To teach Scuba Diving we need a pool to provide a safe and contained area for try dives and training future divers.  Each year in The Three Towns we aim to support residents from all social economical demographics with the opportunity of learning to dive with North Ayrshire Divers.  In 2022 KA Lesure introduced a fee to clubs of £50.00 per night for 1 hours pool hire every Thursday Evening.  As a club we are forced to pass this cost on to the people who desperately want to experience this opportunity.  As a consequence we had to reduce our sessions from October to April which we originally had, down to January to April.  This halved the number of people we could reach within the Three Towns.  Getting funding to support these costs would hugely support the physical and mental benefits to new members learning to Scuba Dive.

For each 1 hour session use of the pool at Aucherharvie Swimming Pool we are charged £50.00 - Our pool use runs from October to April we use the pool a total of 6 months this equates total of 26 weeks thus our expenditure is £1300.00 for pool hire.

The group is about being supportive and encouraging to each other.  Building camaraderie and helping participants to reconnect with others and themselves.

• Reducing loneliness and isolation
• Reducing low mood and depression
• Increasing a sense of purpose, community and belonging
• Increasing a sense of routine, structure and self-worth  
• Promoting health and wellbeing - time together and a safe and trusting space to open up to peers 
• Providing peer support for mental health - checking in with each other - "anyone struggling today?"

The funding we're applying for would be spent as follows:

• Cost of weekly room hire for a year (£350)
• Cost of weekly refreshments/food provision per group – teas, coffees, juice and fruit
• Cost of additional monthly or quarterly healthy activities and travel out with the community centre (e.g archery, bowling)
• Cost of promoting the group and recruiting more group participants - to reach more men in the community who have poor mental health