<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><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 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>The Garnock Valley Allotment Association ( GVAA ) was established in 2009 to allow local people to start up a plot for the purpose of growing their own food and improving their life through horticulture.The cost of living crisis and increased focus on healthy lives means it is more improtant than ever to grow your own. Our membership of over 80 people is made up from Garnock Valley residents and we actively encourage and advertise for others to join. Our committee is made up of members volunteering their time to maintain and improve the site.</p> <p>The GVAA has strong links with the local community. Communal growing space is provided for local community groups such as Cafe Solace and Spike Wheat Scots. Additionaly local schools such as St Bridgets Primary and Garnock Academy are regular visitors to the site growing fruit and vedge, learning about horticulture and completing maintenance tasks. All members are encouraged to donate excess stock such as potatoes, onions, carrots, rhubabrb, herbs, lettuce, turnips etc etc&nbsp; to the local community. We would like to extend this service by producing and distributing honey made from our recently introduced bee colony.</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>LifeLines is a group supported by Salcoats Link up team based in the Argylle Community Centre.</p> <p>The Launch of new Lifelines Digital Resource took place this month,&nbsp;&nbsp;raising awareness &amp; providing information on suicide prevention and support services. The group focus on finding local services to keep adding to this vital resouce and keeping it updated. They are looking to purchase promotional material and information banners and a gazebo.&nbsp;</p>

<p>We are looking for funding to help with buying some clothes rails and storage boxes as well as doing some repairs on our van we need to line the inside and put a new floor down&nbsp;</p> <p>&pound;168 for 4 clothes rails</p> <p>&pound;128 for storage boxes&nbsp;</p> <p>&pound;704 for van repairs&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>

<header> <p>The core purpose of The Arran Pioneer Project CIC&nbsp;is to regenerate Scotland&#39;s wild and natural landscapes in a way that incorporates our rural communities while securing jobs and livelihoods for young people. We help to coordinate research, facilitate training, employment and community engagement to develop circular economy and local opportunities to assist as we move towards a just and nature rich future and transition to net-zero.</p> <section> <section> <p>We engage with local communities to determine their priorities for land use, help them to envisage how to use land within their village or community, and turn these ideas into action. We combine heritage and tradition with innovation to find sustainable and regenerative solutions to empower our communities to tackle the issues they are facing.</p> </section> <section> <section id="two"> <section> <p>Our team helps to design and plan uses for community land before helping to make these ideas happen on the ground. We develop practical routes to increase the opportunities for localised food production, increased biodiversity, and vibrant and viable communities within our local, regional and national plans for a self sufficient and sustainable future.</p> </section> </section> </section> </section> </header>