We are aiming to raise awareness of the natural environment & how we can protect it by showcasing the range of perennials we can grow in our temperate climate. Not just flowers but foliage plants, grasses & ferns all thrive here. These plants provide food & shelter for insects & wildlife, as well as colour & movement to soften the harsh concreate & grey pavers.

Whilst we are aiming to grow plants from seeds, & cuttings, many species can take some time to establish; this funding request is for initial plant purchases to begin the pathway. We want to highlight to the community how even an awkward plain walkway can promote life & nourish the environment. These plants will self -seed & can be used for cuttings & divisions in the future to further populate the communal areas around the walkway.

The planting will take a naturalistic approach, repeated in blocks along the length of the walkway. Each perennial block will cost £333.40 which includes a discount from the nursery. Total = £1000.20 

We have three blocks of perennials along the length of the walkway, each in slightly different colour tones. The benefits of being in nature are well documented & will bring a soothing element to start & finish the busy school day.

In Summer 2025 we planted up twelve raised beds and our indoor gorwing space with a wide variety of vegetables, held open days and invited members of the community of all ages and abilities to join in and learn, shared knowledge and food with visitors and donated fresh vegetable harvest to the Largs Food Larder, Clark Memorial Food Bank and directly with residents.

We have created our own social media page with over fifty members, where we share our public events and photographs of recent happenings at the community garden. We have hosted a local nursery on multiple occasions and the children excitedly helped with potato harvest, learned to sow seeds and how to transplant plants, and were able to enjoy peas right out of the pod (many for the first time!) We have opened the space to primary and secondary school classes and invite groups and individuals to visit the garden area to relax in nature and learn more about our community project. The garden volunteers have shared tomatoes, beans, chard, peas, herbs and other vegetables directly with visitors for them to enjoy at home.

We hope to make 2026 even more exciting and bountiful by expanding our community engagement and volunteer network through more local events and open days. We intend to expand the number of local charities we donate to, plant fruit trees and continue growing and sharing local food with Largs.

Five one-ton bags of compost at £50 = £250

Fifteen 50l bags soil at £12 = £180

Materials, like gloves, netting, pots, tools and trellises = £80

Seeds, seedlings, bulbs = £100

Three dwarf fruit trees at £30 each = £90

Three large barrels for trees at £50 = £150

Two blueberry bushes at £20 = £40

Drinks, snacks, themos and cooler for Community Pop Along Days = £50

Arbor frame = £60

 

 

 

Firth of Clyde Coastal Rowing Club is a community-based rowing club founded in 2012. We are based at Largs Yacht Haven and row two self-built St Ayles skiffs, 'Saltire' and 'Thistle'. We strongly adhere to The Scottish Coastal Rowing Association (SCRA) ethos of community spirit and inclusiveness. We provide an outlet for people of a wide age range (youngest currently 14 yrs, oldest >80 yrs) to partake in outdoor exercise in a socially beneficial, friendly environment. We are a welcoming and inclusive club, and no previous rowing experience is needed to join, and we have a particularly strong youth membership. We believe participation in Coastal Rowing is wholly beneficial to our membership's physical and mental health. Additionally, we have participated in environmental monitoring of micro-plastics in our seas locally, results being collated by the SCRA.

If we are successful in our bid, the funds will help us secure a desperately needed all-weather gazebo style shelter for attending rowing, fundraising and recruitment events. We try to attend as many events of this nature throughout the season, where our gazebo is used both as a welcoming area for existing and new members, as well as a storage location for any equipment we might need during the event we are attending. Depending on the event, we also sell home-made baking and sell raffle tickets from the gazebo, all of which proceeds enable us to donate monies to various charities across the season. At our own Foccrs regatta recently, we raised nearly £500 which we donated to the Ellen Macarthur Foundation which is a charity close to our hearts and is committed to creating a circular economy, designed to eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and regenerate nature. Unfortunately, due to the uncertainties of the Scottish weather, our previous gazebo is now beyond repair and we need to invest in something much more robust and longer lasting to help us continue our participation in the events mentioned previously. A funding award from the Locality PB would help us enormously in this respect and be hugely appreciated by all concerned.  

https://www.gazeboshop.co.uk/product/metal-gazebos/aluminium-extreme-50-hex-series/3m-x-6m-aluminium-extreme-50-hex-gazebo/

 

4  short handled shovels   4 x 15             Total   60

1 battery operated strimmer   180

1 battery operated lawn mower 260

hand shovels                              100

loppers and shears                     60                      

ergomatic hand tools                  120

Many of our members our older and we have need of new and safer tools for them.  Some had been donated and a few have broken while in use.  We need to make sure our members have good quality new tools as they do a lot of work volunteering in our garden and well as using them for their own gardening.  We would like our volunteers to find strimming and mowing the garden easier with a battery operated strimmer and mower. Several people have arthritic hands and the ergomatic tools should make gardening easier for them.

 

ergomatic sets of easy grip tools for arthritis sufferers  120

Many of our members are older and many tools have been donated or aren just old and are no longer fit for purpose. Some have broken while using them.  We take the safey of our members seriously. We want our members to have better, safer or to use tools and a more modern battery operated lawn mower and strimmer.  This will be easier for our volunteers to use and be more ecological.

                           

Project Aims

• Pay the £595 ‘change of use’ fee to North Ayrshire Council to secure the derelict land donated to Largs Green Futures.
• Purchase and install a clear corrugated plastic roof to protect groups from wet weather and harness rainwater.  This will provide a sensory, educational experience demonstrating how rainwater can support sustainable crop growth.
• Buy clear perspex to visually enhance the fence barrier and provide opportunities for the community to create seasonal, themed and freestyle art, creating a space where the community can visualise changing seasons, explore plot-to-plate cooking, and express themselves freely in a safe environment.

 

Impact

Paying the £595 'Change of Use' fee will secure long-term access to a safe, sensory, and therapeutic community space, bringing benefits to every demographic within our community. Children and young people gain hands-on learning experiences in sustainability and healthy eating, while older adults find an accessible, sheltered and welcoming environment to connect, share knowledge, and engage in meaningful activities that support wellbeing. Families can participate in workshops developing environmental stewardship, cultivating pride in their neighbourhood and learning practical skills to reduce carbon footprints, save money, and enjoy fresh, home-grown produce.

In securing this space long-term, we future-proof not only our project, but our whole community—building resilience, nurturing wellbeing, and inspiring environmental responsibility across all ages and abilities.

Total Budget: £1,000

• Change of Use Fee (North Ayrshire Council): £595
• Corrugated Roofing (Outdoor Kitchen Shelter): £305
• Perspex (Boundary Fence Enhancement): £100

Total: £1,000

We are applying for compost, plants, and seeds for both our community garden and for local households who are supported to grow their own food. 

Our community garden has already transformed from an overgrown space into a thriving hub where food, nature, and wellbeing come together. Fresh produce grown here is shared with local families and the Village Larder, helping to reduce food waste and provide affordable food. The garden is also a place where people of all ages and backgrounds learn sustainable growing practices such as no-dig, food forestry, and polyculture. These methods enrich soil, cut emissions, and create more resilient growing systems. This funding will allow us to maintain and expand our growing. Compost is essential for healthy soil, seeds and plants are the basis of our crops, and biodiversity-friendly plants ensure we can work with nature rather than against it. At the same time, we will continue to support Village Larder customers and other households by providing compost, seeds, and starter plants to help them grow food at home. 

• £350 for compost – to improve soil in the garden and provide small amounts to households.

• £450 for plants, plug-plants, seeds, seed potatoes and containers/materials to build containers- to replenish the community garden and for giving beginner growers and households a confident start.

• £100 for biodiversity plants – pollinator-friendly flowers and companion plants

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. 

We're looking for funding to continue the Skills development of the membership, as they progress their skills their increasing the types of items they are making, are more complex & the Quality is improving all the time. Which gives the members a great sense of achievement. The funding will help to purchase more Materials form the local Builders Merchant.

150 Fence Boards x 60 145 Planed Pine x 30 47x50 Fence Rail x 30 45x45 Planed Pine x 20 PVA Glue x 2