A total of £5445 of community grants has been awarded to 16 separate groups across East Kilbride, Stonehouse, Strathaven, and Chapelton, while five local playschemes collectively pick up a further £2860. 

The decisions were made after all applications were considered by councillors at the most recent meeting of the committee last month.

Grants of £300 to fund an outing will go to Hunter Ladies' Bowling Club, XXR Mountaineering Club, East Kilbride Rugby Football Club, Chapelton Silver Circle, Strathaven and District Probus Club, and University of the Third Age (U3A) in East Kilbride.

Meanwhile, East Kilbride Seniors Forum, Kilbride Ladies' Club, the 17th East Kilbride Brownies, Stonehouse Men's Shed, and St Ninian's parish church guild, also in Stonehouse will each receive £350 for an outing and entrance fees.

The remainder of the grants given in this round went to:

• Friends of Dunedin Park, East Kilbride - £600 for equipment 
• Allers Allotments Association, East Kilbride - £240 for equipment and materials 
• Claremont Church – Good Companions Club, East Kilbride - £275 for an outing
• Strathaven Agricultural Exposition - £420 for administration and publicity costs 
• East Kilbride Visually Impaired Group - £360 for an outing and materials 

The committee also agreed three playscheme grants of £660 each to East Kilbride Universal Connections, Playcare Out of School Care, East Kilbride, and Strathaven After School Club. Two further grants of £440 each went to Mossneuk Out of School Service and Special Needs Adventure Playground (SNAP) Playscheme, both in East Kilbride.

The Community Grants scheme aims to fund activities and projects that add community benefit or bring people in the community together either to enjoy educational, recreational, leisure, and other activities or to improve the local environment.

Support can be provided for a range of costs such as for administration and publicity, the purchase of equipment and materials, annual outings and entrance fees, start-up expenditure, and special events. Further information on Community Grants in general or specifically on Playscheme Grants, can be found on the council website.