A new £20,000 grants programme will fund projects that gather the experiences of lesser-heard voices across Renfrewshire.
The Renfrewshire Voices pilot was approved at the Leadership Board on Wednesday, 16 September. Organisations led by, representing or working with equalities groups can apply for grants of up to £4,000. Applications opened on 16 September and close on 28 October.
Projects are meant to identify barriers, unmet needs and gaps in local services. Evidence gaps flagged by the council include experiences connected to faith, the LGBT+ community, intersectional equalities communities, and people who use British Sign Language as their primary language. Examples of intersectional communities include New Scots who are parents and disabled LGBT+ people.
Findings will help inform policy development, service design, Equality Impact Assessments, monitoring of Equality Outcomes and the future Fairer Renfrewshire Action Plan.
Applications will be assessed by a panel involving Renfrewshire Council, Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership and Engage Renfrewshire. Recommendations are expected from December 2026. Successful projects are expected to run between January and June 2027, with flexibility where more time is needed. A further tranche of funding could be considered if the pilot works.