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.

Formed in 2022 and constituted earlier this year, we are a group of volunteers who survey the core path network in Eglinton Country Park and identify problem areas affecting accessibility. We primarily improve paths where there is flooding and cut back branches and bushes along borders to help make paths accessible for all park users.

We have looked at ways to increase relaxation spaces across our school community and are looking to add more Rainbow bench table & chairs to our infant area. This has been a successful community shared space area for the senior end. We  would like to mirror this for the infant pupils so they can also have this opportunity for an outdoor community space to promote their relaxation & wellness. We would also be looking to add some umbrellas to the tables for both the senior & infant areas.

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 are a North Ayrshire based mental health charity that supports children and young people to rediscover hope and happiness through theraputic interventions. We intend to run a session for parents of young people that we support to promote physical and mental wellbeing. The Parent Wellbeing and Health Event will be open to adults and parents of young children.

Irvine and District Pipe Band are looking for funding to continue our great program of free tuition to anyone who wants to learn either the bagpipes or drums associated with Scottish music.

Working alongside a local artist we will run two groups in the Irvine area focusing on improving mental health and wellbeing through the use of creative arts. One group (5 sessions) will be for Kinship carers and 5 Kinship family sessions.