Our club was established in 1860 and currently has just over 100 full playing members as well as a number of associate members. We aim to Build community spirit and Promote Health and well being by inviting various groups and individuals along to Open days. Kilbirnie has limited and ever decreasing community assets. The Club needs to stay viable and we believe that these events could be for the greater good of all parties, potentially increasing our membership and engaging the wider community.

Equipment required ; Bowls Gatherers x 4 £320. Umpires Kit £200. Score boards £240 Markers £100. Matts £100 Score cards £10. Tea, coffee and biscuits £30

Our group meets weekly during term time, where we enjoy a cuppa and a blether and share our stories from the previous week. We also enjoy taking part in activities such as seasonal arts and crafts, planting, colouring and painting as well as games and other activities. We have been grateful to be able to connect with organisations such as Megan's Space, NEST, Breathing Space and The Prevention and Service Support Team, giving us the tools to be able to support each other, our families and our community.

We benefited greatly from the locality PB fund this year and would be grateful for the opportunity to do so again in 2026. We would like to be able to fund activities that would bring our families together during school holiday periods. This would ease the financial starin at this time of year and would also reduce isolation by encouraging us to meet up and mix with other families.

During our sessions in the Children First Hub, we would like to be able to fund two wellbeing, therapeutic sessions provided by college students. By using students to conduct these sessions we can keep costs low and also support our local community college. These sessions would provide us with health and wellbeing support that we would not be able to fund on our own.

We enjoy arts and crafts at our sessions as these ease the everyday stresses our families experience. The increase in costs have made in more difficult to fund this. We would therefore like to purchase arts and craft supplies for our space, in particular cross stitch and painting by numbers. We have benefited from cthe therapeutic affects that arts and crafts can provide, and we would like to continue to experience this.

Again, to help combat the rise in the cost of living, we would loke to be able to fund a breakfast and lunch session for parents and carers prior to the end of school terms. We have experienced how these events can breakdown isolation  and support our mental health and in turn this gives us the tools to be able to support our families.

Finally, the skills gained by planning and managing a budget of this scale will up-skill us all and provide us with the confidence to support our local community while also improving our health and wellbeing.

Weekly Coffee and Connect Sessions

Arts and Crafts Supplies £150

Therapeutic Sessions £240

Breakfast Sessions £60

Lunch Sessions £250

Family Easter Trip

Bounce Station Trip £300

For many of us, this group has become a happy place - a space to relax, share experiences, and learn together.

This group is free for all members to join, everything is provided so no one is having to spend any money in these tough times. All members were complete beginners when we joined. With the support of our patient and encouraging tutor, we have all developed new skills in art and grown in confidence. Beyond learning techniques, we have also experienced the therapeutic benefits of creativity, which has had a positive impact on our wellbeing and mental health.

With continued support this project will improve wellbeing by reducing loneliness and offering us a positive, therapeutic activity. Build confidence and skills by supporting us to develop our creativity and try new artistic techniques all at our own pace. Strengthen our community connections by bringing people together from diverse backgrounds which allows us to build friendships and support networks. Our group is inclusive for all and we have a diverse group.

We are aiming to put on an exhibition at the end of the year to display all our works, showing our development this we are excited about and can't wait to show off our work.

We would love for this group to continue however the cost of Art materials is pricey. To enable us to continue we would like to make an application for the full amount of £1000 this will enable the group to stay running for another year.

Resources we would like to buy are:

online from Art Discount: £537.93

winsor and newton various sized canvas boards x 24 £180.70

Artdiscount economy standard canvases 10"x10"multipack of 48 £134.07

Artdiscount economy standard canvas 16"x16" multipack of 2 x 12 £125.16

Seawhitte student canvases 16"x20" for acrylic and oils multipack of 15 x2 £98.00

The range: £275.76

Paint brush set of 12 x 24 - £95.76

Daler rowney watercolour set of 24 x 24 - £180

Amazon:£186

Paint by number canvas various £186

We meet at kilbirnie loch every Thursday evening between April and October to paddle on the loch . In winter we move indoors to Garnock community campus pool , where members learn life saving skills in the water , and how to keep themselves safe in the water . We have week about for youths and adults . 

The club provides the boats , kayaks , paddle boards and life jackets to members , thus ensuring there is no barriers to anyone despite cost . 

All members are encouraged and supported to do training to become coaches and can find support to build on their experiences. 

We have a family friendly atmosphere that encourages newcomers to try out new activities with support and experience of other members .  

There is opportunities to go on camping trips , and days away at different locations. these are great for building confidence in people of all ages .  The club is great for mental health , keeping fit , and allowing people to socialise in a safe and suppprtive environment.  We hoping to use our funding for maintenance to our boats and possibly replace some older ones . The boats will be roughly £200 each to repay and update .  we have no running costs , or building rentals to consider .   

Meadowbank Studio CIC will develop and deliver a series of six informal social art sessions in six different communities around Arran in the Spring of 2026 - a pilot project, with a view to expanding it into a series of similar and regular events throughout the rest of the year if additional funding can be raised from other sources.

The sessions will be delivered by island-based tutors and will be designed for over-25s who are likely to come to the events with a wide range of artistic abilities. Absolute beginners will be welcome - the key word of Arran Art 4 Us will be FUN!

Participants might try out drawing portraits of each other, painting landscapes from their photos, or even weaving patterns and pictures with wool and fabric.

Our tutors have years of experience of delivering creative activities, including Arran's 'Art in Mind' and 'Paint & Pint' - both of which encourage people to just have a go, regardless of their ability and skill level. Arran Art 4 Us will do exactly the same - it will be art for everyone and with no experience necessary!

With much of Arran's existing artistic learning provision currently based in and around Brodick (e.g. Arran Visual Arts workshops, Paint & Pint, Art in Mind) this pilot project will deliberately target the less populated smaller communities around the island, to widen access to creative opportunities. Locations for Arran Art 4 Us sessions will be Whiting Bay, Kildonan, Shiskine, Pirnmill, Lochranza and Corrie.

Each 2 hour session will be delivered for a small charge of £2 to Arran residents, with capacity for up to 15 participants per event. All materials will be provided (as well as a plentiful supply of tea and biscuits!)

Public liability insurance will be provided by Meadowbank Studio CIC. The organisation will also carry out risk assessments for each site and event. Tutors will hold appropriate accreditation for working with adults. 

Who will benefit

The project will offer opportunities for potentially 70-90 Arran residents to socialise and be creative in safe and relaxed local environments - where they can have fun without feeling intimidated by any lack of previous experience or ability. Anybody over 25 will be welcome to give it a try, even it it's mainly an excuse for a bit of socialising while they have a laugh creating something.

Arran Art 4 Us will help to make practical art more accessible to low income and isolated people who might find barriers in cost, transport or perception of 'not being an artist', and will complement the other artistic activities available on the island.

Being charged out at just £2 per person, sessions will be accessible to the majority of residents, regardless of their financial situation. We will hire local community venues which will encourage participants to walk to the sessions, and every attempt will also be made to time them to fit around bus schedules where possible. 

We believe Arran Art 4 Us has the potential to develop into an all-year-round provision, and make a real lasting contribution to reduce social isolation, grow individuals' personal confidence and wellbeing, and foster greater community interaction on the island.

Costs we are applying for

We are applying for a £939 grant towards the overall cost of £1143 to deliver the project - the remaining income will be from the £2 contributions from participants. The Meadowbank Studio team will also contribute around 30 hours of volunteer time to help organise and run the six sessions.

The main costs for delivering six sessions will be venue hire, materials, tutors' time, promotion, travel, catering. A breakdown is included in one of the attached documents for reference. 

Our project aims to reduce loneliness and improve mental health by bringing older people together in a supportive and fun environment. Our current 52 members benefit from regular activities such as bingo, quizzes, and day trips.

To make our club inclusive and affordable, we are seeking funding to cover:

• £500 for bus hire to enable members to attend day trips and outings.
• £500 for seasonal community events (Valentine's and Easter celebrations), which provide opportunities for members to socialise, build friendships, and feel part of their community. 

By helping with these costs, we can remove financial barriers, encourage more people to get involved, and ensure our members feel valued, connected, and supported. 

We are applying for £1000.

We have an immediate need for the following items:

A large, lockable cupboard which will act as our storage for the food bank, cost: £200 (approx)

4 x large sturdy boxes on wheels to store and move uniform, cost £160 (approx)

100 x large parcel bags to make up uniform 'bundles', cost £20

Items of underwear, tights, socks and polo shirts in ages 4- 9 as we currently have none in stock, cost £150

250 x bags for making up food 'parcels' for families, cost £50

Going forward we will need to fully stock and maintain the new mini 'food bank':

Fully stock food bank with food and hygiene products, and maintain this throughout the year, cost: £400 (approx.)

Cleaning products, gloves, aprons and misc, cost £20

Our Uniform exchange, which allows families from Castlepark Primary school to ask for items of uniform/clothing/jackets has proven popular, with us handing out over 300 items of clothing in the last year. We sustain the Exchange mostly through donations, however for hygiene reasons underwear must be purchased brand new and we are currently running low on polo shirts of all sizes. Our uniform exchange helps families in our community with the ever-rising cost of living. Families can use our uniform exchange as often as they need.

Through after- school clubs and with feedback from families within our community, a food bank is something that has been suggested on numerus occasions. With the Family Hub up and running, we felt this was something we could launch and facilitate within the hub, with families being able to take home food parcels after each ‘after school club’ or if there is a specific need, then this could be accommodated, where possible. This will help with the cost of living as well as help promote healthy eating with fresh fruit and vegetables being made available where possible. We also plan to incorporate ‘healthy eating on a budget’ workshops as part of the after-school family hub program.

We will bring in external agencies to help promote health and wellbeing and to help with things such as money management and supporting families with additional support needs. This will run alongside a program of activities for the families such as arts and crafts, sports, music, dance, and cooking.

Our long-term intentions for the after-school family hub is to create a welcoming, safe and inclusive place for the families in our local area to gather and enjoy themselves. Running a thriving family hub that supports our community in any way we can.

We are looking at suppling fresh meat parcels with a value of £20 per pack, including things like mince,chicken, bacon and sausages. We hace on average about 50 members that use our pantry every week. 50 packs at £20 would cost £1000. We would be using a local butcher keeping our business local and cutting down on transportation costs and fuel emissions.

Radio Adverts - £500

Flyers - £250

Subline heat transfers with logo for handmade products - £150

Online/paper Adverts - £250

Pop Up Banner -£150

Logos for car - vinal transfers-£200

We will use local businesses to provide our marketing materials such as Three Towns Radio & Ardrossan Printers and Ardrossan Herald

Growing and cultivating our own produce at home presents challenges for some families in terms of cost of equipment, the time required to tend to the plants, lack of space and knowledge.

With the wealth of skills and experience GVAA members can offer there is a desire to pass this onto the young people of the Garnock Valley.

GVAA members are in the process of erecting a polytunnel on site which will be available to be exclusively used by young people. We aim to increase their awareness of where their food comes from, promote skills in gardening and horticulture, increase their knowledge of their environment and encourage teamwork.

The project will be led by a member of GVAA and it is aimed that by passing on their knowledge, skills and experience to the young people taking part in the project, that it may lead to pathways in volunteering, and further training or employment in horticulture.

The additiional benefit of working outside and in the environment is well documented to improve mental health.

In order for the polytunnel to be complete and equipped for growing the following equipment is required. It is intended that the young people will be involved with getting the polytunnel ready for the next growing season.

Raised beds and shelving =£400                                                 

 Lightweight strimmer x 2= £300                                                   

Strimmer helmet & visor x 2 = £40                                                  

Bosch water pump and rechargeable battery = £150                 

Gloves = £60                                                                                   

  Seeds and plants = £50