Beith Community Association SCIO is applying for £1,000 to deliver six additional community environmental action days, one each week throughout Keep Scotland Beautiful’s six-week Big Spring Clean campaign in spring 2027.

The project builds on the success of outreach work undertaken by our Community Food Garden volunteers during 2026. The Garden Group has evolved into much more than a group that cares for the garden itself. Volunteers have increasingly taken their time, skills and enthusiasm out into the wider community, working to improve shared spaces and demonstrating what can be achieved when local people come together to take pride in where they live.

We now want to build on that success by creating a focused six-week programme of community action during the Big Spring Clean.

Each week an additional four-hour action day will be organised. Activities will respond to local need and could include litter picking, clearing and improving neglected shared spaces, environmental improvements, planting and other practical community-led work across Beith. These will be additional outreach activities and will not replace the Community Food Garden’s normal work or routine maintenance.

The action days will be led by an external project lead who will plan and coordinate the activities, support volunteers and provide the practical experience required to deliver the programme safely and effectively. BCA SCIO and the Garden Group will contribute volunteer time, existing equipment, organisational support and other resources to help maximise the value of the grant.

We will actively promote the six-week programme locally to encourage existing volunteers and new participants to get involved. Food and refreshments will also be provided during each action day. This helps recognise the substantial contribution volunteers make, allows people to come together during the sessions, and helps ensure that the personal cost of taking part is kept as low as possible.

Project costs

External project lead: 6 action days × 4 hours = £600

Volunteer food and refreshments across the six action days = £200

Promotion, printing and volunteer recruitment = £100

Project-specific materials and consumables for the six action days = £100

Total requested: £1,000

The project will benefit the wider Beith community by improving shared spaces and creating additional opportunities for local people to volunteer, meet others, and take positive action for their town.

We hope the six-week campaign will also leave a longer-term legacy by introducing new people to volunteering and demonstrating that community action need not stop at the boundary of the Community Food Garden. By supporting local people with skilled leadership and a clear programme of activity, a relatively small investment can unlock a much greater contribution of volunteer time and community effort.