The Vennel Friends Irvine Discovery Group are based at the Vennel Gardens Engagement Hub. The group has been active since May 2023 and has 15 registered members. The group offers a social setting with the opportunity for participants to complete the Discovery Award, comprising of the bronze, silver and gold levels. The Group aims to enhance the lives of all those over 50 years of age and to provide an incentive, through personal challenges, to lead a happy, healthy, and active life.

As planned the Irvine Sharks have established in their first year a senior men’s basketball team made up of members all approaching 40 or over. Many who had been inactive over the past years. This has led to a dramatic boost in members physical and mental health. The men’s team completed the season winning the Strathclyde Basketball League Division 3 18-0 and have received promotion to Division 2.

Irvine Table Tennis Club was founded in 2018 and is based at the Portal, Irvine. Our club which is affiliated to TT Scotland, runs weekly, every Tuesday where we have 12-15 tables set up for use. Irvine TTC is a community club for everyone in Irvine town centre, where our volunteers and coaches have created a safe space for all to enjoy playing table tennis regardless of age, ability and background.

We would like to have an afternoon tea for our members. All funds raised would go towards this. An award of £750 would be greatly appreciated.

1. Annually, during January and February Irvine Burns Club invites local primary school Primary 6 pupils (450 in 2024) to Wellwood Burns Centre & Museum to learn about the life of Burns and the pivotal role Irvine played encouraging him to develop as a poet. 2. By entering a “Champion of Champion” event, Primary Schools demonstrate their pupils’ reading and speaking skills, boosting their self-confidence and fostering an appreciation of the Scots language.

Irvine Camera Club will host public photography walks in North Ayrshire, providing photographic help and advice (artistic and practical) to anyone who attends. We will follow this up with a Photography Competition open to enter to anyone residing in North Ayrshire. We will judge the competition and award prizes to the winners. As a result of this work, we propose to curate an exhibition of the best images at the Harbour Arts Centre (HAC)

We would like to host 2 networking events to raise the profile of Irvine Community Council and other voluntary organisations of Irvine.