This project will consist of three days of workshops with fifty 9–11-year-olds from Ardeer Primary School. The project will be in connection with the 'Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival', exploring the festival's theme of 'In/Visible' using Shaun Tan's beautiful picture book, 'The Red Tree'. The process will begin by using drama activities to explore these themes, then will delve into drama skills and confidence building, which will set the young people up to create a performance that will be shared with the rest of the school and wider community of parents, carers and guardians. This project will focus on the process to get to the performance, putting the young people’s learning and development in the forefront of the work. The project will allow young people to explore mental health themes, ensuring they are relevant for their ages, for example, friendships and belonging. We aim to engage the wider school community by getting other classes to help with prop making, so they can feel connected to the performance even if they aren’t onstage themselves. This prop making will use origami to create paper boats to be used within the performance; a motif from 'The Red Tree'.  The young people will then be asked to write on their boat what tools they use to 'stay above water'- what do they do to ensure they are maintaining their wellbeing? Drama is a brilliant tool to build community spirit, as each performer can present something they are proud of and share it with their audience of supporters who will come out of the event with a shared experience that can bring them together. This is why it is so important we bring this unique project to the Ardeer community.

Cost Breakdown

2 Theatre Facilitators delivery and planning:  £780

Travel: £100

Workshop materials: £40

Performance materials: £80

Total: £1,000

For a breakdown of the materials needed please see the attached document.

Building on the tree planting work we have undertaken in Holm Plantation over the past two years, we plan to plant several hundred Bluebell bulbs in the woodland areas at the site and plant an additional 20 apple trees in the community orchard we recently planted there. This would be the latest part of our ongoing attempts to make this greenspace more diverse, interesting and attractive.

The funding we are applying for would be spent as follows:

- £250 for Bluebell bulbs.

- £706 for 20 apple trees, inlcuding delivery.

At our get togethers every second Sunday we do crafts along with providing refreshments for everyone who attends and this is free of charge. We also have a planned activity for everyone to take part in if they wish too, these range from mini pamper treatments, to meditation and even a starter class in hypnosis.  we are looking to get some funding to help towards the events that we have planned for the rest of this year these are taking families to pantomime, hold Christmas/Halloween/Family nights with games, food n movies, stocking up our food bank, buying Christmas gifts for families or offering a respite day for parents who need it and all this without the financial burden.

If we were to be sussessful with the funding the money would help us offer the community the free meal & hot drink 3 times per week so they are able to come along sit in the heat get a hot meal and a wee chat with friends or just to see some friendly faces in the cafe. We would love to offer this throughtout the day from morning to later afternoon as we know people have different circumstances in life and may not be able to get out early and also we want to encourage parents to come in before the school pick up as we know with the cost of living parents may skip a meal and this way they have had something warm to eat before heading home. Also we encourage anyone coming along to the cafe to charge any devices they may have including mobility scooters to try help them save some of their own electricity. We are here to help with any calls that may need to be made regarding any home issues they have, for exmaple if they have any issues with gas or electric and they are unsure how to call for help or advise. 

Cost for running over 3 days per week for 12 weeks

Food cost per week £120

£100 per week for hot drinks

The Dementia project provides one to one befriending for people living with dementia, offering companionship at home or support to acces their community. It also gives vital respite to unpaid carers.  Additionally, the dementia wellbeing cafes offer a welcoming space for those with dementia and their loved ones to enjoy soical activities, entertainment and connection over a game of pool, a cuppa and a chat. 

We appreciate the volunteers giving up their time to provide support, however we would like them better equipped for their role.  The money would be used to provide volunteers with first aid kits in their cars, for when they are taking people out.  It would also pay for lanyards and name badges for the volunteers to wear when they are volunteering. 

£250 - First aid kits

£500 name bages and lanyards  

IMC Community Fridge is applying for £1000 for the purchase of amibient and chilled foods to ensure good stock levels during the depths of winter. Many people on prepayment meters have to choose whether to heat or eat and we want to enusre that our community can do both where possible. 

£1000 will allow for £100 to be spent per week for a 10 week period to provide soups, ready meals and other tinned produce. 

We anticipate that approx 30 household will benefit per week from this provision.

3TG maintain and manage the Community Allotments, Elm Park, Ardrossan. We are seeking funding to produce 'interpretative' boards to be positioned at key areas within the allotments. These will present visual and textual information. For example, the wildlife pond, and its inhabitants, why biodiversity is important for us all as well as the environment. How the pond benefits growing food. As place to chill and relax and by extension be part of resetting your wellness and mental health. A board at the community & training plot explaining, whats growing  and how it is governed by the seasons etc. Three further boards (including a site map and information) at other locations on the site. The fund would buy materials to make the boards from scratch, with volunteers from the allotment’s membership, and importantly volunteers from the communities of the Three Towns working together to construct them. The project will introduce people to woodworking, digital design, desktop publishing, and get them working outside gaining an understanding of biodiversity and growing food all at local level. They will be designed so that information can be changed and updated as and when required. The boards will be part of an ongoing move to encourage people to visit the allotment for leisure and relaxation, to experience the 'outdoors' in a safe space. This project will benefit an estimated 40 participants throughout the construction and placement stages, and further 300 - 400 people using the allotment or visiting. 

Costs would be as follows, Clear Acrylic Boards £200, Marine Plyboard £396, Coach Bolts £30, Yacht Varnish £40, fence posts £300, Ducks Black Matt Paint £86, post cement £80. The 3TG will contribute £200 to the project, making a total cost of £1132.

We hope to apply for support towards contributing to our Trips (£500) and a Christmas Dinner (£500).