The Bridging the Gap Project has attracted many residents keen to learn new skills which involve Sociable, Active Mindsport in a warm and welcoming daytime activity which in many ways will help alleviate the economic pressures that have been brought about by the cost of living crisis.

Due to the number of people who have registered for beginners bridge lessons, it is necessary to have appropriate bridge tables which can be stored easily,. The tables will provide for the game of bridge to be played on suitable surfaces without the varying bridge accessories slipping or being knocked onto the floor. Ths in turn creates a more enjoyable experience for the players as they concentrate on the learning process of this fascinating game. 

Five tables 89cm x 89cm @ a cost of £165 each would be a valuable acquisition for the club. 

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

West Kilbride Community Initiative Ltd WKCIL was established as a regeneration project focussed on revitalising the centre of the town.  In 1998 half the town shops were boarded up and the green spaces were derelict and uncared for. WKCIL registered as a charity and now has three main projects - Craft Town Scotland, the Environmental Group and more recently the Media Studio.  With the help of many funding organisations Craft Town Scotland was able to either raise funding to purchase, or was gifted, nine shop units along the Main Street which are now let as subsidised craft studios. With support from the National Lottery an old church was upgraded and is now an arts centre with a shop, gallery and cafe.

The equipment we have applied for is to support the work of the charity as there are many facets which require a lot of managing and promotion.  Most of our work is carried out by volunteers alongside three part time employed posts. All our admin is carried out in the Barony Centre and our office admin is desperately in need of new equipment to carry out the work, hence our application  to the Participatory Budgeting.

We are a charity and a company limited by guarantee which is not far away from a CIC.  We are a non profit making, volunteer based organisation and quite honestly in the current financial climate every penny is counted carefully for us to be able to even survive.

We are seeking to replace and upgrade a printer and a laminator, along with replenishing ink and paper stocks.

1) HP Colour LaserJet Pro MFPM283fdw A4 Colour Multifunction Laser Printer 7KW75A- £639.14 (incl VAT)

2) Laminator 5724901, A4 & A3 £170.54

3) ink cartridges and paper £190.32

This project wish to build on previous 'Cinema events' hosted by the Largs Community Council, and create a fully inclusive event, where people can come together, enjoy a movie, chat, and have a meal, without having to worry about cost. We wish to engage as much of the community as possible and will publicise on social media, through the schools as well as care homes and other channels. The venue is fully accessible.

The format will be as follows:

• Children and ASN movie - late afternoon showing. This will take place in the Valhalladrome and will comprise one or two shorter movies with subtitles. We will be advertising to ensure that parents know it's aimed at younger children, or those with ASN and as such, can come and go as required and also children, under  parent/carer supervision, will be welcome to 'be themselves' and enjoy the movie without worrying about requiring to keep seated and keep quiet. 
• Simple meal in cafe area - utilising the newly refurbished, Cafe area, we wish to be able to offer people a simple meal to be enjoyed in the seating area. This will be free of charge and will have offering to suit all ages as well as when possible accomodating allergy requirements. 
• This will still be a family friendly movie, albeit longer, and in the Barrfield Theatre - our intention is to offer a 'current' movie release which will allow people to enjoy a genuine movie experience without having to travel further afield. 
• We hope to be able to engage a local band to play during the meal time in the lobby of Vikingar! to add to the ambience, but also show case their talents to the wider community.

Final costings are to be confirmed however expected to be as follows:

Cinema screenings - 2 movie showings on one afternoon - c£250. This will be confirmed nearer the time as there is variability depending on movie choices and specific license costs. We will engage with our community to identify the films that are top of people's list to see nearer the time.

Hall Hire - expected around £250 to book both venues for the required period. 

Food - £500 - Vikingar staff will operate the cafe and provide a simple menu which is based on that current at The Portal. We expect this will fund up to 100 meals (Soup+Sandwich or Main and side), however LCC have also some funding available for previous cinema events which will allow us a buffer if demand outstrips the funding allocation. 

Cinema and licensing - £250

Hall Hire - £250

Food - £500

Total £1000

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 are looking to install a bench at the Memorial..as a group we feel this would be the finishing touch. 

On the day of the memorial unveiling..18th April 2025..four direct relatives of those souls who perished that day 100 years ago attented.

We feel a bench would offer a place to linger in quiet contemplation and remembrance.

The residents of our village are so positive about this space said bench would offer them the chance to pay their respects..to sit..enjoy the view and the plants too.

As in previous years we have approached Kevin Hutchinson who works locally..Largs.

Kevin has furnished us with fabulous benches for the Community Garden..we have approached him and asked for a version of the previous bench design with the addition of a planter at either end..finished in black.

He has estimated a cost of £165.

We are normally open on Sunday afternoons from April to September from approx 1pm until 5pm.

Our Museum site known as Skelmorlie Secret Bunker as a secondary role has a vision of promoting Active Travel within North Ayrshire for the benefit of all our community. 

We can provide a toilet and refreshment facility through using our self contained Groundhog Welfare unit which provides a proper toilet facility and small kitchen for the provision of hot and cold drinks. 

In addition apart from catering for small groups such as individuals and families we can by prior arrangement cope with organised walking and cycling groups both on Sunday afternoons and outwith those times.

We are applying for £360 to get our toilet facility serviced over that six months, £150 for flyers to advertise within North Ayrshire the Active Travel Waypoint and £130 for kitchen sundries such as water, tea, coffee eco cups and milk to provide a refreshment service all at no cost to the users of our museum site.  

We would propose to buy a Yonex badminton set which includes 20 rackets, 6 packs of plastic shuttles, 2 nets and a robust carry case for all items. This is sold as a packaged set and is much better value than buying the items separately.

£300 inc VAT (price from Greaves Sports)