Choose Kilwinning is a voluntary community group comprising of local businesses, residents and representatives from various organisations in Kilwinning.  We organise and fund 2 major annual events in our town - The Segdoune Gala in May & Christmas Lights Switch On in late November. Each of these events are extremely well attended and very much enjoyed by all ages in our community. 

Our Christmas Lights Switch On has been a tradition for many years, bringing festive joy and cheer to our town and the wider Ayrshire population.  The day is a major event with free music & entertainment, market stalls, Santa’s Grotto and many activities for all ages, culminating in our Main Street being lit-up with Christmas lights. We strive to keep the event as a fun filled family day rather than a day that has high financial outlay for parents or individuals.

These events are possible thanks to unceasing fund-raising activities by Choose Kilwinning throughout the year. Choose Kilwinning cover all expenses for the day including security, required licences, electricity supply, entertainment and on-the-day running costs. The Christmas lights themselves are owned by Choose Kilwinning, however North Ayrshire Council (NAC) have previously erected, tested and stored the lights from the Council budget.  Sadly, this is not the case for 2024 as budget constraints within NAC have resulted in this vital funding being unavailable.  NAC has agreed to carry out all of the above actions to ensure the lights are safe and in place for our Switch On, but this is going to result in an additional cost of £8,500 for Choose Kilwinning. We have also contacted two external companies who can provide the service, but again there would be extra costs of £5364 or £8394. 

Choose Kilwinning are determined that our Main Street and Town Centre will be lit up this Christmas and are seeking help in raising the desired amount. Without more funding Choose Kilwinning will struggle to meet this figure and our Main Street and Town Centre might not have Christmas Lights throughout the run up to and during the festive period.  This would be hugely detrimental to morale and mental well-being within our community and could also have a significant impact on our local traders.  Any funding received from the PB would go towards meeting this amount. 

Costings are attached under documents. 

The group ls looking to order 25 litter pickers to re stock the groups collection of litter pickers that get loaned to groups or to borrow for groups at Kilwinning sports club.  or organised nights by groups like the scouts and guides etc. 

This will restock the groups supplies that are shared out across the community. This also allows the long term loan to individuals to adopt a spot.   

The Group operates with the support of North Ayrshire Council and Klwinning Community Events. 

A family funday in McGavin Park promoting all that the park has to offer. Activities and family fun with music on stage, children's entertainers and try it sessions from local groups and KA Leisure.  £1000 asked for contribution to costs.  Public Liabity Insurance

Stage Hire £550

contribution to entertainers £300

2 children's entertainers for seperate shows. £550 

the wider event costs are First aid £300

public Liability £200

portallo hire £300

stewards £700

hire of rides and inflatables £10000

North Ayrshire Healing Hearts Bereavement Support Group is a peer support bereavement group for community members who have experienced the death of someone they loved.

The group was established in January 2024 after an initial CRUSE pilot scheme. The 25 members did not want to lose the group and the support it offered, so Healing Hearts was formed. The group is completely self funded and has expanded now to 4 groups running in North Ayrshire taking their total to over 50 members.

The group support people physically and mentally they address issues such as social isolation, addiction and improve the members well-being and health, meeting up weekly and for social events.

The project brings people struggling with the loss of a loved one together invarious locations in North Ayrshire enabling them to supoort each other. All of the group is constituted and all of the members who run it are volunteers. They offer befriending, mentoring and sign posting to various services locally for example Money Matters, Counselling and CHAP.

The group receives referrals come from Social Work, GPs, dentists, Community link workers, Police , libraries and other organisations in Ayrshires.

We woulike to request money for the below-

50 Christmas Lunches @ £15 each = £750

Bingo Machine £150

2 Boxes Markers £24.99 each =  £50

Bingo Books £30 for 600

We as a group support ech other and our children to explore our emotions and feelings. Many of our group members share collective experiences, this has made it easier to be honest with each other and creaate relationships. This allows us to build toolkits that support each indiviual family. This group hs become a safe space for many of us and has had such a positive impact on our mental health and wellbeing. This group supports people from all over North Ayrshire to come together, meet likeminded individuals and support mental health whilst focussing on topics such as anxiety and resilience.  We have been able to bring alot of people in to speak to our group members that include First Aid, Nest and other information sessions. This has allowed us to build our own knowledge in promoting positive mental health for people within our community.

We hope to use this money to continue to support our group members by providing added resources that will benefit the families within our group. We hope to buy more visual representations of emotions that will allow us to create a more inclusive environment meaning all children will learn more about their own wellbeing.

We also hope to use this money to allow us to celebrate our groups and provide opportunities to share new experiences. We hope to be able to go on a group trip where we can have fun and spend time with each other outwith our usual environment. This money would help us minimse costs and again encourage inclusivity. We hope that this money wil cover the cost so everyone in the group can get involved and no one is left behind due to finiancial constraints.

This group has been a lifeline to many people, and we have successfully run over the last two years. Applying for funding will allow us to enrich the experience of our members and continue to build the knowledge of our families.

Break down of costs -

£400 trip - venue tbc

£300 - resources

£200 - visitors

£100 - food

We have created an inclusive environment for all involved in our group. Whilst completeing the challenges involved in the awards our group give back to the community through chosen volunteering opportunities. Our group has provided a social lifeline for many members and it gives us the chance to visit different places throughout Scotland and connect with local history. This is turn positively impacts the health and wellbeing of our group memebers to help promote an active and healthy lifestyle by offering challenges that both stimulate and motivate. We have been able to access free opportunities and museums through the national trust this has not impacted our members finanically. However, we would love to be able to go further afield and access new experiences together as a group. This money would allow us us to continue to provide an inclusive environment for all our members by covering the costs and allowing equal access to aopportunities wavering financial limitations. We hope to use this money to continue to work together as a group providing key support and care to each other with the benefit of sharing new and exciting experiences togther. 

We hope to access different places such as Dumfries house, this is a place where many of our members have wanted to visit but due to financial limitations, we have been unable to do so. We would also like to go over to Millport to share a day trip together and celebrating completeing different parts of our discovery awards and have an end trip bedore the group break up for summer. 

We would also like to celebrate burns day as many of our group have an interest in the local history of burns and his poetry. We would like to come together and share this day as a group. We would also like to support or local community pantomime and attend this together; this will allow us the confidence to attend in the evening and increase our social inclusion as well as experiencing the nostaligia of a Christmas pantomime. 

As a group we have really gelled, and we enjoy spending time togethe. The friendships that have formed through the Discovery award have spilled into the private lives of our members who regularly meet up out with the group environment creating a bigger support network for everyone involved. This award group has opened social opportunties for all involved having such a positive effect on the mental health and wellbeing of the group 

Dumfries House £260

Pantomime £120

Millport Ferry £65

Millport Lunch £200

Burns supper/Location and Food £325

We allocate tickets and a time slot via our groups FaceBook page in the lead up to each event. Our events are family orientated days, where there is always laughter and smiles, with no financial burden on families. Our Easter event has families taking a wonder around our site in search of baskets of treats left by the Easter Bunny, who likes to make an appearance along the way. For our Santas grotto we have Santa and his elves waiting to meet the children on his amazing sleigh. Our site will be decorated for each theme, there will be an area with free craft activities and an area with toys and games for the children.

We ask for £1000 in total, £500 for each event 

childrens treats combined for each event £500

decoration combined for each event £200

games combined for each event £150

crafts combined for each event £150

hall hire  £13.50  2 hour hire                                 13.50

qualified coach  £80  90 minute hire                       80.00

food @ £5 per child 20 per session                      100.00

8 weekly sessions to cover various age groups. total £893.50

The organisations plan for this is to have four separate provisions to hold these breakfasts. This would allow more families to be able to attend. We have also thught of doing the first one as an ASN breakfast with lower lighting and music turned down and any other areas we need to reduce over stimulation. We would have each of these four sessions last 1 hour 30 minutes and plan to hold then on the 7th and 8th of December 2024 with each session for 60 kids and 15 adults approximately. This means we can reach 120 kids each day so 240 in total although this can be extended slightly to meet demand. We will be offering waffles, pancakes, toast, cereal along with juice, water and milk. Hot drinks and these food options will also be available for the adults. We are looking to buy an industrial toaster for this event however we will use it thereafter in the hall for people of all ages. 

Industrial toaster conveyer style £399.00

Waffles, pancakes, bread, cereal £232.00

Juice, water and milk, £54.00

Tea, coffee and hot chocolate £33.00

Gift for kids £240

Total cost £958.00

The continued support of Corsehill retirement club allows the elderly to access different opportunities outwith their local environment. One of which has been our very successful day trips to the theatre along with a meal. This can be the highlight of our participants year and we hope to continue to provide this service. The impact that these trips have on our group is wonderful and many members comment on how this gives them something to look forward and appreciate their freedom in going to different places. This has an overall positive impact on the individuals health and wellbeing. If we were successful in receiveing this funding it would enable us to provide this support and plan more trips out for our members. We hope this money can help reduce the cost of living and take away financial pressures that a trip may have on individuals. Receiving this grant would ensure that all our members were ablle to attend the trip regardless of affordablility. This in turns ensures that everyone has equal access to opportunities that we provide ensuring that our members have opportunities to socialise outwith our usual environment. This in turn improves the health and wellbeing of our members through making sure we have multiple different activities that can help stimulate their social circle.

Day trip to the theatre with a meal and transport

Theatre tickets - £450

Transport to Theatre - £450

Refreshments - £100