<p>A group of volunteers took over the care of flower beds, signage, upkeep of paths, upgrading of fencing, the creation&nbsp;of fairy paths, bug hotel at Douglas Park in Largs.In May 2020&nbsp;no flowers or plants were visible in the park. Within a few weeks all previous flowerbeds were opened and new bulbs, plants installed. An &#39;adopt a flower bed scheme&#39; was launched and individuals, local businesses, local groups like the Foccrs, Largs Youth Theatre, Largs Flower Club and the Nazarene Church had adopted and taken over the care of the beds along with the support of&nbsp;&nbsp;a group of committee members and friends. The gardens at Douglas Park have been transformed and paving work upgraded, the firechip to all the paths was renewed and painting of fencing, benches and metal surrounds also took place. However we need to continue our upgrading and maintenance to ensure the park continues to bloom.</p>

<p>At North Ayrshire Carers Centre we provide a tailored service for unpaid young and adult carers across the locality, we support individuals and families through their caring roles and provide a listening ear, support services, advice, and peer support groups. Not only this, we aim to support all unpaid carers within each locality within North Ayrshire, through locality events and drop-in support groups for carers. Within our service, we recognise the unseen roles and responsibilities unpaid carers take on for&nbsp;a relative, friend, or neighbor. Care can be provided in more simplistic ways such as helping with the weekly shop to cooking meals. Support is not restricted to physical care but can be also emotional support ranging from just giving a listening ear or taking care of their financial affairs or their own health.&nbsp;This project aims to create a community carousel in partnership with HSCP Carers Team, Youth Services, and KA Leisure to create opportunities within each locality. This will provide a family respite opportunity for unpaid carers accessing the service, or for individuals who may require support in benefit advice, education support, funding, carer support plans or a listening ear as we understand how demanding being an unpaid carer can be. This project will initially be rolled out in seldom-heard communities such as Garnock Valley and North Coast where we aim to provide support within our capacity to unpaid carers along with a fun day out for families to access activities and information based on their needs and abilities.&nbsp;This project will provide an opportunity to tackle isolation, food poverty, and fuel poverty by giving carers a safe, warm space to use for the day where they can bring their cared for, and also access a meal and refreshments along with the company of Carers Centre staff and partners.</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 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>Easter extravaganza concert with &quot;Brass Ban, Robert Burns and Bairns&quot; to encourage an intergenerational group &quot;on stage&quot; and help improve health and wellbeing of the audience after winter. A major intergenerational event for Garnock Valley.</p>

<p>After the success of the fun day in July 2023 we thought it would be great to be able to replicate and add to this for 2024 whilst trying to keep everything as low cost as possible. From Pony rides to misbehaving donkeys, and the cutest alpacas around there will be something for all the family to enjoy. We are applying for this funding towards the cost of activities for next year.</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>

<p style="margin-bottom:11px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">After discussions with a number of individuals &amp; organisations, we are seeking funding support to host&nbsp;a heartwarming and inclusive festive event aimed at individuals in recovery from addiction, offering them a safe and joyful space to celebrate Christmas and New Year without the influence of alcohol or drugs. For many in recovery, the holiday season can be a challenging and isolating time, often spent alone. Our event aims to change that narrative, bringing people together to share the spirit of the season in a supportive and nurturing environment. Through music, games, and activities that foster connection and friendship, we aspire to create lasting memories and a renewed sense of hope. This event&nbsp;will not only light up the holiday season for those who need it most but also reinforce the importance of recovery and community. With your support, we can make this festive season truly special, empowering individuals in recovery to embark on a brighter, healthier journey into the new year.</span></span></span></p>