Dalry Community Sports Club have a number of key priorities which were originally based on increasing the health and wellbeing of our community through various sports and leisure activities. Prior to the pandemic we were also looking at opportunities to help address, both social isolation and food deprivation issues, aligning ourselves with some of the key priorities of North Ayrshire Council and Scottish Government. As part of these priorities we have been operating our Community Larder since Nov 2020, initially as a foodbank during the pandemic, but now aligned with NAC`s Community Larder model, where customers pay £4, for a selection of items, and also a variety of free short dated / best before items. To complement this, we opened our warm space throughout the winter period, but have actually kept this going all year now. Once people have visited the larder, they can then have a hot / cold drink and a filled roll / biscuit. Both the Community Larder and the Warm Space have allowed both individuals and families the opportunity to meet and socialise with other members of the community previously unknown to them. We operate both the Community Larder and the Warm Space on a Wednesday night and a Saturday morning. Since the cost of living crises started, we have seen the numbers of people attending our Community Larder steadily increase. We are now seeing more families attending these, and more people who are working. To support these activities, it has put a strain on the commitment of our volunteers, but also on the stress and strain of constantly looking for funding opportunities to support these. Local businesses have been great here, where we work in partnership with Tesco, ASDA, Bookers, Co-op, Irvine`s Bakery, Lidl and Reid`s Food Services, who supply us with a combination, of either free short dated / best before items, or items at discounted prices. Unfortunately over the last 12 months, we have seen how the rising costs have impacted on our funding, where it doesn`t buy as much. To help us get the best value for money, and bulk buy when the prices are good, we require the purchase of an addition upright freezer and pastries storage. We further require a labelling machine so that we can mark up items of food that we pick up free, and aprons / fleeces which would help give our volunteers a feeling of identity.

Costings

Polar G-Series Upright Display Fridge 218Ltr Black - £599.98, Lacor Countertop Ambient Food Display 554mm - £239.99, NIIMBOT B1 Label Maker Machine plus additional role - £29.99 + £8.99 = £38.98 &  Aprons / Fleece / Print – cc £120

Our volunteers and members regularly attend other events promoting the Community Garden and we would like to provide warm fleeces/ waterproof jackets with our logo. Also advertising material to help promote the amazing work our volunteers do. 

We have two bee hives which are now producing honey. Two of our trustees self fundeed a bee keeping course and bought their own suits. We would like to purchase two additional suits to allow members of the community who would like to learn about bee keeping and see first hand what happens within the hive.

We would like to trial soup packs made up with the produce from the garden . These would include everything to take home to make soup including a recipe. Two of our volunteers recently attended a beginners cooking class at a Radio City initiative and thoroughly enjoyed the experience, gaining so much confidence in preparing and cooking simple wholesome meals.

Fleeces/ jackets £470, Bee Suits £110, Advertising banners and leaflets £200, Soup packs £150,  various gardening gloves £70