The children of Woodlands Primary have taken a vote and decided that they would like to have our markings in the playgound renewed as most have worn away. When speaking with them they have spoken out to wanting more activites that they can do within the sports element, this way it helps keeping them healthy by being active which also helps in the mental well being. 

The kids have asked for Netball court to be painted as well as other amazing educational markings and games that could help with the younger end of the school.

We are still waiting to hear from contractors for the pricing and costs for the paint and labour to make this amazing project possible for the kids at Woodlands Primary

We are seeking funding for a new set of match kit and also a new set of footballs and new nets for our goals. These are necessary to enable the children to train, play and reach their potential. Full kit: £500

Training balls: £140

11 a side goal nets: £200

Skelmorlie Camera Club has successfully organised an annual photography competition for young people over the past 5 years. The club has enjoyed a special link with the photography department in Largs Academy. However.the competition is open to all young people of school age (primary/secondary) attending any school in the North Coast area. The principle aim of this venture is to improve the well being of young people by encouraging them to go outdoors with their camera or mobile phones, use their imagination and capture their own personal vision of "Autumn".

There will be a presentation event on December 12th in Skelmorlie Community Centre. Each submitted image will be critiqued and given constructive feedback.

The authors of the top 3 images will receive a canvas copy of their image ( 2 A4 @£40 each and 1 A3@ £60 )  and the overall winner will receive a £50 voucher.

Note 1: On the evening of the 12th December the winners will each receive a certificate. If our application is successful we will award each winner the aforementioned prizes at some point within the 12 months of the grant award.

2 training sessions of 4 hours for 12 young photographers will be arranged with 2 professional trainers (organised by Peter Stevenson a professional photographer and ex Jessops trainer) at £360 per session. The total training costs will be £720

Note 2: If our application is successful we will organise the training for the young people at some point within the 12 months of the grant award.

Largs Academy’s Duke of Edinburgh Award group was established at the start of 2022/23 at the request of pupils, through the Parent Council, to provide an extra-curricular opportunity for our senior pupils to learn new life skills, become more physically and mentally active while having a positive impact on their local community. The uptake is extremely positive with 50 young people nearing completion of their bronze award, this is expected to grow this year. The inclusivity of the programme has meant that pupils from all backgrounds have been able to participate and has given those who are disengaging from school a positive focus and a huge sense of achievement, enhancing wellbeing. The programme requires pupils to complete four sections; volunteering, physical, skill, and expedition (an overnight adventure by foot, bike or kayak). Sessions develop teamwork, communication and valuable skills including map reading, using a stove and outdoor first aid. The programme has allowed pupils to be themselves and form new friendships, build their confidence, get outdoors and have experiences they may not have otherwise had.

We are seeking funding on behalf of our young people who, when reflecting on their expedition section asked if we could purchase our own outdoor equipment such as tents, sleeping bags, walking boots, waterproof clothing and backpacks. We currently have a small supply of equipment but not enough to support our demand with over a quarter of our young people having to borrow resources from the council store to complete this section. We have attached a graph showing the equipment that was requested for this year’s expedition. We consulted the young people regarding what they got out of the Duke of Edinburgh group, and what they would like to purchase with unlimited funds, and their responses are attached.

We believe having our own equipment will allow us to better support our participants, giving them a sense of belonging and ensure that lack of equipment is not a barrier for participation, particularly considering the expense of the equipment and the cost of living crisis, and bearing in mind the cost of the school day. The funding will also allow us to support our most disadvantaged pupils to experience the outdoors and help to improve the mental health and wellbeing of our young people.

With the expansion of the Duke of Edinburgh Award we hope to set-up a silver group to provide a pathway for successful bronze candidates to continue to build on their sense of achievement.

Estimated costs

We would like to build up our Largs Academy store of equipment, particularly rucksacks, waterproofs, walking boots, roll mats. We would like to work with a local supplier, with a mind to the local economy, and costs at Vango in Port Glasgow are as follows (as of September 2023):

• Rucksack £120
• Waterproof trousers £32.50
• Waterproof jackets £34.99
• Walking boots £45
• Sleeping bags £52.50
• Tents £175

Dedicated Young Sports Leaders attend a number of programme and island wide events throughout the year, undertaking a number of roles such as refereeing/umpiring, leading workshops, setting equipment up for events etc. It’s important for the group of Young Sport Leaders to be recognisable to staff and participants, as well providing a sense of community for the groups of Leaders.

We would require financial support to purchase t-shirts/hoodies and embroidery.

Kit –

£30 per hoodie

£10 per t shirt

Embroidery - £4 per item

(total of 20 young people)

With the 2 forums in the North Coast coming together. We are looking to attend a residential for much needed team building activities. This will benefit both Forums, through outdoor learning they will learn how to work together effectively. This will benefit the committe working together on future projects and also benefit their peers in the North Coast.

In the evening at the residential, the forums will participate and complete the second phase of mental health resilience training. This will allow the forum to become BU Mental Health Ambassadors and peer mentors. 

With the qualification gained, we will be able to run informative workshops and awareness sessions centred around mental health to young people in, West Kilbride, Fairlie, Largs, Skelmorlie, the Isle of Cumbrae.

Costs-

Residential accomodation- 10 x £118 + 3 x £58 = £1354

Ferry - 13 x £8.40 = £109.20

Total = £1463.20