South Scotland MSP Brian Whittle has welcomed the announcement by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt in the UK Budget that the Take a Bow Development Trust will receive £200,000 to redevelop the New Farm Loch Community Centre.
The funding will be used by the trust to transform the building into a Community Hub and Opportunities Centre with a new extension to provide additional meeting space and the creation of new changing rooms.
The money, which comes through the UK Government’s Community Ownership fund, will allow the hub to become a new home for community organisations delivering services like employability schemes and enterprise programmes.
The MSP also welcomed announcements by the Chancellor to extend the Energy Price Cap until June and an end to households paying a premium if they use a prepayment meter. Brian also wants to see Ayrshire considered as a site for a new Investment Zone, after the Chancellor announced Scotland would be home to at least one of the zones designed to boost the economy and create jobs.
Brian Whittle MSP said:
“I’m delighted to see the UK Government making this investment in New Farm Loch and I’m excited to see what the Take a Bow Development Trust will turn the Community Centre into.
For community organisations, a space like this gives them a chance to expand their services and give more people access to more opportunities.
This budget showed that Jeremy Hunt is taking the steps required to protect people in the face of the cost-of-living crisis and build a stronger economy for the future.
Creating an Investment Zone in Ayrshire would be a prime opportunity to make the most of the talent we have in this area and give us a real competitive edge against the economic pull of Glasgow and the Central Belt. I look forward to exploring the possibilities of making a bid.”
