We would like to run a banded table tennis tournament at Inverclyde Sports Centre this season. A banded tournament would bring to Largs approximately 60–70 players from across Ayrshire and Glasgow for an afternoon's competitive table tennis. Hall hire for 5 hours would be £440. This would be a once-a-year annual event, and as such the cost of the hall hire does not constitute rent for the normal week-to-week running of our club.

 We also need some equipment for our club for the new season. First off, we would like to purchase a training robot to help elevate the skill levels of our existing members. A training robot is also a big draw for younger players. Secondly, we would also like to purchase some new bats, as the ones we currently have are poor and not suited to developing players.

Breakdown of costs:

Hall hire for banded tournament: £440

Entry-level training robot: £200

Starter bats x 8: £80

Intermediate bats and rubbers x 5: £200

Balls (2x120): £75

Total: £995

We currently have £550 in our club account and are able to put £300 towards costs, so we are applying for a total of £695.

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Largs Table Tennis Club attracts people from across the North Coast, including Fairlie, West Kilbride, Skelmorlie and Inverkip. Almost two years ago we took advantage of the fact that our town enjoys a state-of-the-art sports facility and a wide array of table tennis equipment by opening our own club in the town. Largs is fast becoming a hotspot of Scottish table tennis; in March, the centre hosted the Scottish Nationals, and in July, Inverclyde hosted the Scottish Parkinson’s International for the second year running. One of our coaches, Paul Carson, attended a supplementary course at the Scottish Parkinson’s International designed to better prepare coaches for people with Parkinson’s attending the club. We have members with Parkinson’s and members with MS. Table tennis is renowned in sports circles for its benefits to people with degenerative and neurological conditions. We aim to embrace all people at our weekly sessions; it is an open group, and you can regularly find a ten-year-old playing with a sixty-year-old, and young and old mixing with people with various disabilities. We are very proud of this fact.

Our club is open to all ages and to encourage everyone we only charge £5 for the two hours session and we have made it FREE for under 18s.

Largs Events’ objective is to bring events to the town that will bring pleasure for the residents and their families, whilst also increasing footfall to a popular “seaside town” which following the pandemic and consequential “Cost of Living” crisis, has seen a changing and declining landscape of choice and facilities. Increasing awareness of the available choices is key to creating a friendly and enjoyable experience to residents and visitors alike. We have managed to increase our events by use of a local partnership to facilitate markets with specific “topics” and these have proved popular. One of our foundation Events is the annual “Yuletide Night” which has always been popular, and we would like to carry this on. Last year the night cost Largs Events £3,422.00 as we continued our long-term objective of “Social Inclusiveness” and everything “Free”, and indeed all our events are wherever possible free, and across all genders and ages. As a committee we decided to refrain from approaching the troubled businesses last year because of the financial situation and will try to do that until a more appropriate time. This year we have been advised by NAC that the erection\dismantling of the Lights will need to be paid for and we are actively pursuing funding for this in order to ensure Yuletide actually happens. We have already obtained funding to buy new lights as the existing one are failing and beyond their best and hope to have this in place for this year.

Our Yuletide night is a night for all the family and we would like to ensure there is something there for all family members and here is where we are asking for help. We usually try to have an area for live entertainment ranging from choirs to some local entertainers, this we have in the past been unable to make best use of due to lack of funds and would like to ask for a sum of £1000 to hire the stage area, to accommodate the local singers, but to make better use of, we can get hire some more “established” musicians to come to Largs and people can enjoy them, again foc. Any spare funds could also be used to add extra entertainment to the event, but without current costings we cannot say at this stage.

Our normal Fundraising activities will continue with the hope of building on the last couple of years successful events, whilst maintaining our desire to make Largs a town we can all be very proud of.

We have established more sustainable planting and have introduced a range of perennial plants and shrubs in several areas throughout the village. We top up during summer with colourful annuals some which we grow ourselves. We also maintain over 50 hanging baskets which bring colour to the village during the summer months. All our gardens are highly visible in the village and several have seating areas for people to rest and enjoy the plants. One of our gardens has a sensory theme and a Happy to Chat Bench. We believe that the gardens connect people in the village and give a sense of community and pride in our local environment. We work in partnership with a range of other organisations, schools and community and environmental projects who benefit from the range of habitats that we have to offer.

We would be grateful if the PB could support us to bulk buy a selection of bulbs, perennials, plug plants and hanging basket plants to plant out newer gardens and top up our existing gardens. It would also enable a bulk purchase of compost and plant feed

We spend a significant amount of the nursery day in our outdoor garden and forest area.  We are focussed on giving our children the best experience at our nursery and so the skill sets the children develop outside and the opportunities for different ways to play here are a large part of their learning at WKEYC.  Being able to use our outdoor space so well, builds the children's confidence and resilience to playing outside in all weathers.  In order to provide this we always consider both the children and staff's well being and how best to cater for their comfort.  

Therefore we are asking for some smaller items that will make a big difference to their time in the garden.  We are hoping for mobile hand wash stations for warm handwashing outside which is key to children's health and wellbeing; tarpaulins for shelter and ground cover with a tougher tarpolin required as this needs to be robust enough in the stormier weather;  facilities for hot drinks for staff and children to allow them to cintinue for longer outside and feel happier doing so; hand and feet warmers for staff (children are catered for already) and portable seating for staff to take five minutes whilst out in the garden - the children have these facilities in their log chairs. 

Although small these items will have a direct impact on everyone's mental and physical health.  Staff will feel valued and appreciated in their workplace as we try our best to keep them warm and dry and everyone will benefit from being outdoors, learning in a different environment.  This is proven to aid in their overall health and promote other ways to learn.  In some cases, this will also provide an element of play they may not receive at home promoting equal opportunites for our children.

Below are the items we would love to be able to provide for our  children and staff. 

Insulated Mobile Hand wash station x 3 (£204) = £612

Tarpaulin (3m x 4m) for groundsheet = £11.99

Tarpaulin (waterproof and storm proof) for shelter = £75.36

Travel Chairs x 4 (£10) = £40

Hot drink dispenser x 3 (£24.99) = £74.97

Travel mugs for staff x 8 (£9.88) = £79.04

Warm insoles for wellies ( £5.98 for 2 pairs) = £23.92

Hand warmers (40 pk) = £26.49

Total £943.77

There is a document attached with the links to the products we are looking at. As these are live links prices may have varied (especially on Amazon) from when we have looked at these - we will endeavour to purchase as close to these prices as possible. 

Purchase of replacement motifs

Project is to purchase 3 motifs to feature in the centre of the village's Main Street.  This is where the Yuletide Parade passes through and the public follow to visit other events and traders' premises.

The new motifs will replace old, malfunctioning motifs and will enhance the atmosphere in the village to encourage residents and visitors to mingle together in an enhanced atmosphere.

Blachere Illuminations have quoted £321 each for these motifs, including fitting of wall-mounted brackets to maximise display values, as per attached quote.