Netherthird Initiative for Community Empowerment hopes to build on its success by persuading people to back their bid to tackle mental health, addiction and suicide.
Maggie Campbell said that the group’s bid for funding would allow them to employ a dedicated development officer focusing on the mental health services.
It is just one of a number of projects which are hoping to get a share of a £250,000 Wellbeing Fund from East Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership this week.
Communities across East Ayrshire will be hosting ‘participatory budgeting’ events where local people vote on the projects they want to see for their area.
Unlike grants, participatory budgeting allows local people to decide where part of the partnership’s core budget is spent.
Netherthird Community Centre opened its new extension in the summer, adding a number of wellbeing rooms as well as extending the size of the main hall.
The physical extension has allowed the organisation to expand its services, particularly in the field of mental health.
Community stalwart Maggie Campbell, of the Netherthird Initiative for Community Empowerment, explained why the group need a part-time development officer.
“We need someone who can be dedicated to dealing with projects,” she said. “We have got to the stage where we have so many projects.
“It is not just a case of applying for funding, it is about following it up.
“A funding officer will help us to develop the mental health support that the new rooms help to provide.”
She said that, sadly, the need for such services was clear, particularly with regard to young people who may be dealing with addiction issues and at risk of harming or even killing themselves.
She said: “It is up to them what they want to do, that is none of my business. I just want to be able to help them.”
Such is the prevalence of the mental health issues across many communities, that getting professionals in has been difficult.
Maggie explained: “We have a youth intervention service that comes in every Monday, but they are from Renfrewshire. Nowhere locally has the time.
“We can’t run these programmes, we have to get experts in. And we need funding to be able to do that.”
She said that this is where a development officer would prove invaluable, helping to make the best use of the extended facilities.
Maggie added that signposting people to where they can find help was another important role in the facility.
“Getting access to support can be hard for people. We want this to be a warm, welcoming place where there is no pressure or stigma that may put people off.
“And when they are here we want to be able to point them in the right direction towards those who can help.”
East Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership explained how the events will work.
“At each event, attendees will be issued with ballot papers with the list of projects they can vote for.”
Projects will either cover all of East Ayrshire, or the specific locations of Kilmarnock, North or South.
“For the Southern and Northern localities, there will be two events taking place at the same time. At each event, attendees will be able to vote on projects that cover all of the locality area.
“The events will be a market-stall approach where each project will have a stall to display information and to speak to the attendees about their project.”
The timetable for the Kilmarnock, North and South Participatory Budgeting events are as follows:
- Thursday, October 27 - Howard Centre, Kilmarnock, 3pm – 7pm
- Friday, October 28 - Annick Centre, Stewarton, 2pm – 6pm, Darvel Town Hall, 2pm – 6pm
- Friday, October 28 - Cumnock Town Hall, 3pm – 7pm Dalmellington Town Hall, 3pm – 7pm
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