RESIDENTS are being urged to vote for community groups to receive a funding boost.

North Ayrshire Council's participatory budgeting fund (PB) received 300 nominations last month from community groups and organisations hoping to be shortlisted for the next round of the public vote.

Voting opened on Monday, October 14, via the Shaping North Ayrshire website.

The council's Connected Communities team, part of the North Ayrshire Community Planning Partnership, along with a group of independent community reviewers, have identified 186 locality and 114 youth projects that meet the eligibility criteria.

Residents are now encouraged to vote online for the groups they believe should receive funding.

A total of £171,377 is available for community groups in need of support.

Voting ends at midnight on Friday, November 8.

The funding this year will be part of two funding cycles: Locality PB, which includes health and wellbeing, building community spirit, cost of living, and green projects, and Youth PB, which includes youth voice and rights, health and wellbeing, cost of living, and green projects.

Secondary school pupils across North Ayrshire will also have the chance to vote online if they hold a Young Scot card or National Entitlement Card.

Further support will be provided in schools for young people to vote with their Young Scot card, or temporary voting passes can be provided.

Participatory budgeting is based on an ethos of 'it’s your money, you decide'.

It is a type of citizen participation where people are involved in the process of deciding how public money, in this case, the council’s PB budget, is best spent.

Councillor Alan Hill, cabinet member for communities and islands, said: "Our residents know better than anyone else which projects will be the most beneficial to them in their local communities, so it is only fair that they have a direct say on how money is spent.

"We encourage residents to please take the time to read through all of the eligible projects in your locality so that you can make an informed choice of who needs the funding most and what would make the most impact locally.

"Voters can vote for up to three projects in their own locality.

"The projects receiving the most votes by the end of the voting period will then be successfully funded from this year’s funding.

"It’s your money, you decide.

"By getting involved in our participatory budgeting voting period, the council look forward to working together with residents and the groups supporting our communities to raise their profile, provide support and build a thriving North Ayrshire for all."

Cast your vote at northayrshire.communitychoices.scot/.