Bronze awards for three council projects

Three South Ayrshire Council projects have achieved bronze awards in the COSLA Excellence Awards.

The inclusive swimming programme, Learn2Swim Plus, is one of three Bronze Award winners

The council’s Tackling Inequalities and Improving Health bronze award winner is Learn2Swim Plus: an inclusive swimming programme for children aged 4-16 years with physical, sensory and/or learning needs, which has almost 100 participants.

The Strong & Sustainable Communities bronze award winner is the council’s scheme to improve the energy efficiency of housing in whole streets, remove people from fuel poverty, and monitor and evaluate energy savings and health benefits to householders.

The Local Matters bronze a ward winner is You Decide which has seen 29 decision days held in community venues, awarding almost £1 million to 636 groups from across South Ayrshire.

Councillor Peter Henderson said: “These projects show just some of the innovative ways in which we’re transforming services, and transforming lives. The projects receiving bronze awards – and now in the running for silver awards – epitomise some of the differences we want to make for our people and places.”

“That includes involving people in how we work and making decisions that matter; reducing poverty and disadvantage; increasing the number of affordable and warm homes for those on limited income; supporting the training and development of our young people; and encouraging healthy and active lifestyles.

“Most exciting of all is that these award-winning projects are only a small part of the bigger picture of what we’re doing to ensure our people and places can thrive and flourish. It’s great to see our efforts recognised by COSLA in this way and I have no doubt our projects will go far in the process.”

All top ten longlists for each of the award categories will now be whittled down by judges to a top three shortlist, which will each win a silver award.