The Vennel Friends Irvine Discovery Group are based at the Vennel Gardens Engagement Hub. The group has been active since May 2023 and has 15 registered members. The group offers a social setting with the opportunity for participants to complete the Discovery Award, comprising of the bronze, silver and gold levels. The Group aims to enhance the lives of all those over 50 years of age and to provide an incentive, through personal challenges, to lead a happy, healthy, and active life.

The grant seeks funding for belay devices for the Mountain Rescue Team to improve rescue safety and efficiency. This will enhance wellbeing, build community spirit, and support environmental conservation.

We have looked at ways to increase relaxation spaces across our school community and are looking to add more Rainbow bench table & chairs to our infant area. This has been a successful community shared space area for the senior end. We  would like to mirror this for the infant pupils so they can also have this opportunity for an outdoor community space to promote their relaxation & wellness. We would also be looking to add some umbrellas to the tables for both the senior & infant areas.

We plan to plant several hundred Bluebell bulbs in the woodland areas of Holm Plantation in Ardrossan, and plant an additional 20 apple trees in the community orchard we have been planting at the site over the past two years.

Please enable us to provide a block of swimming lessons to our P4 and P5 class at Whiting Bay Primary School. Help open up this vital life skill to all children and give them the opportunity to improve their confidence and physical well-being.

We would like to host 2 networking events to raise the profile of Irvine Community Council and other voluntary organisations of Irvine.

Working alongside a local artist we will run two groups in the Irvine area focusing on improving mental health and wellbeing through the use of creative arts. One group (5 sessions) will be for Kinship carers and 5 Kinship family sessions.

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.

Choose Kilwinning wish to apply for PB funding to help meet the cost of testing and installing our Christmas Lights for our Christmas Lights Switch On, a day long community event which culminates in lighting up our Main Street.