The Skelmorlie Community Garden Group took over the running and maintenance of the space outside Skelmorlie Library from North Ayrshire Council in Spring of 2023. The local community have put a lot of work and love into making the space beautiful and relaxing, and would like to add a little lending library to further enhance the garden's aims to promote wellbeing, sustainability and community spirit.

We think that this speaks to the goals of this round of participatory budgeting; building community, looking after the environment (re-using books), cost of living and health and wellbeing. The garden has been set up to be a contemplative space and a little library would foster this.

We have spoken with the staff of Skelmorlie Library, who fully support the project.

We have spoken with the North Coast and Cumbraes Men's Shed who could build this for us for around £100. We have uploaded a picture to show you the type of little library we are intending to install.

Access to the toilet compartment at the rear of the Groundhog involves stepping up/down a distance of approx 25cm and closing the metal door behind you.

 This is further complicated by the Groundhog welfare unit lying on a slightly downward facing slope.

Our museum visitors and walkers/cyclists passing by on stage 12 of the Ayrshire coastal path have free access to our Groundhog toilet compartment during our opening times from April to September and this covers all age ranges and from individuals to families.

We have attempted to reduce any access difficulty to the toilet compartment by the temporary positioning of two wooden pallets to act as an intermediate step, however due to the exposed nature of the site and wooden material these now require replacement.

We have approached a long established blacksmith based in Largs and they can design, manufacture and install a steel frame covered by an aluminium durbar sheet which has a raised pattern feature to form a non-slip surface in any direction and which will form a platform with the same dimensions as the existing pallet area for £960 including vat..

This will act as a permanent solution making access/egress easier, while spending the money within the North Coast to the benefit of the business and its employees.

We are hoping to develop in the coming year an approach to those individuals or groups looking to improve their physical fitness and mental health by providing a free resource rest and/or turn round stop at our site which is 3 miles north of Largs on what was previously known as the red road from Routenburn Golf course to the Meigle.

Our free admission museum is available for visits from those with mobility issues and both our museum and welfare unit are powered using  PV solar panels for lighting and communications equipmen as part of our drive to minimise the use of fossil fuels due to not having a mains connection to our museum site..

Relocate existing central hanging basket framework within garden £50 : Replace with less intrusive (no hanging baskets) metal frame to secure Seasonal Displays in Central position £250

Install new pipe ducting for lighting cables (Christmas Tree) £50 :  Install Two secondary metal frames to secure side seasonal displays £150

Install Two additional half barrels for seasonal planting £50 : install additional paving slabs to displays/garden £150 

Introduce "Largs Community Council Garden" sign to promote group and encourage membership / let people know who maintains garden area £150 

Introduce information sign that advise "what's happening" in Largs ie Viking Fesival, Yuletide, Barrfields Theatre shows etc £150

Our postcard collection was digitised last winter using private facilities. The remaining collections should be digitised inhouse.   This will be an opporunity for our current and new members/volunteers to come together over the winter months while the museum is closed to the general public.   This project will be a major contribution to ensuring that our heritage is safely recorded for future generations. To make this possible we would kindly ask for funding towards: 

Viisan S21 A2 Overhead Scanner £335 Epson FastFoto FF-680W Scanner £440 Brother MFC-J5345DW Scanner/copier £160 Toshiba 2TB Canvio Basics Portable External Hard Drive £50

To prepare ground/beds by tidying, clearing of weeds and leaves before adding own mulch and compost to area, then planting of bulbs - tulips and daffodils throughout the park but especially to the front of park near railings in order to have a beautiful 'harvest' in the spring.

 multi combined top soil =                                                      £150.00

40kgs of daffodil bulbs (varied) £40.00 x 2                              £80.00     

Tulips - 200 bulbs                                                                    £60.00

Delivery                                                                                   £10.00                = £300.00

This is a continuation of an activity that we have been running since August 2022 following a successful bid to Last years NAC Participatory Fund.  costs are 

£30 per half hour session with Instructor 

£25 for Room Hire 

£0 for  advertising via social media & DFL website

We are applying for £1000.

Rough guide costs per large container which will house a couple of Mini Munch cucumber plants, 2 tumbling tom tomato plants, or a courgette plant/2 kales/1 broccoli plant/mixed salad with radishes and spring onions, etc For a 35litre trug with compost and pearlite for £15 per filled pot

or 15litre pots/trugs with 1 tumbling tom tomato plant/1 mini-munch cucumber/several lettuces/1kale/ with compost and pearlite around £5 per filled pot

+Seaweed (organic) concentrate fertiliser filled from plastic drinks bottles that people can bring to us around £8 per filled pot

+Seeds between £1-3 per person (some are specialist varieties we have tried out this year to check for size, yield and taste)

Participants will be able to choose several plants and a start up kit that suits them and their gardens best. 

If the average take up was a 3 trug start-up per person then we estimate that we would have enough funds to secure £55 per household for 18 households. We anticipate people taking up a mixture of pots/trugs and some only taking 1 of either. We think around half of participants  will be Village Larder customers.