Any funding received will help to purchase overheads, ensuring that we can deliver the best She Shed possible, whilst supporting mental health and wellbeing. This will enable us to continue to provide a safe space, with the opportunity for our members to get involved in group activities.   

- Crafting materials £350

- Branded items £50

- Food and drink £100

- Mindfulness class £150

- Room Hire £350

Following the reduction in Streetscene's budget, there are a number of maintenance issues that need to be addressed by the community.  This application will give us a budget to arrange these works in conjunction with other local groups.  A few months ago, the Dalry Community Development Hub organised responsibility for maintaining planters in Dalry with various local groups.  They received funding and were able to purchase plants, both annual and perennial, from Gateside nursery.  We would like to do something similar in Kilbirnie.  Whilst Dalry had only 9 planters to arrange, there are more areas in Kilbirnie needing work:

9x planters in car park beside Salvation Army

5x planters outside old folks houses in Main Street at the Cross

5x planters between BBQ Hut and Easties on Bridge Street

1x flowerbed at foot of the path outside Kilbirnie Library

1x flowerbed at the top of Bank Street / Glasgow Street

As well as these flowerbeds, other works needing done includes weeding along kerbs and property boundaries on pavement side; clearing vegetation from public paths, such as the Cat's Lane

Our group is so unique. We have people from all walks of life, retired folks, people who suffer from mental health issues, veterans, young teens from povierty who we mentor and try and use nature to distract them from the issue they have, people with addiction issues. We have other groups come and use our woodlands to teach about nature. Scouts and restbite office staff. Lots and lots of folks 

We have been doing lots of projects to help with climate change and habit restoration and creation. Aspin tree planting, fruit tree planting, tree maintenance and control of invasive species, wild flower planting. Water course maintenance. So much going on I could go on and on. 

The funding we need is mostly PPE funding. We desperately need safety equipment like gloves, waterproofs, safety wellingtons, safety glasses, highviz tops, safety helmets with viziers, ear defenders, 

Pricing from Amazon as an estimated price of these things. 

Hi Viz tops = £6.49 each x14

Safety helmets with viziers = £23.99 each X2

Ear defenders = £13.99 each x 4

Safety wellingtons sizes from 7 to 11 = £22.39 to £23.39 each x9

Safety gloves = £8.99 pack of twelve 

Safety gloves anti thorn = £9.99 each x4

Waterproof top and bottoms varise sizes = £19.99 each x15

Safety glasses pack of 12 = £14.99

We have also thought about our circumstances in the winter. We currently don't have a proper place to keep warm and boil the kettle. A small stove was our thoughts as it would provide heat to dry off and heat a kettle. We also make a pot of stew in the winter to help warm all the volunteers. Cooking has been a bit difficult but a little log stove would improve that immensely. 

Stove to cook on = £117.95

Total for all above is £998.97 

Please consider us for this funding. It would be a massive help to our group and the community.

Our Sunshine on Beith (Summer 2025) will have a weather theme, and we will be presenting Ola Gjeilo's inspirational Sunrise Mass, for choir and strings.  We would like this grant to fund the purchase of choral sheet music, and contribute to the cost of professional musicians.

Sunrise Mass cost:  £400

Sunshine on Leith (Proclaimers) choral music arrangement:  £100

Professional Soloists £250 each = £500

As well as GVAA members the association encourages community participation with many young people who are engaged in projects in the allotment.  Some of the projects currently running are growing and harvesting produce for the Wee Pantry and Solace Cafe and young people involved in learning how to prepare areas for growing, how to sow, care and harvest produce. A primary and indispensable piece of equipment would be the installation of portable power stations in the allotment which would be used to energise various tools essential for gardening tasks. Portable power stations would ensure we have have the necessary electricity on demand. The members currently take the rechargeable batteries home to re-energise which often means that communial tools required by the members and young people are not always available to complete the task.  A portable power station capability would not only enhance efficiency but also provide the flexibility to maneuver and operate equipment throughout the plot without being tethered to fixed power sources.  The portable power stations would be charged from two solar panels thus reducing the carbon footprint of members travelling to and from the allotment to collect and deliver charged batteries and the personal costs to members associated with fuel and energy.

2 x portable power stations = Ecoflow River 2 Max + 110W portable solar panel =£1000 (GVAA will meet the costs beyond this amount)

We would like to apply for funding to help us provide social events, a Christmas lunch and party and free lunch clubs throughout the year. 

Christmas Lunch and party £200 

Lunch Club £500

Entertainer fees for 4 special events £300