AN ONLINE vote to decide the fate of more than £28,000 in council support for community groups is now well under way.

And Argyll and Bute Council has organised an extra drop-in session for members of the public who don’t use the internet – after fears were raised in one village that a local bid for funds could be set to lose out.

Robert MacIntyre, the chairman of the Rosneath Highland Gathering, contacted the Advertiser to point out that no public event was due to take place in the village as part of the council’s ‘Supporting Communities Fund’ pilot scheme.

The Gathering has applied for a grant of £2,500 to help with the running of the event in July.

Mr MacIntyre, a former Argyll and Bute councillor for the Lomond North ward, said: “People in Rosneath who can’t, or won’t, vote online are at a disadvantage compared to people living elsewhere.

“I’m worried the Gathering could lose out because of that. If we don’t get a reasonable amount of money from the council I don’t know if we can afford to stage the Games, and I don’t think it’s fair.”

Mr MacIntyre also said he was worried that applicants from smaller communities in Helensburgh and Lomond could lose out in the public vote against the sheer weight of votes from Helensburgh, with its much larger population.

After we put Mr MacIntyre’s concerns to the council, a council spokeswoman said an additional drop-in event had been organised to give people living in Rosneath the chance to have their say in person.

The Rosneath event will take place at the Howie Pavilion from 2-4pm on Friday, April 20.

The spokeswoman said: “We apologise for any concerns raised by this meeting not being organised sooner.

“We’ve had a great response to the Supporting Communities Fund, with 21 projects put forward from Helensburgh and Lomond alone.

“Experience shows that people take an interest in projects outside as well as within their own local area, meaning that projects are not limited to their own communities for votes but can also draw on support from elsewhere.

“We are keen to help as many people as possible get involved with the voting process.”

If you haven't already taken part in the online vote, you can do so at www.abpb.argyll-bute.gov.uk.

Drop-in events have already taken place in Helensburgh and Luss, with other sessions taking place as follows.

Cove: April 12 from 2-4pm at Cove Burgh Hall.

Arrochar: April 13 from 2-4pm and April 17 from 6-8pm at the Three Villages Hall.

Cardross: April 13 from 10am-12 noon at the Geilston Hall.

Rhu: April 16 from 2-5pm at Rhu and Shandon Community Centre.

Helensburgh: April 17 from 9.30am-12.30pm at the Helensburgh and Lomond Civic Centre.

Rosneath: April 20 from 2-4pm at the Howie Pavilion.

Garelochhead: April 24 from 10am-12 noon at the Gibson Hall.

The way the online vote has been organised means that members of the public can only choose to give an applicant the whole sum they’ve asked for or none at all.

1 – Arrochar and Tarbet Community Development Trust (Cobbler Climbers) – Equipment for a new climbing club for young people in the Arrochar area. Applied for £2,000

2 – Arrochar and Tarbet Community Development Trust (Generation Communities) - To support the general running and activities of an intergenerational group in the Arrochar area. Applied for £1,703

3 – Bicentenary Pipe Band Championships Committee - Contribution towards running the annual Bicentenary Pipe Band Championships. Applied for £2,500

4 – Colgrain Primary School Parent Teacher Council (Colgrain Primary School Community Garden) - Tools, plants and storage to allow the school to open up the garden area for use by the wider community. Applied for £600

5 – Cove and Kilcreggan Lunch Club - Funds towards the general running of the lunch club, including transportation for members, a Christmas party and summer outing. Applied for £1,150

6 – Cove and Kilcreggan Youth Cafe - Contribution towards the cost of employing a trained youth worker for the Cove and Kilcreggan Youth Café. Applied for £2,500

7 – ENABLE Scotland (Jean’s Bothy Community Health Hub Courses) - To fund courses for the volunteers and staff members at Jean's Bothy Mental Health Hub to run the members' café and support therapeutic activities. Applied for £2,210

8 – Friends of Hermitage Park Association (Helensburgh War Memorial Families Project) - To create a digital archive and book, to share stories about the lives of those named on the Helensburgh War memorial. Applied for £2,500

9 – Gareloch Riding for the Disabled Association - For the upkeep of two horses for use by some of the smaller children who have physical and/or learning difficulties. Applied for £2,092

10 – Geilston Hall Management Committee (Argyll’s Charles Rennie Mackintosh Trail) - To support children in Cardross to research and display the work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh in the Geilston Hall. Applied for £750

11 – Helensburgh and Lomond Autism - To provide cooking and independent living skills workshops for children and young people affected with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Applied for £1,794

12 – Helensburgh and Lomond Foodbank - To source and deliver advice and guidance to clients in poverty, to enable them to maximise their income and develop a personal action plan out of poverty. Applied for £2,000

13 – Helensburgh Community Council (Helensburgh 20/20 – a Vision for a Town Embarking Upon Change) - To create a Community Action Plan for a comprehensive vision for how the community wants to develop and improve the town. Applied for £2,500

14 – Helensburgh Community Council (John Logie Baird Innovation Hub) - To fund a feasibility study and business plan for the creation of an Innovation hub in Helensburgh. Applied for £2,500

15 – Helensburgh Heroes –To develop and produce teaching resource packs and activity sheets, for use by schools and visitors to the Helensburgh Heroes Centre. Applied for £2,000

16 – Kirkmichael Community Development Group (Kirkmichael Meet and Eat Lunch Club) – Running costs of the lunch club, including transport for members, outings and a Christmas party. Applied for £2,500

17 – Loch Long Jetty Association (Loch Long Pontoon) – To obtain a marine licence in order to support a pontoon and visitor moorings. Applied for £2,025

18 – Recruit for Spouses CiC (Recruit for Spouses Helensburgh Job Club) – Costs associated with the provision of support and advice to Navy spouses searching for work. Applied for £2,500

19 – Rhu and Shandon Community Centre (Family Activities for 2018) – To run family events and activities at the Community Centre, including a Treasure hunt, Autumn Adventure and Burns Supper. Applied for £570

20 – Rosneath Peninsula Highland Gathering – Contribution towards running the annual Rosneath Peninsula Highland Gathering. Applied for £2,500

21 – Route 81 Youth Project, Garelochhead –The provision of free Friday night diversionary activities for 11-18 year olds. Applied for £2,500

The online vote runs until Monday, April 30 and people living in Helensburgh and Lomond can find out full details about how much each group has applied for, what they want to do with the funds, and then choose which projects they want to support at www.abpb.argyll-bute.gov.uk.

When voting you have to give your name and date of birth, while your device’s IP address is also logged in a bid to prevent repeat votes skewing the final outcome.

Giving a presentation on the pilot scheme to Helensburgh Community Council recently, the council’s community development officer, Kirsty Moyes, said there was still “a certain element of trust” in the system but that security measures were in place to protect the integrity of the process.