North Ayrshire Athletics Club have been served up a major cash boost after a successful funding bid.
The local group will receive £27,000 over three years from North Ayrshire Ventures Trust (NAVT) to help support an additional member of staff who will help promote the sport to young people across the region.
The club, along with North Ayrshire Council, KA Leisure and Scottish Athletics, has been working hard to expand provision and reach more young people than ever before.
A significant expansion of all programmes: pre school, 5 to 8-year-old programme, additional support needs sessions, holiday provision and a range of curricular and extra curricular athletics sessions has seen over 1,000 young people given the opportunity to participate.
And since the programmes started, 250 are now taking part on a regular basis.
Following the success of their work, the club wants to expand the programme and offering.
As well as building on the work already being carried out, the post will help provide athletics opportunities for people living in the most deprived areas and for people living in poverty. They also hope to provide training, volunteering and employment opportunities with a particular focus on young people.
This grant programme was developed to enable voluntary, community and social enterprises in North Ayrshire to explore new opportunities to help them grow in size and improve long-term sustainability.
Kirsteen Brown President of North Ayrshire Athletics Club, said:
“We are delighted to be awarded the funding and would like to thank the NAVT board for supporting us.
“The funding will be instrumental in not only allowing the club to grow in membership but will allow us to reach athletes that may not have had the opportunity previously.
“We really appreciate the support and look forward to developing athletics in the wider community.”
If you would like to apply for NAVT funding, please email infonavt@north-ayrshire.gov.uk