We are a community youth brass band based in Dreghorn. Our youth brass band plays at various events each year e.g. community concerts, school events, festivals, Christmas carolling. We also provide free or low cost after school music lessons and equipment for young people. We have c. 45 members in our groups. Young people who participate in our bands and our audiences obtain mental well-being and educational and personal development benefits from musical activity. Our members come from schools all over North Ayrshire (we have c. 10 schools represented).

Any funding obtained would go towards our uniform costs and supporting attendance and National Youth Brass Band of Scotland courses.

Our young people have yellow hoodies which identifies us at concerts and festivals and gives us an identity and encourages team behaviours. Although we pass hoodies down we need to replenish the sweatshirts regularly as they wear out and young people grow. We are requesting funds for 25 hoodies to replace worn out ones and replenish stocks.

Several of our young people are members of the National Youth Brass Band of Scotland (NYBBS). We actively encourage participation as it supports musical and personal development. The band provides a small subsidy for members attending of the residential summer course each year. The courses last one week and are expensive. In 2024 we had 7 young people attend the course and the band provided a £100 subsidy, however parents / families provided most of the cost. We hope to increase attendees in 2025 (we are estimating 8) and we’d like to provide a larger subsidy and also remove finance as a barrier to any young person attending. Part of the requested amount will go towards our subsidy fund for attendees.  NYBBS residential course has master classes, small group practice and full band rehearsals to provide the opportunity for some serious music making for the students while ‘extra curricular’ events take place too. Culminating in an end of course concert. Almost 200 students took part during 2024 and we’d love to increase the North Ayrshire representation. Costs breakdown : Uniform - hoodies    25 @ £18 = £450 NYBBS attendee subsidy  8 @ £60 = £480 Total £930 Additional NYBBS subsidy costs to be provided from band funds / other fundraising.   

The parent council, have worked closely with the pupils of Lawthorn Primary to discuss the issues surrounding road safety in the local area.  Within the school there are representatives that are Junior Road Safety Officers (JRSO) who consult the other young people on issues relating to safe travel in the surrounding community area.  The school has 284 pupils that travel from Girdle Toll area/ Montgomerie Park.  The young people have told us that they feel unsafe when not traveling to school by car.  We have a very small carpark, and surrounding areas has narrow roads where during pick up and drop off both sides of the road are filled with parked cars making it unsafe for young people to cross.   Health and wellbeing is so important for our young people, being able to exercise whilst traveling to and from school safely increases physical health but also wellbeing, being outdoors, meeting friends and traveling together whilst also learning invaluable skills like road safety and independent travel.  The JRSO would also like to do more initiatives from points in the community including walking buses and cycle to school programmes.  Reducing car pick up and drop off also works towards the councils target of tackling climate change and young people leading the way in climate action. The JRSO have asked young people what they would like to see and they have asked for £1268.48 (inclusive of VAT)

This money would buy:

• A banner 8ft x 1ft no parking on zig zags
• ‘No parking’ sign for lamppost 
• 4 parking dummies (2 drop off only, 2 no parking on zig zags)
• Traffic cones no parking x 6
• 2 pavement signs (parking here may endanger your child's life).

These items will:

• Discourage people from parking in the drop off bay and unsafe manoeuvring in the area.
• Remind parents and carers not to park or stop for picks ups keeping the area clear for safe travel in front of the school gates.
• Create safe crossing for children and young people.

The young people involved in the project said “We feel that this would be a great chance for us and the parent council to help us in our goal of encouraging more young people and families to travel safely, help the environment and improve our wellbeing.  The parent council have listened to what we need, and we have really enjoyed being part of this application.”

By voting for this bid it ensures that UNCRCs Article 31 ‘A right to play’ gives young people the feeling of safety going to and from school in ways that they associate with play and connecting with others.

This initiative promotes gender equality by encouraging participation and boosting confidence. The U14s Girls Team, which currently has 7 regular players, which has doubled since August 2023 and they are currently using the Irvine Ladies’ old kit designed for men, not tailored for female players. By providing gender-specific rugby kits, we aim to ensure the girls feel comfortable and better prepared, enhancing their performance and overall experience on the field. Through our attached development plan, we aim to increase the number of girls playing over the next few years. Introducing a dedicated kit will boost visibility, encourage participation, and reinforce our commitment to gender equality in sports, fostering a more inclusive and supportive environment that empowers female players to thrive.

The proposed costs are for 12 of each:

Female fitted shorts £200

Female fitted rugby shirts £800