Children 1st staff is applying on behalf of group. Our coffee and connect group was originally created by Children 1st at the start of 2023 after they were successful in money for their local community. The reason for the group was because parents and carers felt like there was no opportunity to connect with others in their area. Since then, we have grown into a consistent and strong group who meet on a weekly basis at Children 1st space in Bourtreehill. We all have our own family story

Curryoke Night . Friends of Trindlemoss is a group made up of parents, family, carers and people with learning disabilities who access Trindlemoss Day opportunities. The group was formed to fund raise money to purchase equipment, raise money for outing that gives people with learning disabilities new experiences like recently some of the group had a speed boat experience. The group will hold events throughout the year and the parents will have the opportunity to meet and build friendships.

Choices Community Shop is a community food project set up by volunteers in the community to provide food with dignity to those in need. The funding will be used to help reduce the impact of poverty within the community based on individual needs. Our Community Shop has capacity to support approximately 100 households per week but with over 400 registered, many have to wait. This grant will allow for more households to be able to get support when they need it by getting access as required.

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 are seeking funds to help with equipment costs and costs for attending competitions.