Community Café Enhancement**

We are seeking funding to enhance the visibility and functionality of our Community Café, which plays a vital role in our local area yet remains underutilised. Many local workers and residents are unaware that our café is open to everyone, resulting in missed opportunities for community engagement and funding generation for our local initiatives.

Our  Goals

1. Increase awareness of the café among local residents and passing workers.

2. Boost visitor numbers to generate income for our community projects.

3. Create a welcoming and inclusive environment through improved outdoor seating and signage.

Impact- The café serves as a cornerstone of community wellbeing. It provides affordable meals, a friendly meeting place, and a safe space for all residents. Our café hosts various activities aimed at reducing social isolation, and an increase in visitor numbers will enable us to diversify and expand our event offerings, providing further benefits to the local area.

By adding outdoor seating, we will attract more customers, particularly during the summer months. This will not only accommodate dog walkers and families but also create opportunities for increased income that can be reinvested into improving our services.

Benefits of Increased Footfall

- Sustained and enhanced community events. - Greater income flow to support more activities.

- A stronger sense of community cohesion and engagement.

Cost Breakdown

To realise our vision of a bustling Community Café, we require funding for the following items:

Signage Costs:

- Circle Stamp: £10.37  - Mesh Banners: £58.98  - Outdoor A-Frame Signs: £94.51 

- Indoor Banner Without Eyelets: £121.48  Total Signage Costs: £342.41 (Inc VAT) 

Outdoor Seating Costs: - 16 Stacking Bistro Seats: £260  - 8 Bistro Tables: £320 

- Delivery: £45.00  - Total Outdoor Seating Costs: £624.88 

Total Funding Request: £967.41

 Investing in improved signage and outdoor seating is a cost-effective strategy to capitalise on the café’s potential. With this funding, we can transform our Community Café into an inviting hub of activity, fostering greater community interaction and enhancing the overall quality of life for residents. We appreciate your consideration and support in helping us realise this vision.

Irvine and Dreghorn Brass is a Scottish Charitable Organisation and open to all community brass band. In a normal year many thousands of people see our bands perform in concerts, gala days, band competitions and other community events. We also provide after school brass and percussion lessons for young people and provide instruments to enable the lessons. 

We obtained the Dunlop Memorial Hall in 2020 via a Community Asset Transfer from North Ayrshire Council and have created a music centre and small concert venue. Our premises are used most days for band rehearsals or music lessons.

Since purchasing the hall we have upgraded electrics, alarms, audio visual, installed flooring, decorated and now we are planning to refurbish other areas including the kitchen and toilets. Toilets have not been upgraded since the building was constructed in the 1960s.

We plan to upgrade both the Gents and Ladies toilets. The total cost of this is c. £26,000. Both toilet areas are a similar configuration and it will cost £13,000 to upgrade the Gents and another £13,000 to upgrade the Ladies (c. £26,000 in total). Note we have quotes from 3 local busineses for the works. 

We plan to do the work in stages i.e. do the Gents toilets first and then Ladies toilet upgrade towards the middle to end of 2026. We have almost raised enough to enable the first phase (the Gents) to progress and we should be able to make a start this year. We are therefore seeking support for upgrade of the Ladies toilets in 2026.

Work involved would include :

- removal and disposal of existing 1960's units

- removal and disposal of asbestos if required

- procurement and installation of cubicals, wash-hand basins, new urinals, driers

- flooring and wall covering e.g. wet-wall or similar 

- all plumbing and electrical works required for improvements.

We already have made other grant applications for part funding.  We will also be able to commit some of our reserves to the project. We are confident of raising funding required by early 2026. As mentioned above, work would not commence until 2026.

This project improved the fabric of the building for the future and benefits several hundred people in our community including the (male) players and members of the band and the audience members who come to the hall for activities and concerts. 

At Cròileagan Siorrachd Àir a Tuath (North Ayrshire Gaelic Baby & Toddler Group) we aim to provide the opportunity for children (6 months to 4 years), their parents and carers to learn the Gaelic language, through talking, songs and games in a relaxed and welcoming environment. 

Latha Buidhe Bealltainn is celebrated on May 1, the halfway mark between the Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice, it is a time of renewal and growth, a celebration to welcome the coming summer months.

At a time when music lessons are being lost in due to budgeting constraints in education we would like to not only celebrate one of the major cultural events in the Gaelic calendar but also offer taster "have a go" sessions for traditional Gaelic instruments; bodhran, clarsach, fiddle, pipes, and song. We would like to use this as a test of the market place to see if there is a demand to learn to play traditional instruments, lessons which could be facilitated by our group. A survey will be sent out post event to follow up and gauge success of the event and inform our next steps. We will finish the afternoon inviting attendees, tutors and volunteers to perform at a ceilidh

We would like to provide this opportunity for our families to learn and get a chance to be involved in cultural traditions; most of our families don’t currently have a lot of experience or access to this culture.

Our hope is to inspire people to adopt culture and traditions. We believe exposing the children to live music at a young age will encourage them to get involved, and will help the families to provide the supportive environment that will help the children to succeed.

Our core audience is children that have not yet started school and their families. We will make sure they have chance to perform, with material we prepare at our regular toddler sessions. If capacity allows, we would also like to extend an invitation to neighbouring district East Ayrshire and include primary school children from the local Gaelic primary unit in Kilwinning, as well as the wider community. Therefore the event will be ticketed to maintain an element of control on numbers, by using an online tool such as Eventbright, for example.

For our youngest participants we believe this project will inspire them and their families to get into music. We wish to spread cultural traditions and give people access to these in an area where it can be difficult to find, particularly ones that are suitable for very young children. We believe spreading knowledge of traditions keeps them alive. For primary-aged participants we believe the performance opportunity at the ceilidh will be motivation for them to practice something and it will enhance their confidence to play/sing/etc. for an audience. This could be a stepping stone to them participating on a bigger stage at other events or putting themselves forward for competitions. For all participants we hope this may inspire them to get music and other performance into their life. If we could inspire a family to create a supportive musical environment in their own home or add a tradition to their calendar we would be extremely happy.  

Costs to include

• Venue hire £120

• Tutor fees £600

• Refreshments £150

• Admin materials (posters, signage, info leaflets) £150

We are piloting a new after-school tutor-led learning club in Kilwinning for primary and secondary pupils (ages 8–16). The project aims to provide free, accessible support in core subjects such as literacy, numeracy, and study skills to help raise attainment, boost confidence, and reduce stress for families who cannot afford private tutoring.

The club will run weekly sessions in a local community venue for 10 weeks, with small-group tuition led by qualified tutors. Places will be open to all pupils, but we will prioritise children from families living in SIMD 1 and 2 areas who are most affected by poverty and the cost-of-living crisis. By removing financial barriers, the project ensures all children, regardless of background, can access support to reach their full potential.

This pilot will test demand and outcomes. If successful, it could grow in future, helping Kilwinning’s children improve school performance, develop resilience, and feel supported by their community.

Breakdown of Costs:

• Tutor fees (2 tutors x 10 weeks) – £1,200

• Venue hire (community space for 10 weeks) – £300

• Learning resources (books, stationery, equipment) – £200

• Healthy snacks for pupils – £150

• Promotion & materials (flyers, posters, digital) – £150

Total: £2,000

DDLS is a local competitive dance team in North Ayrshire, with many young members from areas affected by deprivation. Competing at a high level brings amazing opportunities for our dancers, but costs for travel, entry fees, and kit often create barriers for families. We want to test new ways of fundraising that not only support our dancers but also benefit the wider community by bringing people together and opening up access to dance.

This project combines three small but powerful initiatives:

1. Community Showcase Event – A large-scale performance event featuring DDLS dancers alongside local schools and community groups. Funding will cover venue hire, costumes, lighting, and marketing. Tickets will generate income to reinvest in competition costs, while the event itself celebrates community talent and inspires others to get active through dance.

2. Branded Merchandise – Purchase of initial stock of DDLS-branded hoodies, water bottles, and dance bags. Sales will build a sustainable income stream, while also promoting team identity and local pride.

3. Dance for All Workshops – A series of community workshops led by DDLS dancers and coaches, open to children and young people who may not otherwise access dance. These sessions will be free or low-cost initially, with future paid workshops generating income to support competition costs. This gives back to the community while building a model for longer-term sustainability.

Breakdown of Costs (total £2,000):

• Community Showcase Event (venue hire, costumes, lighting, marketing) – £1,000

• Branded merchandise (hoodies, bottles, bags initial stock) – £500

• Dance for All workshops (venue hire, facilitator costs, resources) – £500

Total: £2,000

This project fits strongly under the Enterprising Communities theme, as it is designed to test and develop new ways for DDLS to generate sustainable income that can be reinvested into our goals. The community showcase event will bring in ticket sales to help cover competition costs while also creating a positive event for the wider public. The branded merchandise will provide a small but ongoing income stream that promotes team identity and encourages community support. The Dance for All workshops will give local children and young people affordable access to dance, while establishing a model that can generate income for future community sessions and help subsidise competition costs.

It also links to Local Innovation, as we are piloting a combination of new activities (merchandise, workshops, and a public showcase event) to see which approaches work best in creating financial sustainability. By testing these ideas, we are building resilience into our organisation, reducing reliance on one-off fundraisers, and finding new ways to involve the wider community in dance.

This project therefore directly supports the Community Wealth Building mission by maximising the potential of our place and our young people, while reinvesting income to ensure that opportunities to compete and succeed in dance are not limited by financial barriers.

Mecoco means "Meaningful Contribution in the Community". We make beautifully hand-crafted home fragrance products-candles, wax melts, and reed diffusers-but our real purpose is about people. Our volunteers, most of whom are profoundly disabled and have complex communication and support needs, are involved in every stage of the process, creating products that are as unique, colourful, and creative as they are.

Our volunteers are not defined by what they can't do. Instead, they are recognised and celebrated for what they can. Many are non-verbal, use wheelchairs, or need full-time care-and yet at Mecoco they take on real responsibilities. They clock in, work in teams, wear uniforms, take tea breaks, and receive expenses-just like any workplace. They are proud to be part of something meaningful. And they belong.

Based in our Dalry workshop our opportunties include:

Volunteering for local disabled and non-disabled people for one half day session each week, in small groups throughout the week.

Work experience (6 week placements) for young people from local ASN school, Lockhart School

Long term highly skilled employment for our two Wax Wizards who support volunteers to maximise the range of tasks each volunteer can be involved in and allow volunteers to be involved in more complex tasks. They are also responsible for order production and packing, stock checking and ordering materials, and new product design.

Being part of Mecoco brings huge benefits to our team including:

Health and Wellbeing

In addition to the skills development, job satisfaction, personal fulfillment, and positive sense of identity from completing meaningful tasks that Mecoco work experience provides, it also offers huge social benefits for volunteers who get to experience being part of a team, being involved and contributing within their community.

All volunteers experience the health and wellbeing benefits from meeting new people, making friends, inclusion within the Mecoco team and the wider community, developing new skills, and helping others to learn new skills and fulfill their potential.

Bringing Communties Together

We're proud to say that Mecoco brings together one of the most diverse workforces in the country. Disabled and non-disabled people work side by side, learning from each other in a space that is fun, respectful, and deeply inclusive.

In addition to providing meaningful work experience, volunteering with Mecoco improves social inclusion, helping to overcome the isolation and marginalisation that people with complex needs often experience, particularly after they have left school and do not have access to the opportunities for employment, volunteering and education open to their non disabled peers.

Through the time spent working together in small teams each week, as well as an active WhatsApp chat to bring the whole group together, the volunteers have developed a lovely supportive community and engage in social activities and are also fully included within Sense Scotland events such as our Annual Ball and Staff and Violunteer Awards, with one of the volunteers shortlisted for 2024s Volunteer of the Year.

We also attend markets, fayres and events and volunteers often play a key role in these events, selling their products directly to other members of the community, changing perception of disability and demonstrating their abilities.

To support the sustainability and growth of Mecoco we have been looking at reducing our costs and one way was to move our website from the Shopify platform to WooCommerce, saving £2500 per year. We would like to invest in Facebook advertising for our new website. In particular to offer the following

We have the ability to offer customers a variety of Subscription Plans to guarantee monthly income and an increase in these product sales. We currently offer one subsciption option but would like to add the following (with every 4, 6 and 8 week options):

Surprise Subscription-Different products dependent on the price point chosen. £10/£15/£20 per month

Wax melt only subscription-Wax melts only, quantity dependent on the price point chosen. £5/£10/£15 per month

Diffuser subscription-Refills or new diffusers dependent on the price point chosen. £10/£15/£20 per month

We require to advertise these new products and would like to target customers online. We are requesting a grant of £2000 to cover the cost of the Facebook ads.

We have experience of using Facebook ads to promote our events, with recent examples including:

Abseil-£100 spent, 170 leads generated. This led to 6 participants and £640 fundraised income so far with fundraising still ongoing

Psychic Night-£250 spent, 207 leads generated. This led to 40 ticket sales and an estimated £974 in income, including ticket sales of £650

This experience gives us confidence that this approach would also be effective to boost Mecoco sales.

Supporting this request would enable us to increase our sales income and also offers regular income which allows us to plan ahead in terms of production and volunteer numbers. Most importantly increasing our income will allow us to sustain and grow Mecoco which allows us to continue to bring the benefits of being part of the Mecoco team to our current volunteers and open up the vital opportunties to other disabled young people and adults.

Your support would directly benefit some of the most marginalised individuals in our community. People for whom society often holds very low expectations. People who are seen as a burden, when in reality, they have so much to offer-if given the chance.

The Arran Pioneer Project CIC supports a network of established community gardens and growers across the Isle of Arran. This funding will establish a seed library, and provide specialist skills training that builds long-term capacity across the island for current and future growers.

Specific Costs We're Applying For:

• Specialist workshop delivery (fruit tree grafting, beekeeping, scything, natural construction): £1,000
• Equipment for seed storage and seed library (including cabinet with drawers and compartments to organise seed packets): £500
• Scythes for gardens (total 4 sets from specialist supplier Scythe Cymru): £500
• Total: £2,000

Who Will Benefit: Our network includes community members across several gardens, with wider community interest for specialist skills. The skills training will benefit experienced growers and newcomers alike, whilst also building capacity for future projects including woodland crofting. The seed library will serve the entire island's growing community by organising and distributing both purchased seeds (including our current seed stock) and saved heritage varieties.

Why This Deserves Funding: This project demonstrates all three Community Wealth Building themes:

Community Ownership: Our model empowers communities to control local food production and distribution, keeping wealth circulating locally rather than flowing to off-island retailers.

Enterprising Communities: The seed library creates sustainable growing systems - managing both purchased and saved seeds reduces ongoing costs for all gardens whilst varieties can be shared across the network. Skills training builds capacity for future enterprises including our proposed woodland crofting initiatives.

Local Innovation: We're creating a replicable model of skills-sharing and resource management. The seed library and coordinated training programme demonstrates how rural communities can build resilience through knowledge transfer and collaborative infrastructure that supports the entire island's growing community.

Over 5 years, we've worked with our communities to transform disused land into productive spaces that island residents can use to grow their own food. This funding enables us to build skills and systems that make our growing spaces more productive and self-sufficient.

The project builds on proven success - we've previously received support from participatory budgeting and delivered measurable outcomes including increased food security, community connection, and environmental benefits.

Project Aims:

1.  Empower local youths:  Offer students aged 14 - 25 the opportunity to volunteer in a safe, structured early years environment, enhancing their educational and career propects in childcare.

2.  Support Families:  Enhance mother and toddler group activities by providing additional helping hands, enriching the experience for both parents and children.

3.  Build Community Wealth:  Foster intergenerational connections and community ownership through volunteering, skills development and support for local families.

Activities:  Partner with local schools and colleges to recruit and train youth volunteers.  Run weekly mother and toddler sessions with structured roles for volunteers.  Deliver basic safeguarding and child development workshops to volunteers.  Provide mentorship and certificates of participation to support future career / college applications.

Outcomes:  Youths gain experience, comfidence and insight into childcare careers.  Local families benefit from more engaging and supported toddler group sessions.  Developing a volunteering model that supports early years development.

Budget Breakdown:

Volunteer Training (Safeguarding, basic childcare) £500

Toddler Activities £430

Refreshments £300

Volunteer Recognition £200