We wish to repeat our successful project of Easter 2024, which turned the main streets of West Kilbride into an open air gallery exhibiting children's photographs

We are a third sector Early Years Centre based in West Kilbride with access to a large garden and forest area. Our aim is to get our children outside as much as possible in the nursery day. This has proved to greatly enhance their mental and physical wellbeing but it can mean that we are out in all weathers given the Scottish climate. We are looking to try to make our children and staff as comfortable as possible whilst outside so that passing showers or the colder weather is easier to brave.

WKEG maintain over 30 community gardens in West Kilbride. These include station planters and gardens, memorial garden, plus Catlinn, Old Mans Rest, Barony Centre, Cherry Orchard planters, library and Boyd Orr gardens. We also have 2 fields, a wood, wildflower meadow and community orchard. The group operate from Garratt Gardens where there are poly tunnels, ponds, fruit bushes and a wide range of habitats. All this is achieved entirely by a wonderful group of volunteers who meet once a week.

In 2024 our Summer Wheel and Walk club was established for people with poor mobility, encouraging people more outdoors to socialise and engage with community events. This has been a success. We are applying to fund a winter project to continue encouraging people with poor mobility to gather and be more involved with the community. This fund will purchase lunches in establishments that have wheelchair and mobility scooter access, supporting social isolation and financial hardship during winter.

'The Space' is a community hub offering advice services, access to a credit union and a space for community groups to meet. The grant will allow us to launch Largs Community Development Trust (Largs CDT) and open 'The Space' community hub.

SHED is a community gardening project based at the Community Roots Garden in Main Street West Kilbride. We have weekly gardening sessions, offering a relaxed space to learn no-dig and permaculture food growing whilst coming together for friendship. The group is as much focussed on mental and physical wellbeing as it is on food security and sustainability. We distribute the food we grow amongst the volunteers and the local Village Larder.

Next project to revamp an area of the garden would benefit from 2 benches.

This proposal seeks funding to provide Event boards to publicise key events in Largs and the North Coast area. These will be situated in a key location on the main A78 road and be visible to pedestrians, drivers and bus passengers. The aim is to seek to better promote community events to those who live, work and visit Largs and the North Coast.