Community empowerment is delivering real results
Our people and communities are central to the decision-making processes of the Council.
By empowering our communities, we can ensure residents have a genuine voice in improving their neighbourhoods, tackling inequalities and creating stronger, more resilient communities.
Across North Ayrshire, community empowerment is delivering real results, including building skills, delivering projects and drawing investment into our communities.
During 2025/26, a total of 431 adults and 1,955 young people gained recognised national awards, helping individuals build skills, confidence and qualifications that can lead to further education, employment and volunteering opportunities.
We have also helped support 489 community groups - enabling communities to deliver projects and services that reflect local priorities and aspirations.
Volunteering remains a cornerstone of community empowerment. During 2025/26, residents participated in 1,179 volunteering opportunities, demonstrating the willingness of local people to give their time and expertise to improve their communities.
We have a variety of funds that are helping groups invest in the things that matter to their communities. More than £600,000 was distributed through Community Investment Funding, providing local organisations with the resources needed to deliver projects that improve lives.
In addition, Participatory Budgeting funding attracted significant interest, with 324 nominations received from communities across North Ayrshire. This approach gives residents a direct say over how funding is allocated, strengthening local democracy and ensuring investment reflects community priorities.
The Council continues to strengthen participation through its locality planning arrangements. Following Cabinet approval in May, proposals from the locality planning review are now being implemented across all six localities. These changes will enhance opportunities for residents to influence decisions and work alongside partners to address local issues.
We want to make sure all voices are heard and one example of how we do this is the Champions Board Conference, which brought together care-experienced young people to share their views, build relationships and influence future developments. This is reinforcing the Council's commitment to Keeping The Promise and ensuring young people help shape the decisions affecting their lives.
On Arran, partnership working has secured more than £800,000 through the Scottish Government Islands Programme (Arran Youth Foundation are pictured above celebrating the funding). This investment will support key community projects, improving facilities and infrastructure while helping island communities thrive and remain sustainable for future generations.
Community empowerment is not simply a policy objective for North Ayrshire Council. It is a practical approach that gives people greater influence, builds community capacity, unlocks investment and creates stronger, fairer and more connected communities right across North Ayrshire.
