Cheques for £3,000 were presented to Barrhead High and St Luke’s High as part of the housing association’s Brighter Futures programne.

The S2 leadership group at Barrhead High arranged for 217 students to vote on 13 projects, each receiving funding of between £300-£500.

The projects ranged from new sports equipment, attendance awards, an outdoor pizza oven and bursaries for pupils to gain coaching qualifications to football kit and goals and a new spotlight for the Show/Musical Club.

The school’s Eco, Art, Culture and Language, Dance, Taskmaster Education clubs and S1 and S2 Leadership groups received grants of £57.

The process at St Luke’s High was organised by the school captains, with hundreds of pupils voting on grants of between £380-£500 for everything from school trips and the Pupil Support Base to pencil cases, sports bibs and picnic benches.

The funded projects were part of a First Home skills course involving 110 pupils at both schools over the past year.

Barrhead Housing’s Tenancy Readiness Officer Hilary Smith explained the course taught pupils how to run and manage a home. Modules ranged from where to find housing to household budgeting, housekeeping, utilities and cooking to DIY, welfare benefits, avoiding debt and setting up your own place.

Hilary said: “It was great to work with pupils and staff on the concept of Participatory Budgeting.This effectively gave control and ownership of £3000 at each school to the pupils, and for them to decide democratically how the money should be spent.”

Barrhead Housing’s Brighter Futures programme is funded by the Young Start National Lottery’s Community Fund.