Choices Community Shop, based in the heart of Irvine, offers food with dignity to local people who are facing food insecurity due to the cost of living crisis. This fund would allow us to prepare healthy, nutricious "ready meals" for individuals removing the worry of the cost of cooking. Given that winter is approaching, families will have to choose whether to heat or cook and by having this offer, it lessens the stress of the worry.

We are a community brass band with c.100 players of all ages. We wish to buy musical instruments to help us expand and a printer / scanner to help us digitise our extensive music library.

Irvine Pipe Band would like to get new equipment for training and uniforms for members of the band who are not able to afford their own equipment. The project will link people up from all walks of life including New Scots as well as others from across North Ayrshire who share a passion for Scottish music. The band provides an opportunity for people to boost their mental health and wellbeing by making new friends and taking up an instrument completely free of charge.

The Vennel Friends Discovery Group meet weekly in the Vennel Gardens Community Engagement Hub and helps older people come together to meet new people and try a whole host of activities. 

Our group is open to anyone over the age of 50.  We participate in a wide range of activities that promote the health and wellbeing of our group members. The group provides a safe and welcoming place for older people to connect socially which helps to combat loneliness and isolation.

We are applying for funding to enable our group members to experience the positive mental health and social benefits of going to the theatre and having afternoon tea in Glasgow.

By entering our verse speaking event Primary Schools demonstrate their pupils’ budding reading and speaking skills, boosting their self-confidence and fostering an appreciation of the Scots language.

We are a local community youth football team, seeking funding to help our team of 20 players continue with their enjoyment of playing football.

As a community organisation and registered charity we provide facilities for men over the age of 18 years where they can socialise and take up new /continue with old hobbies. This helps with social isolation and also enables us to help the local community by making planters etc for local schools and private gardens. All of our products are much cheaper than commercial products as we do not charge for labour. Some of our power tools which were donated second hand are now coming to the end of their working life and we need to replace them bit by bit to continue with our projects.

Vennel Gardens Enterainment Committee aims to provide Vennel Gardens Residents and Community members with the opportunity to take part in trips, lunches and entertainment such as live performances within Vennel Gardens engagement hub.

After successfully securing PB funding last time, the group have delivered fantastic trips, lunches and many live entertainment performances. Many new friends have been made and created a fun social club that so many are benefiting from. 

Even the local doctors surgery are signposting people with dementia to our club.