At Crossing Together Toddlers we aim to provide a fun, warm, safe, welcoming and accessible space for babies and toddlers to come along with their grown-ups from Bourtreehill and the surrounding areas of Irvine.  In setting up the group we initially looked at accessing funding to purchase equipment and toys however a toddler group in Troon had recently folded and they gifted us items that meant we could launch the group immediately. The group is free of charge to families to access and weekly snacks and craft materials are provided through donations and fundraising.  It is important for us to maintain a no charge policy to maximise accessibility due to the cost of living crisis and our locality being significantly impacted with regards poverty.  Weekly snacks provided are balanced with items like fruit, toast and juice/water being provided for the children and a warm drink and biscuits for the grown-ups.  As well as the weekly sessions we want to provide the families with new experiences that can include their older children and partners which will extend the community spirit that is being built in and around the group already.  These new experiences include family fun days, parties, trips and days out locally and further afield. 

Many of the families who attend the group rarely travel outwith Irvine and it would be great to improve the health and wellbeing through a summer trip to a farm park, which would provide a new experience by seeing the animals we sing about and read about at our weekly song and story time.  A Christmas Party with entertainment, hospitality and a visit from Santa would also encourage positive mental health during the festive time that brings much stress with extra financial outgoing in winter.  A weekend family fun day using the local park space would enable us to include working parents and older children and through hospitality/food and fun activities create a positive aspect to a park area that carries much saddness in the community and encourage resislience and new owership of the local space. 

For Crossing Together to provide these experiences at no cost to the families in our locality we would be applying for the PB Locality Funding to help meet these costs as well as doing additional fundraising and seeking donations.

Examples of costings to provide such experiences are:-

Farm park admission (approx 80 people includes under 2s free) = £625

Childrens Party Entertainer = £125

Gifting from Santa (approx 40 gifts) = £120

Hospitality Party/Funday = £130

Additional costings for items like craft materials and additional hospitality would be sought through donations and fundraising.

Initially formed in May 2024, we are in the process on gaining more members to form a much-needed Community Shed in Kilwinning. Currently we have 21 members. We are currently trying to establish a Shed where community members can meet up with others, work on projects, and share creative skills and interests. This can be to work on a projects that may include woodworking, gardening, art, computing, or whatever our members would like. It will be a member led organisation aiming to provide whatever tools we can in order to help maintain community spirit, overcome social isolation, and improve the health and wellbeing of our members. Some of our members are retired and may experience loneliness. Even if they can visit the Community Shed just for a cup of tea it could help them greatly. We currently have the offer of the temporary use of a hall until we move to a permanent location. In order to get us started, we are keen to start working on small projects such as wooden planters and bird boxes, hence the need for some tools and materials. We have some members that interested in model making, therefore some model making kits would be great to get our members started. We would also like to provide the opportunity for socialising, therefore the board games would be a vital part in that. We are also keen to organise a visit to another well established Shed such as Dalbeattie Mens Shed, in order to research the potential for the development of our own Shed. We are looking for funding to cover the costs of a Minibus hire and fuel costs for the visit. As we are a new organisation, we have limited funds to get started, therefore we need some assistance in getting us off the ground. The funding would assist us in the purchase of the following:

Woodwork Tools (Hammers/Saws/Screwdrivers, etc): £330 Materials/Wood: £300 Model making kits: £100

Board Games: £70 Minibus Hire/Fuel: £200 Total: £1000

We would like to apply for funding to provide a Christmas Lunch and Party for residents, and fund a bus trip to a local shopping centre. We would also like to bring residents together for social events by providing some live entertainment afternoons. 

Christmas Lunch and Party £500

Bus Trip to Shopping Centre £340

Entertainer Fees £160

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.

Description:   Our CWAS Chapter in Largs provides outings of between 20 and 90 minutes along the Promenade for residents in care homes, and individuals at home, giving them spells of fresh air and conversation, plus seeing life along the shore.  The visual stimulation and conversations along the way are hugely beneficial to their physical and emotional wellbeing.

The outings (jaunts) take place on our ‘trishaw’ (see photo) which is powered by one of our volunteer pilots (assisted by a battery) and carries a deserving passenger plus a carer or relative.  We are also happy to take out disabled people of all ages, special schools and children’s and adults’ hospices.

Benefits to Volunteers: The volunteers, once trained and qualified, get a chance to be part of something that makes a real difference to the lives of those in their community. They form friendships and, from the stories they hear on the rides, learn more about their locale. Plus they develop important social skills and their own health will benefit from the exercise and fresh air.  All our volunteers find it a hugely rewarding activity.

Benefits to Passengers:  Our service helps address loneliness and isolation for the elderly and those of all ages less mobile in the local community but it can also be a lifeline to able-bodied people who may have experienced mental health challenges. This unique befriending service is often the highlight of a passenger’s week and something they look forward to.

With an unrestricted view and interested, lively company, fresh air, a slow pace and the chance to interact with passersby (old friends and new), the rides are a highly stimulating experience for many who spend much of their time indoors and on their own. The CWAS Trishaws provide a sustainable form of recreation providing access to the fantastic scenery to those who would otherwise be unable to enjoy those routes. In addition, the opportunity for rides will allow community events to be more inclusive and accessible.

Seeing other people and places stimulates both the mind and the body and leaves the person feeling happy and even those who have memory impairment are left with feelings of elation.

Breakdown of Costs:  We are seeking funding to cover the cost of operating our booking system for the next two years.  This is made up of:

1. Mobile Phone pay-as-you go costs of £10 per month for 24 months => £240
2. Online TeamUp Calendar at £9 per month => £216

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

Research on gardening has shown that 'getting your hands in the soil’ offers multiple health benefits, particularly reducing anxiety and depression. Heather Lodge CIC has received funding from the Scottish Government’s Mental Health and Well-being Fund during the last three years to offer outdoor well-being activities.

Participants in a Therapeutic Gardening Group take part in gardening tasks from spring to autumn with an experienced and qualified Educational Gardener. These sessions take place in the Heather Lodge garden and include learning how to grow flowers, fruit and vegetables using wildlife-friendly methods. The programme accepts referrals from GPs, social workers, OTs and other health professionals. It is also possible for individuals just to self-refer.

In addition to health benefits, participants describe the value of the social contact which this activity gives them. They can also learn how to grow some food for themselves. We would like to offer these benefits more widely in the Arran community.

We already have disabled-friendly raised beds and other parts of the garden for this work. Experience over the last few years has shown that acquiring a greenhouse would expand opportunities for groups by providing a protected area for propagating seeds and young plants, and also offering a sheltered workspace for elderly and disabled participants during periods of poor weather.

We have already prepared a solid base for erecting a greenhouse. We are now seeking to source a 6’ x 10’ greenhouse. Options which are safe and suitable for use by groups and robust enough for an exposed site cost in the region of £1000 including delivery. The CIC envisages being able to meet any costs over £1000, if necessary, from donations or general income. The structure will be erected by volunteers. It will offer a potential working life of 10+ years and should become a real asset for the community.