Fund is delivering impact for communities

A £1.2 million council fund aimed at reducing child poverty so young people can thrive is having a positive impact.

The council’s Child Poverty & Early Intervention Fund (CPEIF) was established in the 2023-24 budget to support the Child Poverty Action Plan 2023–2026.

Its aim is to reduce the main drivers of poverty – low income from employment, a lack of income from social security and the high cost of living.

Tackling child poverty is a key pillar in the council’s priority of transitioning to a wellbeing economy in a way that improves the quality of life for local people.

Collaboration between the council and its community partners is key to driving down child poverty, and various partnership projects under the Fund are helping to make a difference.

These include:

• a £227,000, year-long pilot project with 1st Alliance Community Bank, Beith Community Development Trust, CHAP and The Ayrshire Community Trust (TACT) that pools each organisation’s area of expertise to provide a whole system approach to early intervention, boosting financial resilience and making it easier for households to access tailored support
• £50,000 being allocated to support travel costs in order to remove barriers to access for employability and training – including bus travel for 150 parents for six months
• a £50,000 boost for digital inclusion by providing computer equipment in communities through partners such as The Lennox Partnership’s We Work for Families programme, TACT, Children First and The Network Brokerage
• an extension to a project focusing on sustainable and affordable childcare provision including out-of-school care, childminding and breakfast clubs
• an additional £100,000 of support to the network of food larders and community shops in order to sustain access to dignified food provision and
• £65,000 towards a new North Ayrshire Family Enterprise Fund, intended to nurture entrepreneurial skills and pathways to sustainable self-employment. Applications for this 12-week programme are currently open, with Ayrshire College delivering the course from April.

The council is also working towards creating a joint plan and report incorporating Child Poverty, Children’s Services and Children’s Rights for the period 2026-2029.

This will streamline processes, strengthen accountability, and enable more effective targeting of resources to improve outcomes for children, young people and families.

On Tuesday (17 February) Cabinet will be asked to note the report, the positive impact being made by the fund and approve that any future investment is aligned to the emerging Children and Families Plan.

Published: 13 February 2026