Irvine Clean Up Crew is looking to continue and even increase our engagement with local schools and other community groups as we continue to promote messages of being responsible with our rubbish to protect the environment for the future. We currently have one class-sized kit of litter pickers, but often receive requests for more than one class to be out using our equipment at the one time. We also receive requests for longer term loans for environmental projects that we are currently unable to support. We are always delighted when schools and community groups reach out to us for support with litter picking activities so we would like to increase our equipment capacity so that we can support as many requests as possible. Our volunteer school’s co-ordinator will continue to provide support for litter picks and also provides opportunities to talk about the impact of litter. Seeing 41year old crisp packets generally starts some lively discussions! We also have a story that was written by two of our volunteers that is already available for schools to use in pdf format. We would like to get some copies of "Sandy's Big Adventure" printed, so that we have copies accessible for others to use out of a school setting.

We would like to use funds from the participatory budget to help us purchase another class size kit of litter pickers, hi-vis vests, gloves and buckets. We also want to arrange a school tour of our rescued "Tiger" to help share messages of being responsible with items you no longer want or need and encouraging repair/reuse rather than throwing items in the bin. Tiger (who is about to be renamed in a community competition) was rescued from the River Irvine looking worse for wear. A good wash and tidy up later and he's back to being super cuddly again. We think offering him to schools with his story and an opportunity to contribute to his ongoing adventure will encourage more conversations and promote ideas about how we can all do more to create less waste.

To help us continue to inspire the local community to take more positive action for the environment we would ask for the following:

30 x child size litter pickers: £360

5 x adult pickers: £95

30 x buckets: £60

30 x child size hi-vis vests: £150

30 x child size gloves: £110

Stationery and delivery costs to help support Tiger's school tour: £75

Printing costs for "Sandy's Big Adventure": £150

Total: £1000

Our project for the School is to promote outdoor relaxation and wellness within the community. We currently have tables and benches for the senior end.

This space gives the children somewhere to sit and relax. This has also proved beneficial in allowing the seniors within our community to share any worries or concerns they may have. As there is always an adult within the vicinity this be can reacted to appropriately to ensure they get proper support.

We now want to Mirror this in the infant area to give every child the chance to have a safe relaxing space to promote wellness across our community.  We are also looking to add umbrellas to the senior end tables and benches. In addition adding umbrellas to the new infant end benches; this would help keep the children safer on the warmer days. 

Some of the positive feedback from the children from the infant and senior end.

• Colourful

• Restful 

• Fun

• Great for chatting in privacy away from class

• Durable

• Chill out area

• Comfortable

• Nice to read books

Junior 3 seated bench -£ 299.99

Grounds Fixtures - £ 17.45

Fitted by NAC - £ 300.00

Umbrellas  & Stand X6 -£371.88

Total - £989.32

We would like funding to contribute towards the costs of running the club which helps young people and adults alike. For younger members, it takes them off the streets, teaches them how to look after their physcial and mental wellbeing. It also teaches them discipline and how to conduct themselves in the community. 

The club is open Monday to Friday and has a membership fee of £4 per session or £10 to attend 5 nights in one week. We would like to keep this cost as low as possible for families so it's accessible to young people, so by getting this funding will help us subsidise the costs. 

Taking part in the club helps improve members health and wellbeing through exercise and building relationships between members. The funding will also help towards the cost of living crisis for members as it will reduce the costs of taking part in this activity which is invaluable to members of the Vineburgh and Redburn neighbourhoods. 

Ring hire - £360 Insurance - £640

TOTAL - £1000

The PTA/PC have worked with the school and the parents/carers of the Glebe community to raise funds for a school trip each year. However due to the increased costs associated with this we may not be able to commit to this come the summer time.   

School trips are such a wonderful experience for the children. The whole school attends on the same day and makes each pupil feel valued. These trips outside of school are important for the children's Health and wellbeing. They have huge benefits in supporting their friendships and relationship building with their peers. 

Last school term we managed to fully fund various activities through the support of our parents/carers and we appreciate all of the support we have received to date. Some of these includes; playground markings around the whole school, Halloween party, Spring disco and a P7 leavers disco and year books.   

Coach travel estimated for June 2025 is £2,500

Our aim is to ensure every family in our school community has a safe place to meet for support and to provide a healthy meal or snack to combat the cost of living crisis.

We aim to promote health and wellbeing by running after school workshops for our families. The workshops will run over a 6 month period from January 2025 - June 2025. Each workshop will run for around an hour and a healthy snack or light meal will also be provided. 

We have collated responses from our parents and children which highlighted the following:

• parents want to feel more included in the school environment and with their child's learning
• children would like their parent/caregiver to have more involvement with their learning and for the learning to be ‘more fun’
• families would like to meet for support (from each other and from professionals)
• families would like to be more active
• children would like to learn how to cook healthy meals
• parents and children expressed an interest in attending a regular after-school club

We feel our plan for an after-school family hub would help meet the needs highlighted, we would be able to support family learning in a fun and engaging way. As well as providing a healthy snack or light meal, to help families during the current cost of living crisis.

We would work with the local community builder, the NHS, Local charities and Parent Council Volunteers to ensure a wide range of needs are met. Each ‘workshop’ at our new Family hub would have a theme, such as:

• Homework Help/ Supported Study (supporting family learning)
• Health and Wellbeing (promoting physical and mental wellbeing)

• Equality and Equity (outside agency delivering a workshop on this, with fun family games)
• Health and Fitness (physical games and activities for all ages and abilities)
• Cooking Healthy meals on a budget (community cook-a-long)
• Caring for our Community (community litter picks)

We would use the money secured from the bid to get our ‘Family Hub’ up and running.  Our predicted expenditure is £40 to buy equipment such as plates, cutlery and cooking utensils. Then a further £40 per session (for 24 sessions) to purchase the ingredients for the included healthy meal/snack.

All our group members take part in volunteering opportunities throughout the local community and help foster community spirit. Most of the group have now completed the bronze level of the award and are now working towards their silver award.

Through the Hobbies and Interests aspect of the award participants are encouraged to engage in and develop new skills, hobbies and to remain socially active. This social activity helps to reduce social isolation and improves the physical and mental wellbeing of participants.  We would like to apply for support to help us provide opportunities for our group to experience a series of new and exciting workshop activities that would contribute to lifelong learning and promote positive wellbeing. These workshops would meet the needs and interests of group members and include arts and crafts, mindfulness and meditation, relaxation techniques, outdoor learning activities and other wellbeing tools.

 Honey Bee Cottage Wellbeing Workshops @ £160 per session x 6 sessions = £1000 

An afternoon tea with entertainment would be provided for our senior citizen members. This would allow them to meet others and help with their wellbeing and cost of living.

£600 for food and drinks 

£100 for entertainment 

£50 for hire of hall

The Parents Wellbeing and Health Event will be open to parents of young children and will be inclusive of the following activities to promote physical and mental wellbeing; introduction to yoga and mindfulness, introduction to PT for mental health, havening session an how to increase the resilence of Parents and their Children. A breakdown of the costs below 

- introduction to yoga and milndfullness £250 

- Havening session £250 

- Intro to PT for mental health benifits £250 

- Resilence session £100

- Refreshments £100

- Hall hire £50