A variety of north-east community projects, including a sailing club and emergency response group, have been awarded council funding.
Members of the Banff and Buchan area committee were asked to reallocate more than £3,000 after a scheme to promote safe driving in Fraserburgh and Banff secondary schools fell through.
The “hands on” Dial-a-Bus Plus Driving Ambition course was set to cost the authority £3,040 and would have raised awareness of road hazards for young people, but was eventually scrapped.
Area manager Margaret-Jane Cardno said: “It became clear at the 11th hour that the initial project wouldn’t be delivered in time. The view was to get this budget spent quickly, before the 31st of March when the funding will be lost.”
Councillors yesterday voted to award £500 to help purchase new life jackets and training equipment for Banff Academy’s rowing club.
A total of £100 was granted to Rathen community council to put up dog walking signs.
And a first responder team based in Banff and Macduff who provide emergency care to patients, while ambulances are en route, have been awarded more than £1,000 to buy a GPS phone.
The group has already installed public defibrillators in the town centre of Banff and neighbouring Macduff to help treat heart attack patients.
The remainder of the committee’s area initiative cash has been granted to Care United Banff to help cover rent for Macduff town hall, allowing them to serve hot meals to the most vulnerable members of the local community
Councillors voted against spending £2,500 on a new smart board for Portsoy Primary School, but said they would consider the project during the next round of applications, which opens in April.