West Lothian Council Seeks Local Chair for £20M Fund

0:00It's March 23rd from your City to your ears. This is Edinburgh News today, powered by AI. West Lothian Council needs a volunteer to chair a new 20 million pound fund aimed at boosting three local communities, Whitburn, Blackburn, and Fault House. This pride and place program will pump 2 million pounds each year into these areas for the next 10 years, letting locals decide how to spend it on improvements. The board will mostly consist of community members, led by an independent chair who lives or works in one of those towns and knows their challenges. First hand, it's all about keeping things community driven away from council control. These spots were picked for the UK government's pride and place phase 2 funding because they're areas facing deprivation with the goal of empowering residents to shape their own futures and tackle local needs. A recent council report lays out the board's setup, at least eight members, including the local MP, MSP, and councillors, with over half from the neighborhoods.

1:02The council got 150,000 pounds of front to kick things off, build capacity, and help craft spending plans. They're urging interested folks to apply soon via the council's pride and place website with applications closing Sunday, March 29th, 20th, 26th to get this community led effort rolling