THE public are being urged to take part in a ‘Decision Day’ event – and decide which community projects share over £25,000 in funding.

Groups and individuals from North Coast (Cumbraes, Fairlie, Largs, Skelmorlie and West Kilbride) are the latest to be taking part in a Participatory Budgeting event.

These events were first rolled out in 2016 – across the Council’s six localities - and proved hugely successful with a raft of groups receiving significant sums of money.

All the the applications are in and the shortlisted groups will take part in Decision Day event on November 3.

The event will take place at Largs Campus from 10.30am-1pm and remote voting will be available in Millport, Skelmorlie and West Kilbride libraries from 10am to 12 noon.

They will bid for funding in a 'marketplace' format.

Applicants were invited to bid for up to £1,200 from a total pot of £20,644.

Applications had to demonstrate that funding would help improve at least one of the following in the North Coast area: local life, activities and community well-being.

An additional £5,000 is available from North Ayrshire Green Health Partnership for bids of up to £1,000. Bids should help improve nature-based activities in the North Coast area

Councillor Louise McPhater, Cabinet Member for Communities, said; “Participatory Budgeting is community empowerment and local democracy at its finest. We’ve held four really successful ones this year in the Three Towns, Irvine, Kilwinning and the Garnock Valley and we’re expecting lots of groups from the North Coast to get involved in the latest.

“Local people know their communities better than anyone else. They have been involved in designing the PB process via the Locality Planning Partnerships

“These events give people a chance to get involved and have a say on what’s important to them.”

Further information on all six of North Ayrshire's localities and their priorities are available at www.northayrshire.community.