A GROUP which helped source £80,000 of funding for 73 projects in East Ayrshire have earned a major plaudit.

The outstanding achievements of East Ayrshire Federation of Tenants and Residents (EAF) have been recognised.

They won the National Excellence Award at the annual conference of the Tenants Information Service (TIS).

Members of the EAF organised five community events as part of their Participatory Budgeting Project after they had successfully secured funding from the Scottish Government.

At each event, they worked to establish contacts and build new relationships to promote tenant participation and scrutiny opportunities.

Councillor Elena Whitham, cabinet member with responsibility for housing and communities said: “As the first Tenants and Residents Federation in Scotland to access this type of funding and organise such successful events, the Federation has every reason to be proud and delighted by this fantastic win.

“They have set the bar high and are an excellent example for other organisations to follow.”

Bruce Cuthbertson, EAF spokesman, said: “It is always pleasing to receive recognition for your efforts but to receive such a prestigious award as this Community Development Award from the Tenants Information Service has certainly brought a feeling of wellbeing and excitement to our group of volunteers.

“We take this as national recognition of our work within our communities with East Ayrshire Council and we hope to continue this work to the betterment of our neighbourhoods.”