a further 12 young people working towards their ASDAN Bronze & short course qualification, as well as Child Protection training and First Aid training, 2 young people gaining employment with the Renfrewshire Diversionary Project and 4 young people gaining employment at Ferguslie Sports Centre. None of this would have been possible without the help and support of the Paisley North Local Area Committee.”
Sherie Gilchrist, 16, a member of Y Don’t U? Said: “It’s been great getting involved with the Y Don’t U? The school holiday activities have been great and the residential weekends at Aviemore were really good. We climbed Meall a Bhuachaille (2,657ft) and went kayaking on Loch Morlich which was exhausting but really good.”
Paisley West and Central Community Council will use their £9,000 grant to fund the first Paisley West End Fair.
John Wilby of Paisley West and Central Community Council said: “We are delighted that the Local Area Committee is supporting our efforts to promote and develop a community spirit in the West End. The Fair’s theme, Unity in Diversity, reflects the aim to highlight the positive aspects of cultural diversity and build on the Council’s plans for regeneration”
For more information on Local Area Committees email local-area-committees.cs@renfrewshire.gov.uk or call 0141 840 3399