MORE than £140,000 will be awarded to organisations for different sustainable community projects after elected members gave their seal of approval.

Grants will be allocated to the New Tannahill Centre, Clydeside Orienteers, 5th Paisley (Oldhall) Scout Group, RIG Arts, Star Project and Creating a Sustainable Gryffe.

It comes after they made applications to the sustainable communities fund which supports projects that promote or improve community collaboration, health and wellbeing, local spaces, economic development, biodiversity and the environment.

Depute council leader Jacqueline Cameron, an SNP representative for Johnstone South and Elderslie, told Tuesday’s communities and housing policy board: “I just wanted to say that I’m happy to approve the funding that’s being awarded, particularly picking out the work that the Tannahill Centre and Star Project do in tackling poverty.

“Obviously people will be aware that I work with the Star Project through the Fairer Renfrewshire Lived Experience Panel, I work closely with them, so I’m pleased to see them getting funding, too.”

The pot was created after it was agreed last year to combine remaining monies from the community empowerment and climate change action funds. It was further bolstered by cash from the UK shared prosperity fund.

Three types of awards are available through the process, including small (up to £10,000), intermediate (£10,000 to £25,000) and large (up to £100,000) amounts.

Applications were assessed last month by a cross-service panel of officers established to consider the bids against agreed objectives and criteria.

While six totalling £143,004 were recommended for awards and subsequently rubber-stamped, nine were deferred for further information and three did not meet the criteria.

A report, which was considered at the board, said: “The sustainable communities fund has been very popular since its launch and has attracted a significant number of initial formal applications and more informal contacts and expressions of potential interest.

“Applicants are strongly advised to engage with coordinating officers as early as possible in the application development process.

“There continue to be a number of applications where further information is required to fully assess an application, which has led to a number of applications being recommended to be deferred at this time, in order to give applicants the best possible chance of success as part of the assessment process.”