The members of the Kilwinning Community Shed would like to embark on a pilot project to create a 'buddy bench' for use in a locally identified primary school, and if successful, to roll this project out to other primary schools in the Kilwinning area. Alongside a buddy bench we would also aim to offer an outdoor chalkboard with the option to include an indoor 'postbox' whose function is determined by the school themselves.

As a Community Shed whose aim is to reduce social isolation and combat loneliness by offering a place to meet new friends and be creative, we see the value in conversation in aiding good mental health and wellbeing. We know poor mental health and loneliness spans all generations, as well as the negative impact loneliness has on a person. We aim to help combat loneliness regardless of age.

We have a creative group of talented members who enjoy being part of the Shed and giving back to the wider community. Understanding the advantages of being together and having a place to come and sit, chat and interact with others has given our members great enjoyment and has improved their mental health through simply being together.

As an organisation have experienced the generosity of our local population in the donations we have received to enable us to establish a successful and creative space where we can meet, socialise and be creative.  In return, we want to give something back to our community and help aid the future generation of children in talking to each other or a trusted adult through the use of a buddy bench, where they can go and sit and other children can join them and gather around to help foster new friendships. When we explored the idea of equipment such as a buddy bench, chalkboard and postbox and the advantages it could bring to the children, we acknowledged how important this is regardless of age. We have members in the Shed who have recently moved into Kilwinning from other cities and towns and the Shed has been a lifeline because they know no-one. Children who have perhaps moved to a new school have the exact same experience, and a buddy bench, placed in the right space within the school grounds would be an indication to the other children that this person sitting on this bench is looking for a friend and wants to chat. This would enable other children to gather round and support their fellow pupil. We are hopeful the addition of an outdoor chalkboard would continue that new friendship by giving the children a place to play games, or express themselves, again bringing children together to have fun. The idea of a postbox will simply be a tool to be used for whatever the school and pupils determine, whether it’s a suggestion box, nomination box or whatever is decided. Our aim is to create the physical equipment on behalf of the school, we would aim to liaise with the head teacher once the school children have contributed their thoughts and input to the style and design of the project, we will not be interacting directly with the pupils.

As Shed members we are excited to embark on a project which will not only give us great satisfaction in the actual building of the equipment, it creates a hub of energy and creativity within the Shed itself, from sharing ideas by talking about style, design and 'who can do what'.   We utilise the skills of our members, and in doing so, they feel valued and energised in creating projects that are beneficial for the local community. 

This community spirit, fun and banter bonds us across our 'woodmen' and 'lady shedders'. When we share ideas for projects it involves all of us. Sometimes the woodmen will build our ideas and the lady shedders get to work refining the output, whether it's painting or decorating it or arming ourselves with a hot glue gun - the end result is always admired - then we make more!

Our costs for the project include:

• Dressed wood and marine plywood - £400
• Router and templates (to enable the chosen designs and text on the equipment to be routed into the wooden projects) - £300
• Paint (chalkboard & decoration), screws, hinges - £100
• Branding iron - £50 
• Vices and clamps for chalkboard and post boxes - £50
• Materials to secure the bench in place (this will be determined as the project progresses and likely to include metal/wood/concrete fixings or a combination) - £100

We believe these costs are indicative to enable us to complete the project and provide the tools to enable us to extend the pilot to other schools in our community.

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

Chatty Chalkers intend to run classes in the Argyle Centre (rent sponsored by SeaSalt Streets) to teach adults and children how to paint murals via the Oculus Quest, build and install 3D wire sculptures, create and paint moulded ornaments and how to construct sand structures and pictures. Chatty Chalkers have experience in delivering projects having successfully produced a series of pop-up events featuring pavement chalk drawing, sand art and sculptures and stone and shell painting. The pop-up events are advertised on social media two days before and the location  disclosed. They often draw up to 30 participants at their free events. 

Chatty Chalkers will offer, free and open to all, kids and adult art workshops, both indoor and outdoor. The participants will be taught mural structure and painting, basic sand art and 3D forming, simple plaster  moulding and how to form and strengthen wire figures. 

In order to facilitate the classes/workshops, Chatty Chalkers require the following equipment and materials. 

Oculus Quest & power bank £220.00. Stepladders and spray paint £80.00. Masonry paint, brushes,dust sheets, overalls, warning tape etc. £196.00. Chicken wire, foam blocks and cutter, UV resin £175.00. Expanding foam and gun, miscellaneous acrylic and water colour paints, pens and pencils etc. £175.00. TOTAL incl postage = £875.00.

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

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.

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

Our project will run fortnightly brunch sessions for around 20 people, offering a taste of Middle Eastern cooking such as kebabs and falafel. These meals will bring together people from Syria, other communities, and local residents to share food, build friendships, and promote cultural exchange. Alongside the food events, we will organise football sessions for adults, combining sport and social activities to strengthen community bonds.

• Food for brunch sessions (approx. £50 per session × 10 sessions) = £500

• Football pitch hire (approx. £40 per session × 10 sessions) = £400

• Refreshments for football sessions = £100

Total = £1,000

We are applying for funding to enable the Friendship Group to participate in a series of 5 health and wellbeing sessions delivered by a local community partner Honeybee Cottage.   These sessions would be planned in partnership with our group members to meet the needs and interests of the group while providing a range of experiences that will benefit health and wellbeing.  These sessions would bring the group members together to enjoy new activities, develop skills, confidence and have fun.  

Our group plays a vital role in combatting loneliness and encourages members to come along weekly to connect with others and share enjoyable experiences.  The group means so much to its members and has a real impact on people's lives in a positive way.

5 workshops delivered by Honeybee Cottage- 5 X £200 = £1000

Start Little Grow Big partners with North Ayrshire Food bank, The Three Towns Growers, The Argyle Centre, West Coast Furniture Bank and The Criminal Justice Team to build a community garden within Ardrossan that addresses food insecurity and strengthen community resilience. By encouraging collective action and skill-sharing, the project nurtures individuals, promotes learning, and empowers all Three Towns residents to grow and enjoy nutritious food. Diversity of skills and experience is valued, making the spaces open to everyone and aimed at improving community wellbeing. This proposal will create three self-sustaining community gardens, one in each town. These gardens use permaculture principles to provide fruit, vegetables, and therapeutic gardening for those without gardens, directly addressing food insecurity and supporting community wellbeing. The project aims to build community ownership locally and promote both formal and informal education in food production. It will focus on hands-on learning, risk assessment, and sharing peer-led expertise, valuing practical experience. The project is committed to organic-only growing, supporting natural pollinators, and avoiding pesticides and artificial growth enhancers. Efforts will also repurpose materials and explore upcycling. The initiative will engage a diverse range of cultural groups, including New Scots from Syria, Ukraine, Afghanistan, and long-standing communities in the Three Towns. Their involvement will combine traditional and modern cultivation practices, enriching local food production. The project is dedicated to fostering collective action and empowerment within the community. The project's long-term benefits are significant. It will empower the community by building ownership of growing spaces, providing fresh produce for community larders, and offering opportunities for exercise and mindfulness. The project has encouraged wider community engagement around food access and provision. It has also promoted biodiversity and pollinators, reduced carbon footprints, and provided volunteering opportunities that boost self-confidence and wellness. This project has built solidarity and a common cause among the Three Towns communities. By creating these spaces, we aim to start conversations with community members about issues they may face. The community campaigner has facilitated a mutual aid style of group work with and for individuals. The project has had a positive impact on the community as it involves 30-40 individuals in its development. An estimated 250 people will benefit from the produce, while 150 will have the opportunity to engage in activities such as storytelling and educational sessions at the project sites. This initiative aims to create spaces where people can relax, actively participate in their community, and engage in gardening based on a "do what you can" ethos. Partnerships with other organizations will facilitate directing participants to the project and providing on-site services. The Three Towns project aims to foster community ownership and sustainable practices through the promotion of organic cultivation. Participants will be encouraged to grow their own produce, regardless of their living situation. This initiative not only focuses on food growth but also on personal development and community collaboration. By involving diverse individuals with various skills, the project will thrive, offering valuable experiences and knowledge about nutritious food and healthier lifestyle choices to all residents of The Three Towns. 

Breakdown of costs 

Water Butts 4X _£160 Compost Bins 2x = £260 PPE- Gloves (Riggers Quality) 15x= £75 Protective eyewear £150 Water Containers 6x =£60 Seed Various £200 Topsoil and compost £95