<p style="margin-bottom:11px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Our project is a volunteering opportunity for anyone to take part in, providing a&nbsp;rare chance to help record a long lost part of Kilwinning&rsquo;s history. The project currently has around 10 volunteers and we are always welcome to&nbsp;have more!</span></span></span></p>

<p>The Community Garden was established during lockdown when we were able to work outdoors and socialy distance.</p> <p>Over the last 3 years we have welcomed many visitors, gained new trustees, work&nbsp;with various groups including the schools, hosting and organising events.</p> <p>We grow produce which goes back to the community helping with the cost of living.</p> <p>We offer teas and coffees and&nbsp;plenty chat as the last three years have had a devastating &nbsp;effect on people&#39;s mental heath and wellbeing.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>We wish to purchase waterproof&nbsp;suits and footwear for all children in our Early Years&nbsp;as we want every child to have access to outdoors in all weathers.&nbsp; Outdoor Learning&nbsp;enhances&nbsp;health and wellbeing and educational experiences.&nbsp; It supports&nbsp;mental, emotional, physical and&nbsp;social development and allows children to thrive in a stimulating and natural environment.&nbsp; Furthermore, accessing the outdoors supports the development of&nbsp;literacy and numeracy skills and enables them to be practised in a real and meaningful context.&nbsp;&nbsp;To ensure all children have the opportunity to learn outdoors throughout the year,&nbsp;and that families are not impacted by the cost of wellies or waterproofs, we wish to provide these within the EYC.</p>

<p style="margin-bottom:11px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">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 &quot;ready meals&quot; 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.</span></span></span></p>

<p style="margin-bottom:11px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">St Winin&rsquo;s Over 60&rsquo;S &nbsp;Club meets each Thursday throughout the year to allow older people to connect with others and enjoy a whole range of engaging and fun activities. &nbsp;The club aims to reduce social isolation and provide a safe and welcoming space where older people feel included and valued. &nbsp;Our club encourages group members to meet new people, enjoy a chat in the&nbsp;good company of others. The club is open to anyone over the age of 60 and has a long standing commitment to supporting older people in the local community that spans over 30 years. &nbsp;The club recently celebrated our 30th anniversary in March 2023. &nbsp;<br /> Our weekly meetings take in St Winnins church hall and this incurs a weekly letting fee of &pound;50. Due to the cost living crisis, we are unable to ask any more than a minimal weekly fee from our group members. &nbsp;These weekly fees help pay for tea/coffee/ biscuits which are offered each week. We are looking for funding to help us pay for the ongoing costs of this weekly letting fees.<br /> &nbsp;In addition, our group particularly enjoys hosting a variety of seasonal celebrations. These&nbsp;promote the positive health and wellbeing of our group members, raise&nbsp;spirits and provide lots of good fun. &nbsp;We would like to seek funding to enable us to hold a Burns Supper in the New Year. &nbsp;This would include the cost of catering, decorations, music and hall let.</span></span></span></p>

<p style="margin-bottom:11px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Comic Sans MS&quot;">By entering our verse speaking event Primary Schools demonstrate their pupils&rsquo; budding reading and speaking skills, boosting their self-confidence and fostering an appreciation of the Scots language.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p style="margin-bottom:11px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">We aim to elevate and expand our Adult Drama group centred in the Three Towns, offering participants the opportunity to perform a devised performance in a local arts venue. </span></span></span></p>

<p>The money would fund archaeological work&nbsp;to oversee wetland creation at Ardeer Quarry LNR in Stevenston, making sure the&nbsp;project does not impact any&nbsp;undiscovered archaeological relics that might be there.</p>

<p>Cafe Solace Kilbirnie and Kilbirnie and Glengarnock Community Association are starting a community garden where the food grown will be used to make our low cost, nutritious meals at the community centre, we are also looking to install security cameras and install addional parking facillities.</p>