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.

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. 

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

The project is in two parts. 

A. Recabling of internal power sources from the consumer unit in each of 6 premises (4 studios, 1 commercial business and the Village Hall) with armoured cabling to an external waterproof junction box. All work to be carried out by certified electrician including testing.

B. Replacement of external wall cabling, installation of weatherproof sockets and connection to newly installed weatherproof junction boxes for 34 motif positions in Ritchie Street and Main Street. All work to be carried out by NAC Buliding Services.

Breakdown of costs (including VAT) 

A. £2400

B. £2000

Total £4400

Note: This application is for £1000 which is a proportion of the total above, we are trying to find the remainder from other sources.

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