<p style="margin-bottom:11px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Comic Sans MS&quot;">By entering our verse speaking event Primary Schools demonstrate their pupils&rsquo; budding reading and speaking skills, boosting their self-confidence and fostering an appreciation of the Scots language.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="background:white"><span style="line-height:normal"><span style="vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:13.0pt"><span style="background:#fdfdfd"><span style="font-family:&quot;Lato&quot;,sans-serif"><span style="color:#222222">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. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p style="margin-bottom:11px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">DCERA (Dundonald Crescent Estate Residents Association) was set up in 2022&nbsp;to help develop and grow our community within the beautiful Auchengate area of North Ayrshire. Dundonald Crescent will be known by many, by the previous name, Dundonald Camp, or as &ldquo;The old military houses&rdquo; near the Paper Mill. We are working closely with North Ayrshire Council and the surrounding communities to establish our estate with a brand-new identity. Over a decade has passed since the M.O.D sold the estate and now is the time to see the place where we call home flourish and evolve into a desirable place to stay.</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">&nbsp;</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p style="margin-bottom:11px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">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 &quot;ready meals&quot; 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.</span></span></span></p>

<p>We wish to purchase a wood burning machine to do professional wood burning signs for the community</p>

<p style="text-align:start; text-indent:0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width:0px; margin-top:20px; margin-bottom:20px"><span style="font-size:medium"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif"><span style="caret-color:#000000"><span style="color:#000000"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-variant-caps:normal"><span style="font-weight:400"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="orphans:auto"><span style="text-transform:none"><span style="white-space:normal"><span style="widows:auto"><span style="word-spacing:0px"><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-family:&quot;Segoe UI&quot;, sans-serif"><span style="color:#374151">We are seeking a grant to support the printing and production of cookbooks which will be given to families in need within the Irvine locality as a pilot to show them ways to have healthy meals at low cost.&nbsp;&nbsp;We are hoping to&nbsp;&nbsp;work in partnership with local community groups offering lunches or cooking classes, and can then be given away with participants.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p style="margin-bottom:11px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">We are a campaigning group for people over 55s, we are here to distribute information to the community to inform them of what the current issues are for older people and campaign on their behalf. Our motto is Seniors supporting Seniors.</span></span></span></p>