Garnock Valley Allotment Association Bee Colony and Honey Production.

Bees are pollinators. Pollinators are vital for life on earth as we know it, without them we wouldnt have potatoes, strawberries, tomatoes, coffee,chocolate, cotton or honey. However Bee populations are in danger of extinction due to a number of factors such as disease, habitat loss and the impact of pesticides. Organic food production, which is practiced at the Garnock Valley Allotment Associiation is ideal for a Bee colony as it creates a safe haven for the Bees to survive. Please Bee kind and vote for the GVAA Bee Colony Project.

Costs

New Bee Hive - £250-00

Bee Suits- £250.00

New Equipment to extract and distribute Honey- £300

Training and Education eg Ayr Beekeeping Course- £200

We are applying for £1000.

Rough guide costs per large container which will house a couple of Mini Munch cucumber plants, 2 tumbling tom tomato plants, or a courgette plant/2 kales/1 broccoli plant/mixed salad with radishes and spring onions, etc For a 35litre trug with compost and pearlite for £15 per filled pot

or 15litre pots/trugs with 1 tumbling tom tomato plant/1 mini-munch cucumber/several lettuces/1kale/ with compost and pearlite around £5 per filled pot

+Seaweed (organic) concentrate fertiliser filled from plastic drinks bottles that people can bring to us around £8 per filled pot

+Seeds between £1-3 per person (some are specialist varieties we have tried out this year to check for size, yield and taste)

Participants will be able to choose several plants and a start up kit that suits them and their gardens best. 

If the average take up was a 3 trug start-up per person then we estimate that we would have enough funds to secure £55 per household for 18 households. We anticipate people taking up a mixture of pots/trugs and some only taking 1 of either. We think around half of participants  will be Village Larder customers. 

We’re planning to pave round 4 raised beds in Cumbrae Community Garden to make access easier for people with restricted mobility, such as wheelchair/mobility scooter users or those needing walking aids. The Community Garden has a positive impact on health and well-being, not only for plot-holders but for the wider community who can access the peaceful outdoor environment of the Garden and take part in organised social events. This project will encourage more participation and improve community cohesion by improving access for people with a range of mobility needs and will help us promote community growing within a more vulnerable group.

The project costs exceed the PB grant limit but we have funding in place from the National Lottery which will meet the balance.

Costs:

Slabs £1300

Additional materials, delivery costs, labour: £1500

Total project cost £2800

Funding already in place: £1800

Funding requested from PB: £1000

The project is in two parts. 

A. Recabling of internal power sources from the consumer unit in each of 6 premises (4 studios, 1 commercial business and the Village Hall) with armoured cabling to an external waterproof junction box. All work to be carried out by certified electrician including testing.

B. Replacement of external wall cabling, installation of weatherproof sockets and connection to newly installed weatherproof junction boxes for 34 motif positions in Ritchie Street and Main Street. All work to be carried out by NAC Buliding Services.

Breakdown of costs (including VAT) 

A. £2400

B. £2000

Total £4400

Note: This application is for £1000 which is a proportion of the total above, we are trying to find the remainder from other sources.

ONE STEP AHEAD this will be aimed at 13 -14 year olds rather than the 15 -16 age group,The young people, assisted by an adult mentor would volunteer in exchange for gaining sound knowledge of various subjects that would stand them in good stead to succeed at school, giving them an insight in  different subjects that would help them volunteer in groups of their choice. The subjects will be beneficial to young people and short programmes will be introduced such as working with children, equine therapy, tackling poverty, first aid, admin,  children's mental health and well being, As on line courses usually start at 16 ACES staff would give short insights into the subjects, young people would help out at Youth club, school holiday clubs, community shop, and working with our equine therapy pony all under qualified supervision , the young people would gain a portfolio with their volunteering story in it and pictures ,comments by themselves and  staff who work with them. This would be evidence to show to other groups, further education, or employment and be a step ahead to full volunteering, further education or employment. the young people would lean a suitable work ethic which will help in the future, the volunteers would train for six weeks then they could stay and volunteer with ACES and Woodwynd or move to Other groups or clubs. Costs will be required for hall hires for training evenings, £12.90 x 6 = 77.44 preparing portfolio's, portfoloi's  £,13.14 x 12 =157.68, safety equipment hire for equine therapy, £ 19.00 x 12 = 228 cost of riding instructor £ 45 ph x 2  =90 arena hire  2x 75 =£150   additional pony hire £ 25x4 =£100 cost of materials for fist aid training,£15.00 volunteers polo shirt £15.00 x12 =180

Kilbirnie and Glengarnock Community Association have gifted Cafe Solace Kilbirnie use of a section of the community garden, that Cafe Solace Kilbirnie are going to utillise as a community garden to grow our own vegetables that will be used to make our low cost, nutritious meals. As well as growing our own vegetables our hope is that volunteers who help with the growing process will benefit from learning new skills as well as maintaining their mental health and other benefits. Any excess vegetables that Cafe Solace Kilbirnie can't use we will donate to The Wee School Pantry to help with the rising food costs facing the community. As an added Security measure we are also looking to install CCTV cameras to help protect the garden from vandalism or theft as well as preventing tools etc being stolen. We are also looking to install additional parking facillities for the vaolunteers or visitors to use whilst at the centre. Below is a breakdown of the proposed works with an estimate of approximate costing.

STAGE 1

Heavy Landscaping  £300

Bark/Gravel - £350

STAGE 2

Shed for Tools - £200

Tools - £100

STAGE 3

Compost/ Top Soil - £300

Seeds/ Plants - £150

Planters - £300

GARDEN WORKS - £1700

CCTV INSTALLATION - £1800

PARKING AREA - £1500