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����ֱ�� is inviting parents to find out whether or not they are eligible for a school clothing grant and/or free school meals for their child. All pupils in P1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 are currently entitled to a free school meal as part of the Scottish Government’s commitment to roll out free school meals to all primary pupils. Until such times as all primary pupils have access to a free meal, parents can get a meal for their child during term time if they receive any of the following:

����ֱ�� has appointed Dawson WAM as the Principal Contractor for the Campbeltown Flood Protection Scheme (FPS) – part of the £15.215 million scheme that will see a range of improvement works carried out to reduce the risk of flooding in the town.

����ֱ�� has reaffirmed its commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant – a pledge that those who those who serve or who have served in the armed forces, and their families, should be treated with fairness and respect in the communities, economy and society they serve with their lives.

Helensburgh Pier will receive a £345,000 makeover to help improve the appearance and add to the overall improvements works at the waterfront. The works, funded by Crown Estates and the Scottish Government’s Place Based Investment Programme include resurfacing the masonry section of the pier and replacing lighting. Work is due to start on 11 July with the pier closed to the public for six to eight weeks.  

Sitting at the base of Dunoon’s medieval castle lies the Grade B listed Gate Lodge. The property is currently on Historic Environment Scotland’s buildings at risk register. As part of Dunoon’s Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS), ����ֱ�� is progressing with renovation plans to rescue and bring this much-loved building back into use.     Work started in May 2022 to install new windows, doors and floors along with drainage works to the exterior of the building. Work will continue until autumn and then a second phase will start to fit out the interior.

Lochdonhead Primary School has received gold accreditation in UNICEF UK’s Rights Respecting School programme. UNICEF is the world’s leading organisation working for children and their rights. The Rights Respecting Schools Award is awarded to schools that show commitment to promoting and realising children’s’ rights and encouraging adults, children and young people to respect the rights of others in school.

The drive to grow the population of ����ֱ�� and Bute’s island communities has been boosted with the award of new support from the council’s Strategic Housing Fund. Councillors have approved additional funding of £90k for six affordable houses on Ulva, to be delivered by the North West Mull Community Woodland Company (NWMCWC). This investment supports the council’s work to attract people and skills to ����ֱ�� and Bute, and reverse its population decline.

����ֱ�� has given the go-ahead for a ballot to extend the Business Improvement District (BID) in Oban for another five years. A BID is an area in which businesses invest and work together, to improve the trading environment for businesses, their customers and visitors. BIDs can only exist if there is support from a clear majority of local businesses in a vote. The proposal for the ballot follows BID4Oban completing its second term with a number of objectives delivered for the town’s economy over the past ten years.

����ֱ��’s schools catering service has received The Soil Associations’ Bronze Food for Life Served Here Award for the 10th year in a row. Not only that, this year’s accreditation also includes meal provision for the area’s early years settings, meaning that even more young people are able to benefit from healthy, sustainable school meals.

Pupils and staff in schools across ����ֱ�� and Bute will break up for their summer holidays this week. Thanking them for their hard work and wishing them a happy, restful summer, the council's Policy Lead for Education, Councillor Yvonne McNeilly, said: “I would like to wish our schools staff, early years practitioners, and children and young people a very happy, well-deserved summer break. “The last 12 months have seen our schools finally return to some normality after what was a very turbulent and uncertain time during the pandemic.