LINWOOD Community Development Trust is one of 40 organisations due to benefit from a £2.5m Scottish Government regeneration fund.

Gavin Newlands, MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North, welcomed the news that the Linwood trust receive a share of the Strengthening Communities Programme (SCP) fund to help communities lead economic and regeneration work in their areas.

The SCP will provide investment to enterprising community organisations that have the potential to become more self-sustaining and established.

Mr Newlands said: “I’m delighted that Linwood Community Development Trust will benefit from this Scottish Government funding – investment designed to help communities across Scotland become more resilient, take ownership and control of their own areas and generate income by coming up with entrepreneurial ideas.

“By increasing our investment this year we are able to give more communities the opportunity to take forward improvements to their area, on their own terms. This investment will help enterprising community groups become anchor organisations in their local areas.

“This funding supports the aims of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act which comes into effect this year and is a momentous step in our drive to increase participation in local decision making.”