<p style="margin-bottom:11px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">We are a campaigning group for people over 55s, we are here to distribute information to the community to inform them of what the current issues are for older people and campaign on their behalf. Our motto is Seniors supporting Seniors.</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><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,sans-serif">LMC offers an informal setting for amateur musicians to meet on a regular basis and encourage one another to improve their skill level on their preferred musical instrument.</span></span></span></p>

<p>The She Shed is a safe, friendly place to make friends, share and learn new activities, or just pop in for a cuppa and a chat. Here to support and enhance the well-being of the women in our community.</p>

<p><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Installation of replacement electrical system&nbsp;for Yuletide lights in&nbsp;Ritchie Street and Main Street West Kilbride Ayrshire. Work is required&nbsp;because the existing&nbsp;electrical system which has been in place for many years no longer complies with current electrical regulations as recently intimated by NAC Building Services.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">New/replacement connections need to be provided from a number of premises in the village and the external wall cabling needs to be replaced as it is over 25&nbsp;years old. Without this work taking place there will no longer be street lighting motifs for Yuletide activities in West Kilbride much to the detriment of community wellbeing.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">If this project doesn&#39;t go ahead there will be no Yuletide street lights this year in West Kilbride for the first time in over 25 years.</span></span></p>

<p>As part of the Girlguiding family we help girls aged 4 - 7 to become more resilient through completing badgework from 6 different themes. We are well known in the area for the opportunities we give girls. We always try to source businesses locally who can provide a variety of experiences for our girls and make coming to Rainbows fun as well as in unit activities.</p>

<p style="margin-bottom:11px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">DCERA (Dundonald Crescent Estate Residents Association) was set up in 2022&nbsp;to help develop and grow our community within the beautiful Auchengate area of North Ayrshire. Dundonald Crescent will be known by many, by the previous name, Dundonald Camp, or as &ldquo;The old military houses&rdquo; near the Paper Mill. We are working closely with North Ayrshire Council and the surrounding communities to establish our estate with a brand-new identity. Over a decade has passed since the M.O.D sold the estate and now is the time to see the place where we call home flourish and evolve into a desirable place to stay.</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">&nbsp;</p>

<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="background:white"><span style="line-height:normal"><span style="vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:13.0pt"><span style="background:#fdfdfd"><span style="font-family:&quot;Lato&quot;,sans-serif"><span style="color:#222222">We are a community brass band with c.100 players of all ages. We wish to buy musical instruments to help us expand and a printer / scanner to help us digitise our extensive music library. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p style="margin-bottom:11px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="background:#fdfdfd"><span style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:13.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Lato&quot;,sans-serif"><span style="color:#222222">The Vennel Friends Discovery Group meet weekly in the Vennel Gardens Community Engagement Hub and helps older people come together to meet new people and try a whole host of activities.&nbsp; </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="background:#fdfdfd"><span style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:13.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Lato&quot;,sans-serif"><span style="color:#222222">Our group is open to anyone over the age of 50. &nbsp;We participate in a wide range of activities that promote the health and wellbeing of our group members. The group provides a safe and welcoming place for older people to connect socially which helps to combat loneliness and isolation.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="background:#fdfdfd"><span style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:13.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Lato&quot;,sans-serif"><span style="color:#222222">We are applying for funding to enable our group members to experience the positive mental health and social benefits of going to the theatre and having afternoon tea in Glasgow.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p>Wee Mac Arran 2024 is a children&#39;s book festival.</p> <p>There is already a buzz of anticipation and excitement within&nbsp;our island community that some of&nbsp;Scotland&#39;s finest children&#39;s authors will be coming to the Isle of Arran.&nbsp;</p> <p>Travel to and from Book Festivals on the mainland is both cost and time prohibitive for many&nbsp;families on Arran.</p> <p>Bringing authors to the island&nbsp; for a festival breaks down social barriers with the joy of live literature accessible to all.</p> <p>Following on from our successful pilot in 2022, Wee Mac 2024 events will be hosted in the Garden Room and marquees in the grounds of the&nbsp;Isle of Arran Heritage Museum.&nbsp;</p> <p>The enclosed safe setting&nbsp;offers a relaxed and inviting environment for children and families. It provides&nbsp;a&nbsp;fabulous informal&nbsp;festival feel and&nbsp;free for all to enjoy.&nbsp;</p> <p>Having met and interacted with our invited guest authors, we hope&nbsp;our young people will be enthused to read for pleasure and encouraged about the possibility of becoming writers themselves.</p>