A North Ayrshire Libraries programme to help children “explore literacy in new and creative ways” has been awarded almost £12,000.

The upcoming Off the Page initiative – which will begin this spring - will see children from Castlepark, Loudoun Montgomery, and Springside primaries in Irvine take part in poetry, art, and film sessions.

One of just eight programmes throughout Scotland to receive finding, the initiative has been given £11,900 by the Scottish Government’s 2022/23 Public Library Improvement Fund.

A spokesperson for North Ayrshire Council said: “North Ayrshire Libraries are delighted to announce that library staff will be working with Castlepark, Loudoun Montgomery and Springside primaries at Irvine and Dreghorn libraries to develop literacy-based library class visits over the coming months.

“Set to begin ahead of the Easter break, the new learning initiative called ‘Off the Page’ will use poetry, the arts and film to stimulate creativity so that pupils can explore literacy in new and creative ways.

“The project will run from April - June with additional activities for the families of the children involved during the summer holidays.

“The aim of the project is to not only make a positive contribution to improving literacy it will also improve the confidence of children and young people taking part.”

A total of £200,000 was awarded to initiatives which focused on people, place, and partnership – three themes highlighted in the government’s Forward public library strategy.

Winners of the Public Library Improvement Fund were chosen by the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) who also distributed the grants.

Chief executive of SLIC, Pamela Tulloch, said: “The Public Library Improvement Fund allows services across Scotland to enhance their offering to provide support which benefits the communities they operate in most.

“It allows libraries to lead the way in enriching the sector’s offering and with people, place and partnership at the heart of this innovation, the advantages of library use for people of all ages has never been clearer.”

The recipients of the funding were announced by Culture Minister Neil Gray during a visit to Danderhall Library in Midlothian.

He said: “Public libraries are at the heart of our communities and this year’s awards will go towards a range of projects to further enhance the services they provide.

“I’m also pleased to see that many of the eight projects receiving a share of the £200,000 from the Scottish Government funded Public Libraries Improvement Fund will be delivering their programmes in partnership with other organisations.”