Bypass Art is passionate about Dalry's history and heritage, and over the years we have been involved in numerous community projects aimed at telling Dalry's story - Community Recital of John Hodgarts Hilltap Toon, The 'Our Town Heritage Board',  Auld Men's Shelter Mural and loads more - but Bessie On The Bypass is a bit different.

The Bessie sculpture will stand tall near the Dalry Bypass,provide a historical gateway into our town, be seen by huge amounts of passing motorists and provide a unique opportunity for the Garnock Valley to highlight and promote the area and encourage footfall into our towns.

To effectively promote this project we are seeking to buy a gazebo so we can set up at community outdoor events and consult with the public about Bessie On The Bypass. We wish to purchase branded fleeces that will demonstrate a visible commitment to our project as we interact with the public. Additionally we aim to acquire promotional items that will spotlight and publicise the Bessie On The Bypass initiative. These items will help us reach a wider audience, spark conversations about the project and inspire community involvement.

Gazebo £300, Branded Fleeces £180, Paper £15, Ink £70, Collection Cans £25, Promotional Items £400 = £990

This event has been running for years with many attending including children, older residents, and vulnerable members of our community. With proper festive lighting, we can make the event more vibrant, inclusive, and safe, ensuring that everyone enjoys a welcoming environment.

However, the cost of professional lighting installation and operation remains our biggest challenge. The estimated cost of this year’s lighting project is £4232.74, which covers hire, installation, maintenance, and safe dismantling. As a nonprofit, we rely entirely on fundraising, volunteers, and the generosity of partners. The price this year has almost doubled since last year and without external support, we face the risk of scaling back this much-anticipated celebration in 2026.

We have already taken steps to raise funds locally and have a new committe putting this event together hopefully making it bigger and better than before. We have organized community fundraising events and have also received generous donations of time and services from volunteers who are committed to keeping this tradition alive. While this support has taken us part of the way, we still face a shortfall needed to cover the other things we provide. This includes free light wands to all the children, facepainting, food and drink, santa grotto visits and gifts.

By investing in this project, you will help ensure that the Christmas Light Switch-On remains a highlight of our community calendar, bringing light, warmth, and shared celebration to all. We believe that with your support, this year’s event will shine brighter than ever before.

Outgoings - funding sought for:

Venue hire: £150

New costumes for Santa/Mrs Claus/Elf £250

Light up batons £150

Selection boxes £300

Facepainting £150 

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 .   

We are a voluntary group with a parent run committee.  We support 3-5 year olds in early learning and childcare, and our aim is to provide a warm, welcoming environment where all families feel valued and supported.  We try to keep the costs down for families of the children attending the nursery.  

We are applying for funding to purchase outdoor clothing and equipment for the children.  Outdoor learning plays a large role in early years now and it has many benefits.  Some of these benefits include physical activity, promotes mental health and emotional wellbeing as reduces stress and boosts confidence, improves focus, social skills and relationships are developed and also a connection to nature and sustainability.  Outdoor learning supports childrens health and wellbeing in many powerful ways.

Funding for clothing and equipment to encourage outdoor learning would ensure: 

• equal access to clothing for all children 
• every child can participate in outdoor learning and play, regardless of family ability to afford appropriate clothing 
• promotes inclusion and fairness 
• encourages outdoor play in all weather - can go outside safely and comfortable in the great Scottish weather! 
• enhances learning opportunities 
• supports mental and physical health 
• protects childs own clothes

Costs

£850 - Outdoor clothing such as waterproof trousers, jackets, gloves, hats and wellies

£150 Cable Drum play equipment 

We have organised various free events for the public, including community litter picks, habitat creation for ground-nesting bees, spring bulb planting and willow weaving courses.  These events provide opportunities for like-minded individuals to socialise while improving the ecology of the park and facilities for park visitors. Our Wellbeing in Nature Day in June, supported by local organisations, featured nature walks, guided meditation, and mindfulness activities, promoting the potential of Lochshore Park to positively impact individual and community health. Since our last application, we have experienced significant growth, doubled our membership and increased our Facebook following ten-fold to over three hundred. Over the past year, we have established productive partnerships with the Scottish Wildlife Trust, Ayrshire Nectar Network, and TCV. In each case we have relied on their expertise to support our projects. 

With a Proportional Budgeting grant, we would invest in support for our members and part fund projects which further attract the public to participate in outdoor activities. We have already completed a woodland walk with picnic area, a yoga/meditation area overlooking the loch and we aspire to install a bird hide. Funding would allow our group would visit the Loch Lomond Faerie Trail in Luss, with the aim of drawing inspiration for the development of our own fairy trail within our Enchanted Forest; enhance our Wellbeing in Nature Day next year with the inclusion of musical groups, and help acquire a small trailer and hire a quad bike to help with transport of bulky material round the park.

Group visit (hire of minibus, entry and snack) £400

Wellbeing in Nature Day Music £200

Hire of quad bike with tow bar (£50 per day) £100

Second hand trailer (£400)

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

1. Transport to the SEC show in March 2026. Average of quotes £450 A lot of our members do not drive anymore and public transport to the SEC is not direct. Hiring a mini bus and driver means these members are included which makes a big difference to the whole group. The Scottish Quilting Show is the only one left in Scotland and we would like to support it with our attendance as much as possible. The show provides inspiration and generates ideas. There are workshops that can be signed up for which build skills.
2. Engaging a tutor to give us a workshop. Estimate £400.  The group has had workshop providers in the past and would like to have the again. Having a tutor come to us means that all members are included. These workshops will build skills and provide inspiration.
3. Materials so that members can present a workshop and everyone has materials provided. £150  This allows long standing members to share their knowledge and experise. This is very good for all concerned as it values the skills in the group. The cost of fabric has risen and whilst we reuse and recycle as much as we can in our quilts, sometimes it is appropriate to have materials that co-ordinate and are pre-prepared for a workshop.

We would like to be able to go on a bus trip next year as a group and to have a meal out. Kilbirnie has a very limited public transport, so being able to go further afield for a day out would be very beneficial to our members. Bus hire is approximately £500 and can increase. Meal is  approximately £12 a head  we have tea/ sugar/milk every week  £100 Bingo/Quuz prizes £50 . Any funding received will help to purchase overheads, ensuring we can continue to run our club weekly , whilst supporting mental health and wellbeing. This will enable us to continue to provide a safe space, with the opportunity for our members to get involved in group activities