We are applying for funding to enable our over 60's club to hold a special Burns Supper.  This event 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.  This event would bring the club together with celebration and fun.  With this funding we would be able to organise food and entertainment for this event which would make it a special day 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.  Any additional funding would help us to pay for the ongoing weekly letting cost of £50.  

Burns Supper: including food, toasts, entertainment and hall hire-£600

Hall letting fees for 8 weeks- £400

Our project aims to save an at-risk collection of documents donated to Kilwinning Heritage from the former Hugh King & Sons solicitor's office on Howgate. The building was also formerly a bank, and the collection contains around 20,000 documents from the bank and solicitors offices. The documents have been very poorly kept and require intensive cleaning to save them and record any information we can gather. We will clean and record these archive documents which will be available for future research into the people of Kilwinning.

The project will be led by a team of volunteers and will be trained by staff from Ayrshire Archives on how to safely and accurately clean and record these documents. The volunteers will benefit from the project on a personal level as there is a good cohesion in our volunteer team and any new volunteers will be welcomed. Some of our volunteers benefit from the project as it gets them out the house and taking part in an activity which is very beneficial for them due to the relaxing nature of the project and repetitiveness of the tasks. This reduces their risk of social isolation and increases their skills by getting training and brings people together.

Building community spirit is also a key part of the project as the information gathered from the archive could provide a new insight to the history of Kilwinning and some of the unique individuals who once lived in the town. We intend to make the archive available for any future members of Kilwinning Heritage and the public where appropriate to inform research and future projects involving the history of the town. We hope that all the volunteers involved in the project will work collaboratively and we will provide social opportunities for them to network and make new friends/ develop relationships in the community.

Breakdown of costs;

£250 - scan tent  £300 - archive boxes £400 - mobile phone for scanning £50 - external hard drive