Start Little Grow Big partners with North Ayrshire Food bank, The Three Towns Growers, The Argyle Centre, West Coast Furniture Bank and The Criminal Justice Team to build a community garden within Ardrossan that addresses food insecurity and strengthen community resilience. By encouraging collective action and skill-sharing, the project nurtures individuals, promotes learning, and empowers all Three Towns residents to grow and enjoy nutritious food. Diversity of skills and experience is valued, making the spaces open to everyone and aimed at improving community wellbeing. This proposal will create three self-sustaining community gardens, one in each town. These gardens use permaculture principles to provide fruit, vegetables, and therapeutic gardening for those without gardens, directly addressing food insecurity and supporting community wellbeing. The project aims to build community ownership locally and promote both formal and informal education in food production. It will focus on hands-on learning, risk assessment, and sharing peer-led expertise, valuing practical experience. The project is committed to organic-only growing, supporting natural pollinators, and avoiding pesticides and artificial growth enhancers. Efforts will also repurpose materials and explore upcycling. The initiative will engage a diverse range of cultural groups, including New Scots from Syria, Ukraine, Afghanistan, and long-standing communities in the Three Towns. Their involvement will combine traditional and modern cultivation practices, enriching local food production. The project is dedicated to fostering collective action and empowerment within the community. The project's long-term benefits are significant. It will empower the community by building ownership of growing spaces, providing fresh produce for community larders, and offering opportunities for exercise and mindfulness. The project has encouraged wider community engagement around food access and provision. It has also promoted biodiversity and pollinators, reduced carbon footprints, and provided volunteering opportunities that boost self-confidence and wellness. This project has built solidarity and a common cause among the Three Towns communities. By creating these spaces, we aim to start conversations with community members about issues they may face. The community campaigner has facilitated a mutual aid style of group work with and for individuals. The project has had a positive impact on the community as it involves 30-40 individuals in its development. An estimated 250 people will benefit from the produce, while 150 will have the opportunity to engage in activities such as storytelling and educational sessions at the project sites. This initiative aims to create spaces where people can relax, actively participate in their community, and engage in gardening based on a "do what you can" ethos. Partnerships with other organizations will facilitate directing participants to the project and providing on-site services. The Three Towns project aims to foster community ownership and sustainable practices through the promotion of organic cultivation. Participants will be encouraged to grow their own produce, regardless of their living situation. This initiative not only focuses on food growth but also on personal development and community collaboration. By involving diverse individuals with various skills, the project will thrive, offering valuable experiences and knowledge about nutritious food and healthier lifestyle choices to all residents of The Three Towns. 

Breakdown of costs 

Water Butts 4X _£160 Compost Bins 2x = £260 PPE- Gloves (Riggers Quality) 15x= £75 Protective eyewear £150 Water Containers 6x =£60 Seed Various £200 Topsoil and compost £95

ACHS would like to purchase a colour laser printer, ink, paper, and laminating pouches. ACHS are in process of trying to get a Heritage hub built on castle hill. This would provide much needed toilets, indoor shelter, and exhibition/education space. As part of our feasibility study we need to engage with the community. To do this we need posters, flyers, surveys printed off as well as printing of plans and building specifications to share with public. We hold many outdoor events on the hill and often need laminated information and signage on display. The requested items would enable us to do this.

• Printer £480
• Ink £385
• Sundries £135

Purpose of Funding:

1. Health and Wellbeing:  Organise weekly movement-based activity sessions such as baby yoga, toddler music and dance sessions and outdoor nature walks to support physical activity and mental wellbeing for both parents and children.  Provide healthy snacks and refreshments to encourage nutrition education and community mealtimes.

2.  Community Building:  Host monthly "stay and play" sessions with rotaing themes to build connections among local families.  Creating a welcoming and supportive environment that reduces isolation and strengthens community ties, particularly for new or struggling parents.

3.  Cost of Living Support:  Run a "swap shop" for clothes, toys and essentials to support sustainable living and reduce financial pressure on families.  Offer free to all group sessions, ensuring economic hardship is never a barrier to participation.

4.  Green Projects:  Launch a "Mini Gardener" initiative where toddlers and parents can grow herbs and veg learning about sustainability and food growing.  Using eco-friendly materials for crafts and encourage recycling and waste reduction during all activities.

This funding will help create a nurturing space where parents and toddlers can connect, grow and thrive together.  The activities will not only address immediate needs caused by the cost-of-living crisis but also foster long-term wellbeing, resillience and environmental responsibility.

Estimated Costs:

Facilitators (wellbeing activities)  4 sessions - yoga, music & movement, mindfullness) £200

Craft & Green project initiative - eco-friendly supplies for crafts, mini gardening (compost, seeds, pots and gardening tools) £150

Healthy snack & refreshments 48 week sessions fruit, crackers, drinks, cups and plates £480

Swap shop set up - bins, signage, clothing rails £70

Toys and sensory play resources £100

Ripple Effect Saltcoats intend to reinstate an 18 hole putting green complete with flags. We also will include 2 or 3 target bowls rinks with numbered target circles, a possible french boules area and a large fixed chess and draughts board. It is hoped to include a table tennis court as well. 

Ripple Effect Saltcoats see this project as another step in the regeneration of Saltcoats shorefront. It will also complement the proposed redevelopment of Melbourne Toilets. 

Breakdown of costs : 60 x Minigolf putters @ £7.78 = £466.80 :100 x Minigolf balls = £72.60 : 18 x hole cups: £181.80 : 18 x Aluminium Flags = £86.80 : 2000 x Standard scorecards = £30.00 : 500 x Scorecard pencils = £20.85 

TOTAL  (incl Vat) £1030.62

We wish to build a community/memorial garden in a vacant area of land within the community recreation ground. The garden will include a memorial wall and will be a profound way to acknowledge and honour the life of a loved one, a historical event, or a significant achievement. These plaques will also play a crucial role in preserving history and act as a bridge between the past and the present, providing a tangible link to our heritage. By commemorating individuals or events, they help us understand our local roots and the journey taken.

The garden will also serve as a space for personal reflection and for educating the public about the person or event being commemorated whilst being a general meeting place for community members.  Our community Partners Ardrossan Community Sports Hub will add a page to their website and we will direct people to it, the page will include a bio for every plaque on the wall. The design/planning and building of the garden will involve both the Local Communtiy Shed, AWR Extra Time Crew, AWR CIC, and Ardrossan Communtiy Sports Hub. We will also partner with The Three Town Growers who will provide asisstance with planting.

We will charge an additional amount to cost of plaque and that will be used to maintain and improve the garden. It will also improve joint working as the Community Shed and AWR/ACSH Extra Time Crew will maintian the garden/

Cost:

Wood for seating/plant beds/boundary  £900, lean to wood & roof sheeting £ 450, stone base £200, plants £150, solar lighting £100, total £1,800.00

Our group of 8 Beavers will attend a group camp at the Blair Activity Centre along with the Cubs and Scouts.  Based on previous costs for the same setting in early 2024 our costs are:

8 heads at the Blair @ £35 each - £280

Beavers share of meals and snacks - £120

Badges x 3 per Beaver @£1 - £24

We would like to apply for a funding amount of £1000. If successful in our application, this would enable us to provide a summer bus outing for the residents, with the remainder being used towards funding our annual lunch and party, which is attended by approximately 30 residents. These events have a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of residents and provide an opportunity to take part in activities that might not be available to people due to mobility or cost of living ussues.

The cost of the bus would be £480 and the remaining £520 would be used towards the cost of lunch and live entertainment for our party.

• Bus Hire - £480
• Lunch x 30 - £450
• Entertainment fee - £70 

The Autumn Club meets fortnightly in Ardrossan Parish Church from Sept-June and provides those in the 'Autumn Years' of their lives with the opportunity to get together for companionship and entertainment. We provide a speaker or performer at most of our meetings and also arrange a Christmas Lunch, a Tea Party, and an afternoon outing. We regularly get 40+ members attending each meeting and had almost 100 people registered last year.

This application is to cover the cost of coach hire for an outing, which is estimated at £500, and the cost of catering for a Tea Party, which is estimated at £250.

This funding request would allow us to subsidise the costs for up to 50 people at each event.

The project will see 60 apple, pear and plum trees planted in Holm Green. The public will be free to pick the fruit each year for their own use. This project is part of a wider movement of planting community orchards across the local area. The trees will cost approximately £2300. We are seeking £1000 from the Participatory Budgeting fund.