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 

Our trip would allow our members to socialise, meeting others, help with their wellbeing and social isolation. It would also help with their cost of living.

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

Our sewing and craft group - The Canny Crafters, offers a welcoming space where people of all ages and abilities can come together every week to learn new skills, share knowledge, and enjoy creative activities. The group helps improve wellbeing by providing a relaxing outlet that reduces stress and gives members a sense of purpose and achievement. It also builds confidence as people develop new skills or mentor and help others and take pride in completing their own or group projects. Just as importantly, it reduces social isolation by bringing people together, helping them form friendships and feel more connected to their community. The group encourages intergenerational learning, with younger and older members exchanging skills and experiences, and creates opportunities for people to give back through handmade items that can be kept, donated or sold by the group. The group improves members mental health, strengthens community ties, and provides a supportive environment where people of all ages can thrive.

At the moment there are around 10 members registered who come along weekly or on an ad hoc basis.

To enable the group to offer a wide range of projects throughout the year and be able to invite different crafters the group would like to apply for funding to allow them to buy new resources and some machines which can be used multiple times throughout the life of the project and invite external crafters to come in and demonstrate new crafting experiences for the group to try.

Breakdown of costs

Sewing machines x 2/3   = £300.00

Hand held knitting machines x 4 = £100.00

Threads / Wool / knitting & crochet materials - £150.00

Arts / Craft resources - £100.00

External groups coming to demonstrate and offer new experinces - £300

We would like to be able to go on a bus trip next year as a group and to have a meal out. Kilbirnie has a very limited public transport, so being able to go further afield for a day out would be very beneficial to our members. Bus hire is approximately £500 and can increase. Meal is  approximately £12 a head  we have tea/ sugar/milk every week  £100 Bingo/Quuz prizes £50 . Any funding received will help to purchase overheads, ensuring we can continue to run our club weekly , whilst supporting mental health and wellbeing. This will enable us to continue to provide a safe space, with the opportunity for our members to get involved in group activities 

Crossing Together Toddlers was formed in March 2024 following the project being approached by two local new parents who felt there was a need for a group locally in Bourtreehill. Both mums, along with another four mums who joined the scaffolding core team last year, are the lead participant, along with our Mission Pioneer in running the weekly sessions on Tuesday mornings for 2 hours at the Relief Mission Centre. The group lost 9 children at the end of last session to nursery and 4 families where the mum returned to work, but since advertising during the summer we quickly reached capacity of 40 babies/toddlers again, who attend with a least one adult per child. The sessions are free to ensure it is accessible to all.

At Crossing Together Toddlers we aim to provide a fun, warm, safe, welcoming and accessible space for babies and toddlers to come along with their grown-ups from Bourtreehill and the surrounding areas of Irvine. In setting up the group we initially looked at accessing funding to purchase equipment and toys however a toddler group in Troon had recently folded and they gifted us items that meant we could launch the group immediately. The group is free of charge to families to access and weekly snacks and craft materials are provided through donations and fundraising. It is important for us to maintain a no charge policy to maximise accessibility due to the cost of living crisis and our locality being significantly impacted with regards poverty. Weekly snacks provided are balanced with items like fruit, toast and juice/water being provided for the children and a warm drink and biscuits/cakes for the grown-ups. As well as the weekly sessions we want to continue to provide the families with new experiences that can include their older children and partners which will extend the community spirit that is being built in and around the group already. These new experiences include family fun days, parties, trips and days out locally and further afield. 

Many of the families who attend the group rarely travel outwith Irvine and it would be great to improve the health and wellbeing through a summer trip to a farm park, which would provide a new experience by seeing the animals we sing about and read about at our weekly song and story time. A Christmas Party with entertainment, hospitality and a visit from Santa would also encourage positive mental health during the festive time that brings much stress with extra financial outgoing in winter. A weekend family fun day using the local park space would enable us to include working parents and older children and through hospitality/food and fun activities create a positive aspect to a park area that carries much saddness in the community and encourage resislience and new owership of the local space. In addition we supported the local community to attend all ages art sessions this year and to host a day just for the toddler families to engage and empower them to see how art together can aid mental health wellbeing and be a positive bonding experience we plan to offer this at Easter this year.

For Crossing Together to provide these experiences at no cost to the families in our locality we would be applying for the PB Locality Funding to help meet these costs as well as doing additional fundraising and seeking donations.

Examples of costings to provide such experiences are:-

Farm park admission (approx 80 people includes under 2s free) = £650

Childrens Party Entertainer = £125

Family Art for the Soul Session with Art Therapist and art/craft materials = £150

Hospitality Party/Funday = £130

Additional costings for items like craft materials and additional hospitality would be sought through donations and fundraising.

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