We are launching a new project offering free and subsidised trips and activities for neurodivergent families and carers in the North Coast. Designed by our dedicated volunteers and members to improve wellbeing, community spirit, and promote financial inclusion. We have raised £900 to date and seek £1000 from the PB to help make our project a reality. Including animal handling sessions, family craft events, a trip to Culzean Castle, Edinburgh Zoo VIP lantern experience, and a carers lunch.
Project Description
We are seeking £1000 from the Participatory budget to help us build and deliver our new carers and family programme within the North Coast. This programme has been designed by our dedicated volunteers and members to support neurodivergent families and carers within our community. To make these plans a reality, we have continued to fundraise and have managed to raise £900 to date, which will go towards our proposed activities. The programme of activities we will provide is aimed at addressing the three key priorities: Cost of living crisis, Improving health and wellbeing and building community spirit.
To address the cost of living crisis, we will be providing free and subsidised trips and activities, as many unpaid carers and neurodivergent families would not be able to afford this, as they are more likely to be impacted by poverty. This includes a trip to Edinburgh zoo for the VIP lantern experience (ASN session) in Dec. (£912) for 10 adults and 10 children. This will be covered by our existing fundraising, which will also support positive wellbeing. It is an opportunity for families to come together in a supportive environment and experience the magic of the festive period.
To continue this work, we plan to provide a carers' lunch in Jan or Feb to help build community connections and natural support networks. The approximate cost of this is £300, accounting for £20 per head for 15 adults. We are also looking at providing an Easter event that will include an animal handling session for neurodivergent families in the North Coast at an Approx cost of £250. This will support positive family wellbeing and reduce the financial barrier to accessing activities during the Easter holidays. In addition to this, we would like to purchase craft materials at an Approx cost of £150 to host themed family sessions such as Easter, Halloween and Christmas 2026, etc., to provide a range of free activity days for families, which will improve community spirit and promote positive health and wellbeing, as well as supporting families impacted by poverty. We are also looking for £100 to help towards the cost of providing free tea, coffee, snacks and juice at our events.
In addition to the above, we are planning to offer carers a trip to Culzean Castle to provide a break from their caring responsibilities, costing £220 for 10 adults at £22 per head. Our activities give carers and families time to relax and enjoy shared experiences, offering much needed respite and improving mental wellbeing. With your support, we can make lasting positive change within our communities, building stronger connections and natural support mechanisms. We are very grateful for the opportunity and are passionate about making our new family programme a success within the North Coast. We would also like to thank our volunteers and the families that continue to support us in achieving our goals, and feel that this is a positive way to develop further community spirit and community involvement. The total cost of our project is approximately £1932, with our existing funds covering the additional costs and any venue hire costs to ensure the project's success. Thank you for your consideration.
Location: We are based in Largs, however we accept members from throughout the North Coast to ensure everyone is welcome and included. Our location helps us to reach more rural and remote areas that have limited access to wider supports in the larger towns in North Ayrshire.
Proposed on behalf of: NAS Largs Branch is a local volunteer run group supporting neurodivergent families. We are a well established group with regular volunteers to ensure the success of our projects and provide a wide range of information and support to families. We are a registered charity and our main aim is to promote inclusion within our community. We have worked with various organisations in the past to achieve this goal, from creating transition packs with the school to implementing an accessible travel project with CalMac.
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