Community groups in Helensburgh and Lomond who missed out on a share of £28,000 in a public vote have vowed the setback won’t affect their plans.

Five local groups failed to attract enough backing in a vote to allocate cash from Argyll and Bute Council’s Supporting Communities Fund.

The council announced the successful groups which would receive a share of up to £28,000.

Fifteen groups will receive cash following the vote, but bids by the Bicentenary Pipe Band Championships, the Friends of Hermitage Park, Helensburgh Heroes, Helensburgh Community Council – who made two bids – and Recruit for Spouses were unsuccessful.

The West of Scotland branch of Recruit for Spouses requested £2,500 to provide support for navy spouses in the area looking for work.

Lisa Grieveson, the Recruit for Spouses representative for Helensburgh said: “It’s just a stumbling block. It’s not going to stop me doing what I’m doing.

“We wanted the funding for me to open my office more often to check CVs but because we didn’t get it, that doesn’t mean it won’t happen.

“Navy spouses are very important and follow their partners around during their career which often means they need to give up their jobs, so I sit them down and remind them that they’re important too and look at their qualifications and help them apply for jobs or get them back into education.”

The Helensburgh Heroes didn’t receive enough votes to secure funding either.

Helensburgh Heroes, meanwhile, asked for £2,000 to provide schools with teaching materials in schools and resources for visitors to the area.

But the project’s leader, Phil Worms, said: “It’s something we still plan to do. We’ll just have to be a little more patient.

“Whilst we would have loved to have received a grant we’re delighted for the very worthy projects and causes that were successful.”

The council’s policy lead for communities, Councillor Robin Currie: “We would like to thank everyone who submitted an application, and all those who took the time to vote - over 4,500 of you.

“This year we have piloted a new approach and encouraged the people of Argyll and Bute to decide what projects should receive funding.

“The process was part funded by the Scottish Government’s Community Choices programme and will help inform our approach to involving communities in making financial decisions in the future.”

“This fund is all about our communities and this money will make a huge difference to community groups and organisations throughout the area.”

Despite concerns that rural bids would lose out, all the unsuccessful bidders were from projects in Helensburgh.

One successful applicant was the Rhu and Shandon Community Centre, who applied for £570 to run family events, and whose chair, Sue Thornley said: “The committee at Rhu Hall are delighted with our success in obtaining the funding for three community events in the next year. “We intend to purchase some outdoor games to play on the day in the garden behind the hall, where there will also be a picnic.“Having the funding means that we can run events for local families without always fund raising at each event.”

More than 4,500 people cast their votes in the pilot scheme, which ran throughout Argyll and Bute.

For full details of which projects received enough votes to secure a share of the fund, see the Advertiser website.

Voting closed at midnight on Monday, and despite fears that rural bids would lose out, all six of the unsuccessful bidders were in Helensburgh.

The council is looking for feedback on this project via www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/forms/supporting-communities-fund-survey.