We are applying for funding to enable our over 60's club to hold a Burns Supper and an afternoon tea.  These events would provide a beacon of light in the dark winter months when social isolation and the cost-of-living crisis have an even greater impact on people's health and wellbeing.  These events would bring the club together with celebration and fun.  With this funding we would be able to organise food and entertainment for each event, this would make them special for all group members to enjoy.   Our club plays a vital role in combatting loneliness and encourages members to come along weekly to connect with others and share enjoyable experiences.  The club means so much to its members and has a real impact on people's lives in a positive way.

Burns supper food and drinks £400

Burns Supper entertainment £100

Afternoon Tea food and drinks £400

Afternoon Tea entertainment £100

Our project aims to reduce loneliness and improve mental health by bringing older people together in a supportive and fun environment. Our current 52 members benefit from regular activities such as bingo, quizzes, and day trips.

To make our club inclusive and affordable, we are seeking funding to cover:

• £500 for bus hire to enable members to attend day trips and outings.
• £500 for seasonal community events (Valentine's and Easter celebrations), which provide opportunities for members to socialise, build friendships, and feel part of their community. 

By helping with these costs, we can remove financial barriers, encourage more people to get involved, and ensure our members feel valued, connected, and supported. 

We are applying for £1000.

We have an immediate need for the following items:

A large, lockable cupboard which will act as our storage for the food bank, cost: £200 (approx)

4 x large sturdy boxes on wheels to store and move uniform, cost £160 (approx)

100 x large parcel bags to make up uniform 'bundles', cost £20

Items of underwear, tights, socks and polo shirts in ages 4- 9 as we currently have none in stock, cost £150

250 x bags for making up food 'parcels' for families, cost £50

Going forward we will need to fully stock and maintain the new mini 'food bank':

Fully stock food bank with food and hygiene products, and maintain this throughout the year, cost: £400 (approx.)

Cleaning products, gloves, aprons and misc, cost £20

Our Uniform exchange, which allows families from Castlepark Primary school to ask for items of uniform/clothing/jackets has proven popular, with us handing out over 300 items of clothing in the last year. We sustain the Exchange mostly through donations, however for hygiene reasons underwear must be purchased brand new and we are currently running low on polo shirts of all sizes. Our uniform exchange helps families in our community with the ever-rising cost of living. Families can use our uniform exchange as often as they need.

Through after- school clubs and with feedback from families within our community, a food bank is something that has been suggested on numerus occasions. With the Family Hub up and running, we felt this was something we could launch and facilitate within the hub, with families being able to take home food parcels after each ‘after school club’ or if there is a specific need, then this could be accommodated, where possible. This will help with the cost of living as well as help promote healthy eating with fresh fruit and vegetables being made available where possible. We also plan to incorporate ‘healthy eating on a budget’ workshops as part of the after-school family hub program.

We will bring in external agencies to help promote health and wellbeing and to help with things such as money management and supporting families with additional support needs. This will run alongside a program of activities for the families such as arts and crafts, sports, music, dance, and cooking.

Our long-term intentions for the after-school family hub is to create a welcoming, safe and inclusive place for the families in our local area to gather and enjoy themselves. Running a thriving family hub that supports our community in any way we can.

For over 20 years, we have taken care of the woods and created a space where people from all walks of life can feel safe and supported. We encourage retired individuals, those facing mental health challenges, and veterans to engage with nature outside of their daily routines. Our goal is to use the calming influence of nature to help distract them from their issues.

We also welcome various groups, such as Scouts and schools, to use our woodlands for educational purposes about the environment. Many individuals find joy in exploring and enjoying the woods.

This year, we are seeking funding to refurbish and replace our equipment, which has been worn down by the harsh conditions we face. Maintaining the paths is much more challenging than simply cutting a lawn.

Refurbish our mowers x2 = £400. We cover routine maintenance, but this is a one-off safety upgrade and inspection, so we can keep older models going rather than just buying new ones when these need to be refurbished. We believe in reusing and recycling. 

Drill and Driver kit £150. -

A battery-powered strimmer that utilises the batteries we already have, or for small jobs, allowing people who find the big petrol-powered strimmers too heavy to use them.

£130 

The Autumn Club meets fortnightly in Ardrossan Parish Church from Sept-June and provides those in the 'Autumn Years' of their lives with the opportunity to get together for companionship and entertainment. We provide a speaker or performer at most of our meetings and also arrange a Christmas Lunch, a Tea Party, and an afternoon outing. We regularly get 40+ members attending each meeting and had almost 100 people registered last year.

This application is to cover the cost of coach hire for an outing, which is estimated at £500, and the cost of catering for a Tea Party, which is estimated at £250.

This funding request would allow us to subsidise the costs for up to 50 people at each event.

We are applying for funding to enable our group members to plan and experience a trip to the theatre and afternoon lunch up in Glasgow in the new year.

Social activities such as this can have a positive impact of the health and wellbeing of older people.  This is especially true in the winter months when the cost of living and social isolation can have a significantly negative impact on people’s lives, especially for older members of the community.  This would be an opportunity for our group members to experience a special outing which many would not be able to access independently due challenges faced through physical health and mental wellbeing.

To enable us to do this we are applying for the following:

Theatre tickets: £560

Afternoon Tea: £440

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 would like to apply for a funding amount of £1000 and if successful we would be able to provide a bus outing for approximately 50 older people, with the remainder being used towards providing a lunch for our members. The funding would provide an opportunity for our members to enjoy a social outing and lunch that might otherwise be unattainable due to cost of living or mobility issues. 

The cost of the bus would be £550 and the remaining £450 would be used towards funding the lunch.

NATC was formed to give Vision Impaired people in our community, and beyond, the opportunity to be able to cycle with the aid of a fully sighted Pilot. The age range of our members is 30yrs – 83yrs. NATC is not only for the Vision Impaired, we accept applications from the wider community over the age of 18yrs, ie, people that has mental health issues, people that are isolated at home on their own. NATC gives these people a sense of belonging and Inclusion, Cycling improves physical fitness and mental health, the social aspect of our group alone brings people out of the Isolation that many in our community suffer from. NATC makes use of the many Cycle Paths in and around Ayrshire which makes for a safe riding experience for our members.

Tandem bikes are an expensive commodity to upkeep. Spares such as Tyres, Spare Tubes, Puncture repair kits and associated tools, Secure Parking Locks can be a constant drain on our limited resources for our 14 Tandems.

Tyres at….£28 each…7 required = £196

Tubes at £5.40 each…28 required = £ 151

Puncture repair kits a £7.50 each…14 Required = £105

Tool Kits at £12.50 each…14 Required = £175 

Secure Parking Locks at £27 each...14 Required = £378

We are looking to hire the Volunteer rooms on 2 occassions, approx February and August to provide information on the February event and Health and Wellbeing on the August event, costs below are based on 2025 costs and anything over the £1,000.00 applied for will be paid by the forum.

                                February                                                                          August

Hall Hire                  £171.20                                                                           £85.60

Food                       £350.00                                                                           £200.00

Promotion               £228.00                                                                           £150.00

Total                       £750.00                                                                           £435.60

Amount Seniors Forum will put towards projects approx £185.60