A LONG-AWAITED community larder project in Largs won't be up and running until the new year, it's been revealed.
And the delay in the project has resulted in a voluntary group in the town giving a £1,000 donation to the Largs Foodbank to help them through the Christmas period.
Work on the larder project, to be based at Largs Library, is nearing completion, members of Largs Community Council (LCC) were told - and North Ayrshire Council, which runs the library, has been working on bringing in volunteers to develop and run the larder.
There have now been eight people registered an interest in volunteering.
Council representatives told LCC that training should be complete in time for the larder to be up and running early in 2024.
The volunteers will work closely with Largs Foodbank to avoid duplication and have a joined up approach in access to affordable and free food.
Community councillor Robbie Stevenson said: "Given the larder is a wee bit behind in opening up, we felt we wouldn't hold on to the £1,000 that we have.
"We have decided to donate £1,000 from our Access to Food group to the Largs Foodbank to use now, and not to wait till the community larder was open.
"We felt that people are needing to access food now."
A council representative said a delay had been caused by the delivery of fridge freezers and the need for adaptations to the larder premises - but that "everything else was ready to go".
A meeting will be held on December 19 to set up a constitution for the larder, formalise a bank account and decide on a name for the new service.
The News revealed in February that a community larder was to open in Largs, following similar projects set up elsewhere in North Ayrshire, including in West Kilbride.
In return for a payment of £3, each family that uses the West Kilbride larder can get access to shopping worth £12 - while a payment of £5 opens up access to items worth £20.
The larder is funded by grants from North Ayrshire Council and people who pay monthly by standing order.
Ewan Grant, locality officer for North Ayrshire Council, said: "There are 12 larders across North Ayrshire and they are all run by volunteers, with support from North Ayrshire Council.
"This will be a great asset to Largs."
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