As a group we would love to offer the children the opportunity to go on a field trip where they have the chance to work, play and learn in a safe, friendly and inclusive environment with their peers. We have a number of younger children with hidden disabilities and being with other children they develop their confidence and the older children learn the skills and the responsibilities of mentoring.  This is the youth and future of the Garnock Valley and watching the relationships build and grow outwith of our group is a special bond.

Some of the children in our group do not  have the opportunity, due to the cost of living crisis, to broaden their life experiences outwith their immediate environment.  Attending a fun day with friends would boost morale and their mental wellbeing.  We would also be looking at providing a nutritious meal to all attending, promoting the importance of healthy eating.  

The costing for the trip to the Clyde Valley Farm Park would be 

Coach hire £600

Entry cost £400

Total £1000

We hope that you will consider our application favourably and look forward to hearing from you in due course.⁹

The boxing club in Garnock Valley Fitness Centre has been well established for over 20 years and is a registered charity.  The trainers and coaches are made up entirely of volunteers which means that the small training fee charged is reinvested in the club for the benefit of the young people. The fees cover the costs of licences, overheads and equipment. However in order to ensure that fees are affordable for the young people this means that funds can run short for equipment. We are therefore looking for funds to purchase mats. Rubber flooring is the best for boxing gyms as it provides a durable surface and is long lasting. Currently we have mats that cover some of the gym area but as membership expands more of the hall area is used but is uncovered.

Boxing for young people helps to build skills and strengths in confidence, resiliance, self-confidence, ethics and values and healthy living. 

Boxing isn't just about throwing punches. Boxing can teach kids the virtue of non-violence. The ring is the only place they can use their boxing skills or they run the risk of loosing their licence. They'll learn about their body, it's capability and limits. They'll engage with their mind, body and spirit. Self-confidence is improved as they learn by their mistakes, face challenges, overcome doubt and improve their technique. Comradeship is gained when the young people train together, spar and compete. They will learn to respect each other.

Boxing has many benefits for young people.

40 mats x £35 = £1400 (club will meet the rest of the costs)

The Dance Depot Lyrical Squad is part of Tracy Finlay’s Dance Depot, a welcoming and inclusive dance school in Kilwinning that provides local children aged 5-18 the chance to explore dance in a fun, friendly, and affordable environment. The school’s focus is on making dance accessible to everyone, and the competition team offers an opportunity for those who want to take their dancing further to experience the excitement and discipline of performing at a competitive level.

Although the Dance Depot is primarily a recreational school, the DDLS competition team competes in national competitions, with over 35 local dancers proudly representing Ayrshire and Scotland. One of the key events is the Blackpool Winter Gardens competition in March 2025, where the dancers showcase the results of their dedication and hard work from the season. This experience is a highlight for the dancers, allowing them to perform on a prestigious stage and enjoy the thrill of competition.

However, participating in these competitions involves significant costs, including entry fees, costumes, and travel. The Dance Depot is committed to keeping these opportunities accessible for all its dancers, regardless of financial background, by covering costs like the £80 entry fee per dancer for Blackpool through fundraising and community support.

The Youth PB grant would go directly towards these entry fees, ensuring that no dancer misses out due to financial constraints. The aim is to keep the competitive experience open to everyone, allowing all dancers in our community to build confidence, develop teamwork, and gain valuable life skills through dance.

By supporting The Dance Depot Lyrical Squad, the Youth PB grant will massively contribute to help make these experiences possible, empowering young people to grow and thrive in a supportive environment. The Dance Depot’s commitment to accessibility and inclusivity ensures that every dancer has the chance to shine, build lifelong memories, and enrich their community through the joy of dance.

Over 70 young people from across all seven primaries on the island come together to participate on a Monday afternoon for P1-3s and a Wednesday afternoon for P4-7s at a multi-sports club, where pupils participate in a variety of sports. It’s important for youngsters to engage with peers of a similar age, which doesn't always happen . This is a chance for youngsters to build relationships from different villages, which also prepares the young people for transition into secondary school.

There are a number of costs to make this possible –

Transport costs (taxi for pupils from further afield) - £500

Equipment (balls, bibs, cones, general sporting equipment) - £500

As a club we are always trying to improve the opportunities available to the children however we are constantly coming up against financial barriers due to the rising costs of hiring pitches, referee fees, coaches education and general equipment. We are currently raising money to take the team to a football tournament in Barcelona during the easter holidays 2025 which is a 5 night stay including 4 days of football for the children. This is a great opportunity for the team to socialise and have a weekend with their family and friends whilst playing competitive football. Some of the boys in the team have never been abroad so this is a huge opportunity for them and being accepted for this grant would help us reach our target ensuring that no boy misses out due to the cost for their family. If successful with this grant we would use the money to cover the cost of the tournament entry which is £140 and the cost of the bus to transfer the boys from the hotel to the tournament each day which is £675

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.   

We want to ensure all children can take part even if there parents or gaurdians are unable to fund the events!

These opertunties will be out with the learning funded by the local authority and will give every child long lasting memories aditionally this will give local families releaf finansually. Some of the funding will be used for Halloween, Christmas and Easter events with this funding we can ensure every child celebrates and bring joy to there childhood. 

Transport Cost: £680

Celebration Cost: £320