Within the Garnock Valley there is a substantial amount of families and individuals who live in poverty.  A few years ago, as a charity-based organization, we felt that this is something that we should address and started to look at what we could do to help in our community. The statistics at that time found that 1 in 3 children in the Garnock Valley go to bed without a meal at dinner time. We introduced a community meal where families can get a three course meal for  £2.50 and children can eat free, we also accept referrals through the local authority and other organisations which allows families, and or individuals who are strugling with the cost of living, to eat for free. This has become very popular over the last few years with orders ranging from 55 – 125 individuals. This usually varies depending on what is on the menu that night. As well as a collection service we offer a delivery to those who are unable to get to the building, which gives an apportunity for our trained staff to check in with those who live in isolation. Currently our vegetables for our meals are purchased through a local supplier. We have discussed for some time that it would be more cost effective if we could grow our own vegetables and use these as part of the meal we provide.

Within the Community Hub we support adults with learning disabilities and as part of their daily programme, we could implement a grow your own food activity. This is something that the service users would really enjoy and are currently doing this on a much smaller scale within our garden. The ingredients could be used both for the community meals and when the service user's are making food within the training kitchen, which is where they prepare a meal from scratch to take home to eat.  The positive aspect being the reward for the time spent growing the vegetables/fruit, so that they can enjoy this as well as the most vulnerable people in our community.

We are looking to do more to help the vulnerable in Garnock Valley, by proposing to implement cooking classes for the impoverished. This venture is still in its infancy; however we are keen to develop this.  The food grown within the Polly tunnel could also be used for this project once we have the service up and running.

Polly tunnel - £500

Groundwork -£500

The Club would like to be able to offer lighter paddles with a flexible feathering system.  Very simply, paddle feathering is when you adjust the two blades of your paddle so one of them is at a different angle than the other.  Some people like to have the two blades at the same angle resulting in no twisting of the wrists.  Others like to feather the blades so erducing wind resistence as you push the blade through the air, but requires wrist rotation. The paddles the Club are looking to purchase can be feathered at any angle (from )-90) so the paddler can find any position that is comfortable (including left/right handed). This is especially important to those with current wrist injuries, want to go on long journeys, or hope to paddle regularly for many years.  6 x Ainsworth Paddles Sea polycarbonate blade with glass shaft option £115 each.

The Club wants to also invest in four new buoyancy aids.  Two for adults and two for youths/children.  Buoyancy aids do deteriorate over time so a number of the ones in the Club store are due now for retirement.  Modern buoyancy aids are more streamline and less bulky, and have places for a radio to be attached to and a pocket for a safety whistle and safety knife to be stored.

2 x Yak Buoyancy Aids adult £81 each 2 x Yak Buoyancy Aids youth £68 each 

Members use Club kit every Thursday evenings during the summer months, and in weekly pool session during the winter.  Members are also able to borrow Club kit for supporting local water events eg the Holy Isle race and the Lamlash Splash.

A Festival of Food integrating different cultures  we want to celebrate the new Scots settling in North Ayrshire. We also want people who attend Trindlemoss day opportunities to experience different foods and different cultures. Bourtreehill and Broomlands Community Association and friends of Trindlemoss want to support each other and work in partnership to bring both these events to welcome the New Scots settling in Irvine new town. We want them to experience Foods of Scotland and we want to experience there culture through food. We want the children to have fun and have fun fairs at both venues and have candyfloss and popcorn. The Festival will be run over two days Trindlemoss day opportunities hosting the event on the Saturday and Towerlands community centre on the Sunday. We have scheduled the event after Easter. We will organise craft stalls as many of the new Scots have joined craft groups in the community centre. The cost of the events is as follows.

Fun fair candyfloss and popcorn £2000

Portable cookers x 10 £1800

Free food and ingredients for both events £1000

Flyers/ laminated recipe cards £200

Following COVID, there has been population movement away from Arran resulting in Think About Plastic losing some of their volunteers and supporters and an influx of new people who may not be fully aware of the work of TAP. Think About Plastic-Arran (Charity No. SCO48987) is a steering group, set up in response to community concern, which works by involving community groups, businesses and individuals to think about their plastic use at source, in use and in disposal (reduce, re-use, re-purpose, recycle),  This project seeks to engage or re-engage people to work together (thus reducing social isolation and loneliness) to reduce the amount of plastic in use on Arran and subsequently reduce plastic litter in our environment (benefitting our seas and marine life and our countryside) and promoting the health and well-being  by maintaining and improving our beautiful island. Every single person can truly make a difference.

1. The project aims to raise awareness of the services of TAP and encourage people to become actively involved in reducing the amount of plastic entering the seas around Arran through the launch of a new @friends' scheme. To support this we would like to purchase materials to engage/ re-engage individuals and groups including a supply of metal pin badges for members and friends and generally raise awareness of issues with the general population and visitors to Arran.  500 badges @31p each  £155    Total £195 and to produce and stckers to raise awareness about the disadvantages of wet wipes being flushed down the toilet. (the incidence of plastic-containing wet-wipes has increased on Arran's beaches and constitues a health hazard. as well as being unpleasant). These two actions will form the basis of a 'Don't Flush' campaign in Spring/Summer '24. Initial set-up costs for badges £40, 500 badges'@31p each £155  Design fee for 'don't flush' stickers £150  80x 75x110mm vinyl stickers £89.76  Postage £3.90   Total   £438.66                                       

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.

North Coast Locality cost breakdown: (250), arts and crafts supplies for young and adult carers - 100, food provisions - 150

Three Town Locality cost breakdown: (250), arts and crafts supplies for young and adult carers - 100, food provisions - 150

Garnock Valley Locality cost breakdown: (250), arts and crafts supplies for young and adult carers - 100, food provisions - 150

Irvine Locality cost breakdown: (250), arts and crafts supplies for young and adult carers - 100, food provisions - 150

Our Synergy Broadcast unit needs an upgrade to enable us to interview guests and to host groups of people in the studio. The upgrade will cost about £100. We'd also like to get some better seating for presenters and guests, which will cost £560. The seating would allow presenters better access to the controls and allow more people to be seated around the broadcast unit. 

I moved to Largs late 2022 and created Largs Music Club soon after in response to the interest I received since floating the idea on social media. 

LMC offers an informal setting for amateur musicians to meet on a regular basis and encourage and teach one another to improve their skill-level on their preferred musical instrument.

The club is growing in popularity since word is out that we existing members offer a friendly and relaxed environment for those keen to learn at their own pace without fear of judgement or impatience.  As membership is growing, so does the variety of instruments being learned and taught. 

The club relies on individuals contributing their time and equipment to teach fellow members how to play their preferred instrument. With funding, I would aim to purchase equipment to make that teaching more accessible - music stands, microphones, microphone stands, a Public Address system, amplifiers, mixing desk and some basic entry level instruments to encourage those who do not own an instrument (but who wish to learn one), to join us.  These items are expensive and realistically will require additional funding from me and some other willing members to supplement any money issued following this application. However, I am confident that your contribution will assist LMC continue to grow in membership and reputation and eventually lead to the club playing music for the community.       

The Public Address system is approximately £500. A couple of small amplifiers will cost an additional £500.   

Our club assists develop confidence as well as musical literacy, with participants being encouraged to play live for friends and family and in time, for larger audiences, once the club starts playing local live shows as per my vision. 

Feedback from participants so far evidence the mental health benefits of playing and learning in our community, a benefit I will highlight as I further promote our initiative in the community.  Our latest member told me that since moving to Largs very recently, she was delighted when, a chance encounter with a then stranger in the park led to her learning about our club. Nervous but curious, she came along with her new friend and has made many more new friends through our practice. That she is also getting better at playing her guitar, almost now seems like a bonus.

We at LMC are extremely grateful for your consideration.

Kind Regards

Tom