Welcome to the Ayrshire LEADER website. Here you will find lots of information on the LEADER Programme, who and how you can apply for funding and examples of projects that have been approved by the Local Action Group (LAG) so far.
Should there be any information your require and cannot find on the website, please contact the LEADER office on 01292 673 765 where staff will be happy to help.
* NEWS*
Ayrshire LEADER has been allocated an additional £1.17m of rural funding as part of the Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP) reallocation of funds from Rural Priorities to LEADER for Community Facilities & Services (CSF) and Local Collaborative Devel-opment Strategies (LDS). This takes the total Ayrshire LEADER funding from £3.38m to £4.55m.
Announcing the reallocation within the SRDP, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs Richard Lochead said: " Strengthening local decision-making will empower local communities to make the most of the funds available".
Ayrshire Local Action Group (LAG) Chair Chris Savage said of the allocation: "This additional funding is fantastic news for Rural Ayrshire, since February 2009 the LAG has funded 45 projects with a LEADER input of £968,000 and this additional funding will mean the LAG can consider a wider breadth and scale of projects".
Applications for projects that address the following, will now be considered for funding through LEADER:
Community Services and Facilities (SRDP measure 321)
The Scotland Rural Development Programme acknowledges the importance of rural community services and facilities in helping to sustain thriving rural communities. The aim is to support the provision of, or improvements to, service and infrastructure provision to address particular local needs and circumstances that would otherwise fall outside mainstream delivery. This includes rural community structures, sports facilities and play parks and equipment. LEADER funding can be used to support both capital and revenue projects.
Local Collaborative Development Strategies (SRDP measure 341)
In supporting local development strategies, particularly at the village level, the aim is to promote the acquisition of skills and provide animation activities at a local level.
All LEADER projects must be new and/or pilot in nature, able to demonstrate a need/demand within the community, should show an element of originality or experimentation where possible, and complement other activities happening within the area.
LEADER - Community Services and Facilities - technical guidance Note - 03 Aug 2010.doc
Further LEADER Funding Coming to Ayrshire....pdf
NEWS UPDATE: Groups seeking LEADER funds of between £1,000 and £20,000 can now apply anytime for funding,
closing dates are not applicable.
The same staged application process applies
The aim of the mainland Ayrshire LEADER Programme is to build knowledge and skills within our rural communities, and encourage innovation and co-operation by supporting new and innovative projects which tackle local rural development issues.
LEADER is part of the Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP 2007-2013), a part-European funded programme aimed at promoting economic and community development within rural areas. LEADER aims to help those active in rural Scotland to consider the long term potential of their area and unlock this potential through building confidence.
The Local Action Groups (LAG) aims to ensure this fund inspires, motivates and stimulates the communities of Ayrshire to work together in achieving a lasting legacy and contribute to the rejuvenation of rural communities, helping them meet challenges and grasp the opportunities.
The Ayrshire LEADER programme will run until 2013, investing £3.38m of grant funding over that period, with match funding brought forward on a project by project basis.
LEADER will be delivered through a local partnership known as the Ayrshire Local Action Group (LAG), made up of representatives from a wide variety of public and private organisations involved in rural development activities - look under scheduled LAG meetings for details of our members.
