More than £300,000 is being awarded to 19 community projects to help regenerate their neighbourhoods.

Schemes ranging from Argyll and Bute to Shetland are receiving a share of the £312,000 Scottish Government fund as part of its Making Places Initiative, which aims to encourage people to engage and actively contribute to the development of their local places.

Some of the successful projects include;

• Ayr North, £25,000, proposed by South Ayrshire Council - Design workshops to develop a community action plan and vision, including development of play space and community garden on site of Whitletts Primary schools

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• Woodside Improvements, £30,000, proposed by Queens Cross Housing Association - Workshops to develop an action plan for physical and environmental improvements to the Woodside area of North Glasgow

• Dunfermline, £24,810, proposed by Carnegie Dunfermline Trust - Community led event to develop a masterplan for a key area in Dunfermline town centre

Minister for Local Government, Kevin Stewart, said: "I am pleased we received so many applications from a mixture of local authorities and community groups, keen to get local people involved in plans to improve their area.

"This scheme and every project supported by it creates more opportunities for communities to choose what works for them.

"Each project has its own design challenge, whether it is a plan to regenerate an area of a city centre or looking at a smaller site in a rural community. All of these projects should lead to improvements that will create benefit for hundreds of people."

(LM/MH)