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

Our coach Bobby travels each week from the Isle of Bute to deliver a session after school on a Monday.  Bobby gives his time free of charge, we do however need to meet the travel expenses which he incurs.  To keep the weekly session cost as low as possible we would like support from the Youth fund. 

£500- to help cover expenses 

We will create a series of free print workshops exploring the different methods of printmaking e.g. Gelli plate, Collagraphs, dry point etching and tetra pak printing.  Using nature and our local community as the theme for the workshops we will explore print making using materials that we would normally discard, and we will look at how art and creativity can look at the natural environment and reuse and recycle to protect it.    There are lots of transferable skills occurring in the workshops and they can be linked to other aspects of daily life without even realising it; communication, understanding, environmental, relaxation, creativity.  The printing will be for all ages and all abilities giving confidence and creative skills.

We are also hoping to engage not only the younger age range but work with older youngsters in encouraging them and their creativity as well as encouraging them to volunteer support during some of the sessions. Each participant will leave the workshop with a sense of achievement and a piece of artwork with which they can engage with others.  Finished pieces may also be exhibited on the gallery wall of the Print Studio.

Quotes from parents and young people

“It was fabulous to see them so excited about the process of producing Art.  Thank you for allowing the kids to use and work with the specialist equipment and for the accessibility of the classes for All to ensure opportunities for everyone” a parent

“it was amazing to use the special arts equipment and a printing machine and see how it worked.  I really want to go back"  a young person

““It was very fun as it was something I had never done before at school or any other art class. I would love to go back again”  a young person

“A really unique art class giving the kids a chance to experience different ways of printing and using their creativity”  a parent

• Caligo Safe Wash inks   £200
• Printing paper   £80
• Table top etching press    £323
• Frames to exhibit work    £100
• Acrylic paints for printing     £60
• Tote Bags 50     £70  

Over 50 young people from across all 7 primaries on the island come together to participate on a Wednesday afternoon at a P5-P7 multi-sports club, where pupils participate in a variety of sports. It’s important for youngsters in smaller schools to engage with peers of a similar age, which is something that doesn’t always happen. This is a chance for youngsters to build relationships from different villages, which also prepares the young people for transition into secondary school.

There are a number of costs to make this possible –

Transport costs (taxi for pupils from further afield) - £500

Equipment (balls, bibs, cones, fun games) - £250

AYF provides lunchtime drop-in at the high school & weekly clubs. These include lacrosse, music jam, guitar tuition, art psychotherapy, girls football, P7 club & youth club. We also provide activities in school holidays including go-karting, paintball, Flip Out, Alton Towers. Funding would support this & ensure our activities remain free to young people. As young people involvement is such a key part of AYF, young people engaged in the project will have a say on how funds would be spent, but costs might include c. £500 on equipment (new Xbox/Switch/Playstation games, board/card games, lacrosse gear, etc) and c. £500 on activities (trips to football matches, cooking ingredients, hall/astro hire for Friday nights etc)

Our group seeks to help foster skills in 12-25 year olds by growing soft literacy and numeracy skills, as well as creative storytelling, critical thinking, social interaction, and brainstorming.

Our group compromises dedicated players and dungeon masters who share a common belief in the transformative power of tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons. Ranging from 12 to 25, we come together to create an inclusive and welcoming environment that fosters personal growth, social interaction, and skill development.

We operate out of the Ardeer Community Centre in Stevenston and meet up once a week to play through engaging scenarios that involve a lot of team work, brainstorming, and critical problem solving.

Our Objectives

• Enhancing Social Interaction: D&D is a collaborative game that promotes teamwork, communication, and empathy. Through role-playing and problem solving, participants learn to work together, respect diverse perspectives inspired from real world cultures across the globe, and building friendships that last outside of the game.
• Critical Thinking: Dungeons & Dragons is a game of strategy and decision making. Players face complex scenarios, forcing them to think critically, plan, and adapt to unexpected challenges. These skills are transferable to academic and other real-life situations.
• Soft Skills: D&D involves basic arithmetic, probability, and reading comprehension skills. By engaging in storytelling, participants improve their literacy, numeracy, and analytical abilities in a fun and engaging manner.

We believe that through these three objectives, we are able to give people a creative space and a voice for youth to grow socially, intellectually, and emotionally.

The need for funding

To continue our mission effectively, we require funding to acquire more rulebooks, modules, and supplementary materials. These resources will allow us to:

• Expand our reach: With additional materials, we can accommodate more participants, reaching youth who may not have access to such opportunities otherwise.
• Customise Experiences: D&D is versatile, and having a diverse collection of books enables us to tailor our sessions to the specific interests and needs of our participants, making learning more engaging and relevant.

The impact of this funding goes beyond the gaming table, as it helps participants develop critical life skills, gain confidence, and foster a love for learning. Lessons learned in our D&D sessions positively influence the academic and personal success of our participants.

Pricing Breakdown

• Supplement books: £400 (approx) to get 10 additional source books
• Tabletop 3D models: £150 (approx) to acquire 6 custom figures for our current players, and £100 to purchase a plethora of more generic models to give to future players.