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.

For this fund, we encourage and support those with lesser mobility to socialise outdoors either with a picnic in nature or within a local establishment. The aim is to have intergenerational interaction supporting a sense of being involved and connected to all of the community, without being segregated by mobility or age.  Meeting fortnightly we incentivise increased mobility and socialisation by contributing once per month towards a lunch within a local establishment or provide a picnic in nature. Request £80 per month; our average attendance is 10 people and the suggested contribution is £8pp towards their meal. (£80 x 12 months = £960). When more people arrive, the contribution is reduced or the additional cost is supported by other YES contributions.

YES Your Entire Self cic runs 3 weekly groups of Mindful Living for a Healthier Community, Chill n Do Social Club and Wheel and Walk Club.  Each group on a weekly basis can have attendance of between 10-30 people.  We run free Forest Therapy sessions for the Community to support overall Health and host additional Forest Therapy events for those with less mobility.  We promote nature as a tool for wellbeing. We have an annual 12 week course to support recovery for Women of Domestic Abuse.  We hold Wellbeing and Self Care Days for Families of Loved Ones with Addictions as well as Self Empowerment Days for those with Addictions.    We collaborate with Hope (CLASP) Harbour Ayrshire, NA Mental Health Nurses, Link Workers, Drum4Life, EmpowerMe, Forest Therapy Practitioners, NA Social Services, NA Community Hubs as well as NA Recovery College and Douglas Park. In any one week we can support between 40-70 people, all having a positive ripple effect on family members and friends with NA communities.

YES set up as a cic 3 years ago with one weekly group and one Mindfulness course.  We have since grown in demand each year, building up a reputation for positive outcomes and professional services.  All our volunteers and facilitators have lived experience of self empowered wellbeing and overcoming life challenges.  2026 we will continue to grow due to the current collaboration requests from other Ayrshire Third sector establishments and Social Services.  We continue to raise the voices of the unheard and unseen within our communities.

Over the last two years, we've been helping young people create an open air photo gallery in the streets of West Kilbride during the Easter holidays (see picture) . For our 2026 project, we've something different in mind. Inspired by the work of Indian "rotiographers'" studios, we'd like to open our own pop-up studio in West Kilbride.

These backstreet photographers used a wonderful collection of lo-fi backdrops and costumes to create images that put people into their own fantasies; you want to be royalty, a cowgirl, a spaceman...? The photographer can make it happen, and you will have the photograph to prove it!

So, our project will involve the rental of a vacant unit on West Kilbride Main Street; setting up the unit as a portrait studio; inviting people to submit to us their dream or fantasy; creation of the backdrop and costumes to make it come true; the photoshoot; perhaps a chat about where the fantasy is rooted; and afterwards the creation of an exhibition and slideshow (see submitted video for example of past work) of the images created (with the permission of the subjects).

Costs include rental of unit for 4 weeks £400

Backdrop hire and creation £200

Costume purchase and rental £250

Publicity £100

Lighting hire £250

Printing costs £100

 

 

 

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

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.

                           

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 currently develop and maintain 13 major gardens and green spaces in West Kilbride which vary in size from a field to small seated areas. By joining the Scottish Garden's scheme we will be advertised nationally and locally on their social media platforms and in their printed material.  This will attract visitors to our village and increase footfall for our local businesses and studios thus supporting the economy of our area.

We will also produce and sell a small booklet and map for £5. The money collected will be shared with between the Community Gardens and the Ayrshire Hospice.

Design costs - £250

Printing cost for 500 high quality gloss leaflets - £90

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