We wish to purchase a wood burning machine to do professional wood burning signs for the community

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.

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.

At North Ayrshire Carers Centre we provide a tailored service for unpaid young and adult carers across the locality, we support individuals and families through their caring roles and provide a listening ear, support services, advice, and peer support groups. Not only this, we aim to support all unpaid carers within each locality within North Ayrshire, through locality events and drop-in support groups for carers. Within our service, we recognise the unseen roles and responsibilities unpaid carers take on for a relative, friend, or neighbor. Care can be provided in more simplistic ways such as helping with the weekly shop to cooking meals. Support is not restricted to physical care but can be also emotional support ranging from just giving a listening ear or taking care of their financial affairs or their own health. This project aims to create a community carousel in partnership with HSCP Carers Team, Youth Services, and KA Leisure to create opportunities within each locality. This will provide a family respite opportunity for unpaid carers accessing the service, or for individuals who may require support in benefit advice, education support, funding, carer support plans or a listening ear as we understand how demanding being an unpaid carer can be. This project will initially be rolled out in seldom-heard communities such as Garnock Valley and North Coast where we aim to provide support within our capacity to unpaid carers along with a fun day out for families to access activities and information based on their needs and abilities. This project will provide an opportunity to tackle isolation, food poverty, and fuel poverty by giving carers a safe, warm space to use for the day where they can bring their cared for, and also access a meal and refreshments along with the company of Carers Centre staff and partners.

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.

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.

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.