<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>After leading Arran to be the first Scottish Community to gain&nbsp;&#39;plastic free&#39; status by reducing plastic entering our sea&nbsp;TAP now seek to engage a wider community&nbsp;and those new to Arran to join together to reduce unnecessary plastic.</p>

<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The HTAR are a group of voluteers who help promote&nbsp;the interests of residents in the area on matters concerning housing, the environment and the social and community life in the Hayocks area.</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">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 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><strong>We are a newly esablished Tandem Cycling Group, set up to allow Vision Impaired people like myself, to get<br /> out and about on a Tandem Bike, together with a fully qualified Pilot. Being Vision Impaired does&#39;nt mean&nbsp;<br /> that you cant ride a bike. We are a relitivly new group base in Kilwinning, but are very open to members from&nbsp;<br /> the All North Ayrshire area&#39;s. We are at the stage where we have a Constitution, proposed and seconded at our &nbsp;first&nbsp;<br /> AGM held on Tuesday 15th August 2023 where we openly elected a committee from 18 members.&nbsp;</strong></p> <p><br /> &nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;The Flying Start Toddler Group is a registerd charity and is for families with children under three years, we operate&nbsp;<span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">in a safe and comfortable environment which &nbsp;can&nbsp; be accesed&nbsp;easily. We provide parent and child sessions to promote friendships and a sharing of experiences among adults, and activities to promote the wellbeing of babies and children. The group members have the opportunity to engage in activities that might not be available to them. The members benefit from companionship, support and social interaction and the opportunity to form new friendships.</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom:13px"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">The group is open three mornings per week, we use a large hall for active play and snack,&nbsp;small hall for activities and an early years room for baby activities and art and craft. We hold parties at&nbsp; Easter, Halloween and Christmas and any special occassions. The cost for our members is &pound;2 per family including a snack of tea, coffee, juice, crisps and&nbsp; biscuits.&nbsp; All our activities are free, this is possible through grants and awards to cover our core costs and activities.</span></font></p>

<p>Irvine Pipe Band would like to get new equipment for training and uniforms for members of the band who are not able to afford their own equipment. The project will link people up from all walks of life including New Scots as well as others from across North Ayrshire who share a passion for Scottish music. The band provides an opportunity for people to boost their mental health and wellbeing by making new friends and taking up an instrument completely free of charge.</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>