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.

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.

Glebe Primary School prides itself on its values of Respect, Responsibility, Creativity and Kindness. We have a very small but very active combined PTA/PC who are constantly looking at ways to enhance our schools’ pupils experience both inside and outside the school. We work hard to fundraise for all kinds of activities for the children including school trips, discos and themed events proving treats to all the children throughout the school year.

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.

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 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.