11a - Proposals for Community Investment Fund (CIF) Expenditure
North Ayrshire Council · 23 January 2024
Back to Cabinet — 23 January 2024 and its agenda
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NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 23 January 2024 Cabinet Title: Proposals for Community Investment Fund (CIF) Expenditure Purpose: To determine applications by Locality Partnerships to allocate CIF funding to proposed projects. Recommendation: That Cabinet: a) Reviews the enclosed applications from the Garnock Valley, Irvine and Three Towns Locality Partnerships in line with CIF criteria; b) Approves the CIF application in relation to Beith Community Association SCIO; c) Approves the CIF application in regard to Garnock Valley Locality Partnership Working Group; d) Approves the CIF application in relation to BABCA; e) Approves the CIF application in relation to Fullarton Community Association; f) Approves the CIF application in relation to the Turning Point PEAR project; and g) Approves the CIF application in relation to Stevenston Community Council. 1. Executive Summary 1.1 Within its budget for 2017-18, North Ayrshire Council provided a funding allocation for the creation of an innovative fund to enable communities to address the priorities they have identified through Local Planning Partnerships and within the context of North Ayrshire Community Planning Partnership’s Fair for All Strategy and the Council’s Community Wealth Building Strategy. In June 2021, Cabinet approved a further £1m top-up for the funding, with a further £2m added in November 2021. 1.2 Locality Partnerships have subsequently continued to work on their local action pans and are refining proposals for expenditure in line with their locally identified needs. It is a testament to the dedication of the Locality Partnerships and their community partners that proposals are now emerging to provide create approaches to addressing local challenges. 1.3 This report brings forward proposals which respond to the specific need of the local community, and which have been developed based on local circumstances and opportunities.
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2. Background 2.1 Within its budget for 2017-18, North Ayrshire Council provided an allocation for the creation of an innovative fund to enable communities to address the priorities they have identified through Locality Planning Partnerships and within the context of North Ayrshire Community Planning Partnership’s Fair for All Strategy and the Council’s Community Wealth Building Strategy. A further £3m was added to the funding in 2021, to be distributed among Localities as follows: Locality Value of CIF from first funding allocation (2017-18) Expenditure to date Value of CIF from second funding allocation (June 2021) Value of CIF from third funding allocation (Nov 2021) Total balance available Irvine £754 000 £649, 969 £290 000 £580 000 £974 031 Kilwinning £286 000 £322 190 £120 000 £240 000 £323 810 Three Towns £598 000 £907 573 £240 000 £480 000 £410,427 Garnock Valley £390 000 £341 805 £150 000 £300 000 £498 195 North Coast £468 000 £429 066 £170 000 £340 000 £548 934 Arran £104 000 £125 079 £30 000 £60 000 £68 921 TOTAL £2 600 000 £2 775 682 £1 000 000 £2 000 000 £2 824 318 2.2 It was agreed that the CIF awards would range between £5,000 and £100,000 for the community organisations, as defined in the CIF guidance, in order to support proposals and projects that connect with: • The North Ayrshire Fair for All Strategy, with consideration for how applications contribute to community support for the cost-of-living crisis; • The Community Planning Partnership and Locality priorities; • North Ayrshire Council’s values, priorities, and business objectives; and • The Community Wealth Building and Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change Strategies; And will also: • Fulfil a compelling need and not duplicate existing services or facilities; • Provide long-term, sustainable, positive results for the greatest number of people possible; • Exhibit project and/or organisational innovation in their approaches to their work in their way of addressing community challenges and in their request to Locality Partnerships and the Council; • Come from (an) organisation(s) that is financially viable (can provide financial statements upon requests) and efficiently and effectively managed. This can include an organisation to be created to deliver the project;
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• Include options or potential for NAC and CPP employee engagement and volunteering where possible; and • Include measurable outcomes and can report to NAC on outcomes on a regular basis. 2.3 The proposal development and application process has been agreed as follows: • Locality Partnerships should continue to engage with their communities and stimulate interest in the CIF. Each Locality Partnership will then strategically access the applications, make links, and look at the funding ‘in the round’. • If the partnership supports a bid then the group will be encouraged to submit a full application form, which they will decide upon before making a proposal to Cabinet for final approval. • The proposal will go to the next suitable Cabinet for final approval. 2.4 The enclosed applications have been developed by community partners and North Ayrshire Council officers and are now recommended for approval by Cabinet. The proposals are as follows: 2.5 The Garnock Valley Locality Partnership The allocations and funds committed to date are outlined in the table below. The Garnock Valley Locality Partnership CIF allocation to date: £840,000 Garnock Valley Men’s Shed - Project Initiation £28,000 Travel Needs Analysis £25,000 Geilsland Hall - Volunteering and Employability £45,000 Garnock Valley 20:20 Vision £15,000 Beith Community Development Trust - YOUth Lead £43,500 Garnock Valley Mens Shed - Heating System Replacement £20,000 Café Solace - Development Worker £49,723 Geilsland Courtyard Feasibility Study £15,582 Beith Playpark £100,000 Balance £498,195 2.6 Proposal: Beith Community Association SCIO £22,098.04 (see Appendix 1) 2.6.1 Beith Community Association (BCA) has operated Beith Community Centre since 1964 and aims to provide an inclusive, safe and welcoming space for the community. In recent years, they have restructured the Association into a more community-focused organisation, starting with the development of a community larder and removing many of the financial barriers to accessing classes and services within the centre, promoting social inclusion. In the past year they have revitalised their board and become a SCIO, with the intention of moving to community ownership of the Centre in the future.
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2.6.2 They are now developing a Community Hub which will provide a range of services and activities to encourage the community to come together in a safe and welcoming space. The Hub will create opportunities for people to share issues and develop support circles, enhance skills, access information & advice services and employment support as well as participate in a range of sport, leisure, fitness and wellbeing sessions and activities. 2.6.3 BCA have employed a part-time Development Manager, using their reserves, on a trial basis for 6 months. The funding requested will allow them to extend the contract of their part-time Development Manager, which they funded from reserves on a trial basis, to support BCA to ensure the sustainability of the project. The Manager will do this by sourcing additional funding and revenue streams, developing relationships with current and new partner organisations, and increasing the number of services and groups using the centre. The proposed role of part time Project Assistant will support the Development Manager with the day-to-day running of the services and activities, ensuring there is always someone on the ground engaging with the community. Both posts would be for a one-year period. 2.6.4 The project supports the priorities of the Garnock Valley Locality Partnership, in particular Work and Local Community through enhancing skills, bringing people together and creating volunteering opportunities, and Facilities and Amenities through making the Centre more accessible and encouraging participation. 2.7 Proposal: Garnock Valley Locality Partnership Working Group £51,200 (see Appendix 2) 2.7.1 The Working Group of the Garnock Valley Locality Partnership is a newly established group, led by a community representative, which brings together three previous working groups to address all three locality priorities of Facilities & Amenities, Moving Around, and Work & Local Community. It is led by a local community representative and includes local community members, locality partnership community representatives, and elected members. 2.7.2 Before the COVID-19 pandemic, a project was proposed to the Garnock Valley Locality Partnership aimed at enhancing the cultural and heritage aspects of the Garnock Valley. This consisted of three phases: a feasibility study, the recruitment of a development worker, and community engagement. The outcome of the feasibility study, the GV2023 report, was presented to the partnership in June 2023 detailing a list of projects which could be delivered, and they agreed at that point to progress with seeking funding for the further phases. The projects include short, medium and long-term ambitions for the area. 2.7.3 The current funding application represents a joint effort by the working group, North Ayrshire Council (NAC), and Beith Community Development Trust. The plan involves hiring a Development Worker for a two-year, part-time position to implement the recommendations of the feasibility study. This officer will work with local groups to develop and drive forward the initiatives identified in the GV2023 report, many of which are already being led by community organisations. Their role will include assisting in funding applications, project development and building the capacity of groups and volunteers to realise change. The initiatives identified in GV 2023 are: Garnock Valley 2023 Project List Strategic – Long-term, foundational projects crucial for setting the community’s social, economic, and environmental development and direction. 1 Establish a Garnock Valley Brand 2 Establish a GV Ecomusuem*
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3 Promote Active Communities Short – Quick, targeted initiatives that address immediate needs and provide fast, visible results. 1 Providing solar panels at Dalry Community Garden 2 Industrial Design at Stoneyholm Mill 3 Creating pop-up shops in Beith Medium – Bridges the gap between short-term successes and long-term goals, requiring more planning and resources 1 Repurposing St Margaret’s Church 2 Kilbirnie Music 3 Beith Craft Exhibition at Geilsland Estate Long – Ambitious efforts aimed at significant, transformative community changes over an extended period 1 River Reimagined 2 Beith Community Centre 3 Growing Dalry with Dalry Sports Club Ecomuseum (Definition) “a blend of outdoor and indoor interpretation to encourage people to engage with nature, heritage and culture within a landscape rather than solely within a museum or gallery setting.” 2.7.4 The Locality Partnership requested that an additional £6,000 be added to the community engagement budget within the application. This means the overall award proposed is £51,200 with a community engagement budget of £12,000. 2.7.5 The Development Worker will be employed by Beith Community Development Trust and supported by the Locality CLD Team on behalf of the partnership. By its nature, the project supports collaborative working and the three priorities of the Locality Partnership. 2.8 The Irvine Locality Partnership The allocation and funds committed to date are outlined in the table below. The Irvine Locality Partnership CIF allocation to date: £1,624,000 Irvine Digital Officer £84,604 Vineburgh & Fullarton Community Enablers £100,000 Irvine New Town Mens Shed £10,000 Irvine Harbourside Mens Shed £10,000 Irvine Youth Hub £100,000 Irvine Tennis Club £100,000 INPUT £60,000 Children's 1st £97,580 CHAP £91,534 Balance £974,031 2.9 Proposal: Broomlands and Bourtreehill Community Association (BABCA) £12,777 (see Appendix 3)
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2.9.1 BABCA were established in 1975 and manage Towerlands Community Centre and develop the Centre’s programme. They have an extensive track record of partnership working and running successful events. They are a registered charity and manage the Farm Basket Community Larder. 2.9.2 They are seeking funding to establish a community garden on ground outside the Community Centre. All permissions are in place and the garden project will engage with a wide range of partners, centre user and community groups, as well as providing produce to support the Larder and the affordable café in the Centre, addressing issues of food poverty. It will also provide volunteering and learning opportunities for community members. The funding will be used to purchase equipment and materials for the garden. 2.9.3 The proposal will help deliver all four of the Locality Partnership’s priorities, Supporting Skills and work opportunities, enhancing our mental health and wellbeing, Alleviating poverty and Championing Green Health and the Natural Environment, and engage a broad section of the community in the project in the process. 2.10 Proposal: Fullarton Community Association £100,000 (see Appendix 4) 2.10.1 Fullarton Community Association was formed in 1976. In 2013 they took ownership of the land from the North Ayrshire Council as part of a community asset transfer and revealed plans to raise funding to build a new community centre. The New Fullarton Community Hub was opened in 2017 and now employs 7 staff and delivers a range of vital services for the local community. They work alongside a range of partners to do so. 2.10.2 The Association are seeking funding for their Outdoor Gym Project and to provide match funding for their successful BIG Lottery bid for staffing and projects. 2.10.3 £33,000 will support the creation of the Outdoor Gym. This will provide a safe and inclusive environment for individuals in recovery to engage in physical activity as part of their rehabilitation journey, encourage young people to adopt healthy habits, reduce sedentary behaviour, improve overall fitness levels, and support residents of the local care home to remain active in a controlled, safe space. The remaining £67,000 will act as match funding to the £200,000 already secured from the National Lottery Community Fund – Building Stronger Communities Fund. This is a three-year project, and the CIF award will be part of the staffing costs in order that a wide range of events and activities relating to health and wellbeing can be delivered from the local community centre. 2.10.4 Both the Outdoor Gym and the work partly funded by the BIG lottery contribute to the four locality priorities of Supporting Skills and work opportunities, Enhancing our mental health and wellbeing, Alleviating poverty and Championing Green Health and the Natural Environment. In addition, they contribute to a range of other outcomes such as the National Youth Work outcomes and the key priorities identified by the Fullarton community itself. 2.11 Proposal: Turning Point PEAR Service £96,112 (see Appendix 5) 2.11.1 Turning Point Scotland is a national provider of social care services and a registered charity. This project is led by Turning Point Scotland in partnership with North Ayrshire ADP, Ayrshire College, Connected Communities, the DWP, and MINDs of Recovery.
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2.11.2 The aim of the project is to develop a college course, delivered by Ayrshire College, for people in recovery from substance or alcohol use. It is based on a model which has been successful in South Ayrshire and addresses a gap in local employment support. This programme would support people to obtain an accredited qualification which could lead to further educational opportunities while also providing peer support. The funding would be used to employ a Peer Led Practitioner for two years, as well as associated costs for resources, room hire and national support costs. 2.11.3 The project is aimed at supporting residents of the Irvine locality and the focus of recruitment will be here. In order for Ayrshire College to be able to deliver the SQA courses, they need to have a cohort of 10 in each class. With this in mind, the course will be made available to residents across North Ayrshire in order to maximise the number of people benefitting and ensure the course is able to run, with Irvine residents being the priority for recruitment of learners. The programme will be located between Fullarton Hub in Irvine and the closest Ayrshire College campus in Kilwinning in order to facilitate this. 2.11.4 The project in particular addressed the locality priorities of supporting skills and work opportunities and enhancing our mental health and wellbeing, as well as address an identified gap in employability support. 2.12 The Three Towns Locality Partnership The allocation and funds committed to date are outlined in the table below. The Three Towns Locality Partnership CIF allocation to date: £1,318,000 Ardrossan Community Development Trust £25,000 Three Towns Growers £100,000 The Training Station £50,000 Ardrossan Castle Heritage Society £17,912 Raise Your Voice For Ardeer £100,000 Ardrossan Community Sports Hub £43,320 Winton Circus Playpark £48,288 Ardrossan Community Development Trust - Development Officer £53,100 Raise Your Voice For Ardeer – increased cost for multipurpose hub) £130,000 Ardrossan Community Association (Whitlees) £48,586 Ardrossan Community Sport - Winton Park 3G £100,000 CHAP – Advice Outreach £45,767 Ardrossan Scouts £100,000 Saltcoats Active Lifestyle Group (SALT) £45,600 £410, 427
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Balance 2.13 Proposal: Stevenston Community Council £29,988 (see Appendix 6) 2.13.1 Stevenston Community Council is a non-charitable community association first formed in 2017. It has a duty to represent the residents of Stevenston. 2.13.2 The Community Council are seeking funding to provide useful direction signs, highlighting places of interest and community assets that are up to date and long-lasting. This includes a refreshed heritage trail and new nature reserve information boards highlighting the value of the biodiversity and variety of the town’s green spaces. These will help to enhance both visitors’ active travel navigation of the town and enhance the residents’ understanding of the under-promoted nature reserves and valuable green spaces. 2.13.3 The project will contribute to all three of the locality priorities, namely 1. Promoting the Local Economy and Tourism 2. Regenerating Community Facilities 3. Increasing Civic Pride and Community Engagement, Improving Community Wellbeing. 3. Proposals 3.1 That Cabinet: a) Reviews the enclosed applications from the Garnock Valley, Irvine and Three Towns Locality Partnerships in line with CIF criteria; b) Approves the CIF application in relation to Beith Community Association SCIO; c) Approves the CIF application in regard to Garnock Valley Locality Partnership Working Group; d) Approves the CIF application in relation to BABCA; e) Approves the CIF application in relation to Fullarton Community Association; f) Approves the CIF application in relation to the Turning Point PEAR project; and g) Approves the CIF application in relation to Stevenston Community Council.
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4. Implications/Socio-economic Duty Financial 4.1 CIF funding is allocated within existing resources. Human Resources 4.2 None. Legal 4.3 None. Equality/Socio-economic 4.4 The purpose of Locality Planning is to reduce inequalities, increase community cohesion and advance community empowerment. Each of the CIF proposals is tested against that purpose before being presented to Cabinet. Climate Change and Carbon 4.5 Environmental and sustainability along with Climate Change and Carbon issues are considered in relation to each CIF application. Key Priorities 4.6 The proposals contained within the report support the North Ayrshire Council Plan strategic aims: • To transition to a wellbeing economy, delivering prosperity, wellbeing and resilience for local people. • We will have active, inclusive, and resilient communities. • A Community Wealth Building Council that is efficient and accessible, maximising investment and focusing resources towards our priorities. Community Wealth Building 4.7 The applications support the following pillars of community wealth building: • Advancing community enterprises; • Advancing local ownership of underused land and buildings; • Making financial power work for local places; and • Supporting the local business activities and increasing the variety of ownership models. 5. Consultation 5.1 The proposals contained within this report have been developed by the Locality Partnerships, through consultation with local people, including young people.
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Audrey Sutton Executive Director (Communities and Education) For further information please contact Rhonda Leith, Head of Service (Connected Communities), on 01294 324415. Background Papers Appendix 1: CIF Application Beith Community Association SCIO Appendix 2: CIF Application Garnock Valley Locality Partnership Working Group Appendix 3: CIF Application Bourtreehill and Broomlands Community Association Appendix 4: CIF Application Fullarton Community Association Appendix 5: CIF Application Turning Point PEAR project Appendix 6: CIF Application Stevenston Community Council
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND GARNOCK VALLEY LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP The CIF will support proposals and projects that: • Connect with: o The North Ayrshire Fair for All Inequalities Strategy; o the Community Planning Partnership (CPP) and Locality priorities; and o North Ayrshire Council’s (NAC) values, priorities and business objectives. • Fulfil a compelling need and do not duplicate existing services or facilities; • Provide long-term, sustainable, positive results for the greatest number of people possible; • Exhibit project and/or organisational innovation in their approaches to their work in their way of addressing community challenges and in their request to Locality Partnerships and the Council; • Come from (an) organisation(s) that is financially viable (can provide financial statements upon request) and efficiently and effectively managed. This can include an organisation to be created to deliver the project; • Include options or potential for NAC and CPP employee engagement and volunteering where possible; and • Include measurable outcomes and can report to NAC on outcomes on a regular basis. When to apply and how? • LPs should continue to engage with their communities, and stimulate interest in the CIF. The Locality Partnership will then strategically assess the applications, make links and look at the funding ‘in the round’. • If the partnership supports a bid then the group will be encouraged to submit a full application form (attached), which they will decide upon before making a proposal to Cabinet for final approval. • The finalised proposal will go to the next suitable Cabinet for final approval. • Forms should be returned to your Locality Officer, by email if possible: Christina Pieraccini Locality Officer - Garnock Valley Connected Communities North Ayrshire Council Walker Hall 45, Main Street Kilbirnie KA25 7BX Tel: 01505 680203 Mob: 07966 160854 Email: cpieraccini@north-ayrshire.gov.uk For more information see the guidance form here: http://www.northayrshire.community/wp- content/uploads/sites/60/2018/06/community-investment-fund-guidance-notes-17-12-17.pdf
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND GARNOCK VALLEY LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP 1. Details of your organisation Name of Organisation Beith Community Association SCIO Postal Address for Correspondence Beith Community Centre, Kings Road, Beith, KA15 2BQ Name of Contact Person Morag Strachan Position in Organisation Development Manager Telephone Number Email Address 2. Brief description of your organisation Please include its legal status, aims and objectives, activities or services provided and how long it has been in existence. BCA has operated Beith Community Centre since 1964, providing space for private hires as well as fitness and sports classes. Beith Community Association SCIO aims to provide an inclusive, safe and welcoming space for the community to socialise, enhance skills, develop peer support networks and access services and activities that would otherwise be inaccessible. We aim to provide services for the whole community, improving lives, building community resilience and ensuring everyone has fair and equal access. In the last few years, we have restructured the Association into a more community- focused organisation, starting with the development of a community larder, providing low-cost alternatives to supermarket shopping which has helped to support people through COVID 19 and the Cost-of-Living Crisis. The Larder has also been a valuable lifeline for those who are suffering from or are at risk of isolation as we provide a safe and welcoming space for a chat and a cup of tea. We have increased access to fitness classes. Removing the financial and childcare restrictions by running a free Baby Bootcamp, supporting parents/guardians, and reducing social isolation. For the older generation we have
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND GARNOCK VALLEY LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP run a low-cost weekly fitness class and have recently introduced through partnership a beginner day-time line-dancing class. We have increased provisions for young people. We have established weekly youth clubs and a monthly open mic night through partnerships with Beith Trust and NAC, ensuring young people have a space to come together, share concerns, participate in a range of activities, and get something to eat. We provide young people with access to free, local services which helps reduce the financial strain on parents/guardians, during a cost-of-living crisis. Increased access to the Arts. Through the Community Garden, we have provided a number of outdoor nature-based art classes. We have established regular music nights, increasing access to a performance space. Improving creativity and building confidence. Our regular open mics provide a safe space for those interested to explore their creativity. Additionally, we have our Junkyard Orchestra project, where people come together to create musical instruments from recycled materials, developing creativity and reducing the impact of waste on the environment. Tackling the cost-of-living crisis head on. In partnership with Radio City, we ran two Cost-of-Living events, showcasing local organisations that can support people to reduce their daily spending and providing practical advice. In the last year, we have distributed over £5000 in financial help to local households. We have ensured free warm food has been available at our activities such as youth club, music nights etc. We also continue to offer the community access to cheaper groceries through our community shop. Our Community Garden is a space for people to come together through shared interest to grow their own produce, reducing isolation and having a positive impact on both physical and mental wellbeing. Over the last year we have seen many changes to the Association and how it is managed, including the revitalisation of the board, and restructuring to a SCIO. With a variety of experience and backgrounds joining our existing team, our board is now diverse and inclusive with a broad skillset. These changes enable us to employ staff, become more sustainable and make positive steps to further engage the community, enabling us to become a true community hub and ensuring that the community are involved in every step of the development of the centre. It is the intention of BCA SCIO to ensure we continue to grow over the coming years in preparation for taking over ownership of Beith Community Centre. Since 1964 the association has successfully managed the centre, providing decades of memories; over the last few years, it faced some of its biggest challenges. In the North Ayrshire Council budget engagement tool NAC states “ Next year - 2024/25 - we face a funding shortfall of up to £16.8million. This is assuming that a potential
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND GARNOCK VALLEY LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP Council Tax freeze is fully funded and is on top of making savings of more than £118million over the previous 12 years.” Budget savings are always a worry, community centres are vulnerable to cuts. In recent years we have seen the introduction of core hours which limits access to the centre by reducing opening times. In the last year, we have seen a sizeable reduction in maintenance of the building, for example, several rooms in Beith have light bulbs out, but not enough in one room to justify replacing. On top of this, we are not allowed to replace them, however, we have spent a considerable amount of money on refurbishing the centre. We have not done this to sit back at watch the doors close. Realistically the best chance of keeping the centre open for the foreseeable future is to act now to build capacity and pursue community ownership, we need to be proactive and not reactive, to survive. 3. Title and summary of proposal Tell us about your idea. Please describe in as much detail as possible, what the funding will be used for. Please include: • where it will be held / delivered • who is your target audience • who will benefit from it and how • any partners that are involved. Beith Community Association are establishing a thriving Community Hub. We will provide a range of services and activities to encourage the community to come together in a safe and welcoming space, creating opportunities for people to share issues and develop support circles, enhance skills through volunteering and training opportunities, access information & advice services and employment support as well as participate in a range of sport, leisure, fitness and wellbeing sessions and activities to promote healthy living, having a positive impact on both physical and mental health. Social groups will help reduce isolation and provide a platform for people to develop peer support groups. Our newly revamped Community Shop will continue to provide more affordable groceries alongside a warm, welcoming space to chat and have a cup of tea, reducing isolation and providing the opportunity for referral to additional support where needed. We are currently offering some home baking alongside our Shop openings and will continue to build on this to offer a warm meal. Since the revamp of our Community Shop we have seen a significant rise in the number of people
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND GARNOCK VALLEY LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP utilising this service and we expect it to continue to grow as the number of people in financial hardship continues to rise. As highlighted during our community consultation, social groups are a much needed service within the local area and therefore we have already begun a Men’s Group which we will continue to grow and develop and will begin a Women’s group in the new year; these groups will provide a space for people to come together, share concerns, develop friendships and support circles, enhance skills through practical activities and participate in information sessions on a variety of topics such as health and wellbeing, finance, and employment. Groups will also be a place where people can come to share a cup of tea and relax. These groups will help to reduce isolation, support community cohesion, and increase confidence. A lack of provision for toddlers was again highlighted in the community consultation, from this feedback we developed a Toddler group to provide a much needed local place for parents/guardians to come together and engage with others in what can often be a very isolating time. The group will support socialisation for both adults and babies/toddlers, reducing isolation, increasing opportunities for peer engagement from a young age and providing opportunities to create support networks. Feedback has now highlighted that an additional toddler group is needed to make it accessible for everyone, 1 afternoon session and one morning session and therefore we will be starting a 2nd group on 4th December. We will provide a space for people to access support while seeking employment, including providing assistance to apply for jobs and further education. This will help to increase the confidence of participants as well as increasing their chances of securing employment which will in turn reduce the negative effect from the cost-of- living crisis. The project will create many new volunteer roles, providing an opportunity for local people to be directly involved in the facilitation of the project and help to build confidence. Volunteers will be given opportunities to access training and develop skills that can help to increase their chances of securing employment, given regular 1 to 1 as well as group support and provided with opportunities to come together and develop peer support networks. The development of Beith Community Association SCIO and the Community Hub itself would be unachievable with volunteers alone, not only would the time and commitment involved be an unrealistic expectation of a volunteer team, but we require a specific skillset and knowledge to push this forward which can only be achieved through the employment of staff.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND GARNOCK VALLEY LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP To enable BCA SCIO to carry out the proposed development of the centre we require an experienced team in place and have used existing BCA SCIO funds to pilot a Development Manager on a 6-month temp contract to help build the organisation's capacity and lay the foundations. This has already had a significant impact in the perception and participation of the community, with a 344% rise in social media engagement and a 96% rise in net followers from August to November compared to the previous 90 days. The DM has also been vital in designing and implementing new services and activities as requested by the community through our community consultation. The Development Manager, with 12 years’ experience in the charity and voluntary sector, including a track record of delivering results within a previous similar project. They will support BCA to ensure the sustainability of the project by sourcing additional funding and revenue streams, developing relationships with current and new partner organisations, ensuring relevant paperwork is in place, managing and developing staff and volunteers. Developing services and implementing groups which will increase the number of people using the centre. We will also employ a part-time Project Assistant to support the Development Manager with the day-to-day running of the services and activities, ensuring there is always someone on the ground engaging with the community. The CiF funding would contribute to the employment of the Development Manager on a 1-year contract and employ a Project Assistant on a part-time basis, enabling us to then carry out the further development of the centre, employ more staff and increase benefits to the community. As shown in the Garnock Valley 2023 Presentation there is a lot of potential within the centre, some of which we have already started developing, such as our community allotment and with CiF funding our DM and Project Assistant, we would be able to ensure it reached it’s potential as a hub for the community of Beith. This project will benefit all Garnock Valley residents, irrespective of age, background or experience. It will provide opportunities and support, build confidence and self esteem, and develop skills and community spirit for those disadvantaged due to unemployment, poverty, health issues, age, etc The work we will carry out in the next 3 years, developing the community hub, increasing usage and community engagement will be part of an ongoing feasibility study carried out as part of the role of the Development Manager to help build our case for community ownership of the centre. Sustainability of the project will go beyond funding and the Community Centre itself; the people will be the legacy of the project, with lifelong friendships and support networks being developed, supporting ongoing wellbeing, and reducing isolation. Alongside this, the skills people will learn and develop will support their daily lives for
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND GARNOCK VALLEY LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP years to come and enable them to pass these on to future generations. The project will aim to create a more cohesive community, promoting people’s abilities and what they can do, which will enable them to continue to build services and activities beyond the life of the project. We currently work in partnership with NAC, Beith Trust and Radio City Association and will continue to develop partnerships with other charities and organisations such as CAB, NHS, Money Matters, Lemon Aid etc to provide specialist support to groups as required. Following feedback from locality partnership meeting in June, we have engaged with the NAC Locality Business Advisor about developing a business plan and have been advised at this stage it is too premature to be exploring this however, we will keep in contact with them. 4. What difference will this project make within the locality and to local services and programmes? Please include: • The outcomes you aim to achieve • How you will approach reducing inequality • How this proposal fits with the Locality Partnership priorities of 1. Moving Around (Public Transport, Traffic and Parking) 2. Work and Local Community 3. Facilities and Amenities We currently work with people from Beith as well as across the wider Garnock Valley and expect that the positive work and changes that the Community Centre are going to implement will see our numbers increase which will in turn help to reduce isolation, increase confidence, and improve both the physical and mental wellbeing of those participating. Outcomes over the next year will be: an increased income to BCA, increased sustainability, 12 new volunteers, 50 new members, increased community engagement, 6 additional community events per year.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND GARNOCK VALLEY LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP All of our activities will be welcoming and accessible to all and will be supported by volunteers and staff who have received equality and diversity training. Services and activities will all take place within Beith Community Centre, providing local support within the community that may otherwise be inaccessible and we will work to ensure there are no barriers that could discourage people from participating. Our work will support the following LP Priorities: Work and Local Community: We will provide opportunities for people to develop and enhance skills through volunteering opportunities, community growing and support to access further training such as college courses etc. We will support people to enhance their employment opportunities through skills development and job support. We will provide a variety of services and activities to bring the community together, create opportunities for developing local support networks and encouraging community cohesion. The project will be community-led and all services and activities provided will be developed/reshaped based on the feedback from the community. This will support the community to increase their confidence and realise what they are capable of achieving collectively, which will encourage them to participate in more community activities. Facilities and Amenities: We will create more local, accessible activities and services for the community, within their locality. This will encourage more people to participate locally and will then provide more opportunity for further development. 5. What engagement has taken place in relation to the project? Please include the number of people who have been engaged with or consulted as well as the range of people. In 2021 BCA carried out a community consultation which was very supportive of the work carried out by the association. At the end of July 2023, we launched another survey across the Garnock Valley; the survey is still live at the moment and to date has had 91 responses, many of which have been from people who do not currently use the centre. Responses showed a lack of usage due to activities not being of interest or direct benefit to respondees and people not being aware of what activities are available. However, also showed support towards the development of the centre and confirmed if provisions suggested through the community hub were available
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND GARNOCK VALLEY LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP that they would use the centre more. We also collected anecdotal evidence, speaking with the community during centre activities and on the street about our vision for the centre and the proposed work and again, we have received full support from them. 6. How will the project be managed? Please include: • How the finances will be managed • Does the proposed project contribute to volunteering or employment opportunities in the Garnock Valley? Please include the number of volunteering opportunities and employment opportunities • If there are any staff requirements, please outline your HR plans The Development Manager, with 12 years’ experience in the charity and voluntary sector, including similar experience within a previous project, will support BCA to ensure the sustainability of the project by securing additional funding and increasing income generated through activities and services, developing relationships with current and new partner organisations, ensuring relevant paperwork is in place, managing and developing staff and volunteers as well as developing services and implementing groups which will increase the number of people using the centre as well as managing all finances and budgets. The proposed role of Project Assistant will support the Development Manager with the day-to-day running of the services and activities, ensuring there is always someone on the ground engaging with the community. The CiF funding would allow us to employ the Development Manager on a further year contract and employ a Project Assistant on a part-time basis, enabling us then to carry out the further development of the centre, employ more staff and increase benefits to the community. We have a staff handbook consisting of all relevant policies and procedures, including recruitment, induction pack and terms and conditions. All staff will be managed and support by the Development Manager who has extensive experience of all aspects of HR and payroll. The Development Manager will be line managed by the Chairperson and reports regularly to the board. We already have a strong team of volunteers working in the Community Shop and supporting events. This project will have many new volunteering opportunities within each of our groups and activities. This will provide people with the opportunity to develop new skills, provide valuable work experience for CV’s and job applications
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND GARNOCK VALLEY LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP and will provide a referee opportunity, which will increase the chances of securing employment. 7. Amount of funding being requested Please supply details of funding being requested and any other funding you have had over the past 5 years, both financially and “in kind”. Amount of funding requested (£) 22098.04 Please give a breakdown of cost and recent quotations where appropriate. Development Manager - £20,612.59 (£10,612.59 from CiF) 21 hours p/w @ £17 = £18564 E’er NI = £1306.03 Pension @ 4% = £742.56 Project Assistant - £11,485.45 16 hours p/w @ £13 = £10,816 E’er NI = £236.81 Pension @ 4% = £432.64 NAVT - £10,000 x 3 Years – Contribution towards salary for Development Manager In Kind Contribution (Volunteer Time) – £65,520 - 105 hours per week, calculated at living wage 8. Monitoring and evaluation process Please include detail on the monitoring and evaluation processes planned or in place. Regular feedback will be gathered from groups and activities through discussions as well as evaluation forms. We will host ‘have you say’ days where the community can provide valuable honest feedback on all services we provide. Staff and volunteers will also provide feedback on groups and sessions on a regular basis. We will continue to collect information from our community consultation and will also distribute regular requests for feedback on social media. All feedback will then enable us to evaluate the services and adapt as required.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND GARNOCK VALLEY LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP The CIF will support proposals and projects that: ● Connect with: o The North Ayrshire Fair for All Inequalities Strategy; o the Community Planning Partnership (CPP) and Locality priorities; and o North Ayrshire Council’s (NAC) values, priorities and business objectives. ● Fulfil a compelling need and do not duplicate existing services or facilities; ● Provide long-term, sustainable, positive results for the greatest number of people possible; ● Exhibit project and/or organisational innovation in their approaches to their work in their way of addressing community challenges and in their request to Locality Partnerships and the Council; ● Come from (an) organisation(s) that is financially viable (can provide financial statements upon request) and efficiently and effectively managed. This can include an organisation to be created to deliver the project; ● Include options or potential for NAC and CPP employee engagement and volunteering where possible; and ● Include measurable outcomes and can report to NAC on outcomes on a regular basis. When to apply and how? ● LPs should continue to engage with their communities, and stimulate interest in the CIF. The Locality Partnership will then strategically assess the applications, make links and look at the funding ‘in the round’. ● If the partnership supports a bid then the group will be encouraged to submit a full application form (attached), which they will decide upon before making a proposal to Cabinet for final approval. ● The finalised proposal will go to the next suitable Cabinet for final approval. ● Forms should be returned to your Locality Officer, by email if possible: Christina Pieraccini Locality Officer - Garnock Valley Connected Communities North Ayrshire Council Walker Hall 45, Main Street Kilbirnie KA25 7BX Tel: 01505 680203 Mob: 07966 160854 Email: cpieraccini@north-ayrshire.gov.uk For more information see the guidance form here: http://www.northayrshire.community/wp- content/uploads/sites/60/2018/06/community-investment-fund-guidance-notes-17-12-17.pdf
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND GARNOCK VALLEY LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP 1. Details of your organisation Name of Organisation Garnock Valley Locality Partnership – Working Group Postal Address for Correspondence C/O Walker Hall, Main Street, Kilbirnie, KA25 7BX Name of Contact Person Christina Pieraccini Position in Organisation Locality Officer Telephone Number Email Address 2. Brief description of your organisation Please include its legal status, aims and objectives, activities or services provided and how long it has been in existence. In 2018, the Garnock Valley Locality Partnership established three working groups, based on the Locality Action Plan, and each focusing on a different priority: Facilities & Amenities, Moving Around, and Work & Local Community. In February 2023, these groups combined into a single working group to address all three priorities collectively. The newly formed group is led by a local community representative. Its members include representatives from various local Garnock Valley organisations: ● Kilbirnie & Glengarnock Community Council, ● Dalry Community Development Hub, ● Beith Community Development Trust, ● Beith & District Community Council, ● Dalry Parish Boundary Trust. Additionally, it includes local community members, locality partnership community representatives, and elected officials. This Working Group is collaborating with North Ayrshire Council (NAC) and Beith Community Development Trust to implement the project.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND GARNOCK VALLEY LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP 3. Title and summary of proposal Tell us about your idea. Please describe in as much detail as possible, what the funding will be used for. Please include: • where it will be held / delivered • who is your target audience • who will benefit from it and how • any partners that are involved. GV 2023 Before the COVID-19 pandemic, a project was proposed to the Garnock Valley Locality Partnership aimed at enhancing the cultural and heritage aspects of the Garnock Valley as a means of contributing to the social and economic regeneration of the area. This project was designed in three phases: Feasibility Study: ● To explore the potential and scope of the project. Development Worker: ● To hire a skilled co-ordinator to lead, drive and manage the project. Community Engagement: ● Funding to organise events and activities for community involvement. In December 2019, the Locality Partnership approved funding for the first phase. This phase was to determine the specific role of the Development Worker / Coordinator in the Garnock Valley. The project was delayed due to the pandemic but resumed in early 2023. Based on the findings and a report ‘ Garnock Valley 2023’ commissioned by the working group in the initial phase, and produced by Lateral North, the findings were presented to the Locality Partnership in June 2023. The Locality Partnership agreed to consider funding the second phase and invited a full application to be presented to the partnership. The projects highlighted via the engagement phase of Garnock Valley 2023 can be categorised as follows:
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND GARNOCK VALLEY LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP Garnock Valley 2023 Project List Strategic - Long-term, foundational projects crucial for setting the community's social, economic and environmental development and direction. 1 Establish a Garnock Valley Brand 2 Establish a GV Ecomuseum* 3 Promote Active Communities Short - Quick, targeted initiatives that address immediate needs and provide fast, visible results. 1 Providing solar panels at Dalry Community Garden 2 Industrial Design at Stoneyholm Mill 3 Creating Pop-Up Shops in Beith Medium - Bridges the gap between short-term successes and long-term goals, requiring more planning and resources. 1 Repurposing St Margaret’s Church 2 Kilbirnie Music 3 Beith Craft Exhibition at Geilsland Estate Long - Ambitious efforts aimed at significant, transformative community changes over an extended period. 1 River Reimagined 2 Beith Community Centre 3 Growing Dalry with Dalry Sports Club Ecomuseum (Definition) “a blend of outdoor and indoor interpretation to encourage people to engage with nature, heritage and culture within a landscape rather than solely within a museum or gallery setting.” It is important to note that projects can shift between these categories based on available opportunities, resource allocation, and changing community needs. For instance, a short-term project might evolve into a medium-term initiative as it gains momentum and resources, or a strategic project might be accelerated if a timely opportunity arises. This fluid approach allows for adaptable, responsive community development, aligning project execution with evolving priorities and possibilities. This funding application represents a joint effort by the working group, North Ayrshire Council (NAC), and Beith Community Development Trust. The plan involves hiring a Development Worker for a two-year, part-time position to implement the recommendations of the feasibility study. This individual will work with local groups to develop and drive forward the initiatives identified in the GV2023 report, many of which are already being led by community organisations. Their role will include assisting in funding applications, project development, and tackling challenges, and building the capacity of groups and volunteers to realise change.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND GARNOCK VALLEY LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP The GV2023 report provides findings that are more detailed. The funding impact is expected to extend beyond the Development Worker's tenure. The worker will not only support local organisations in achieving their objectives outlined in the report but will also focus on building skills in various areas like training delivery, project funding, marketing, partnership development, and capacity building. This collaboration aims to transform the long-standing negative perceptions of the Garnock Valley, with the anticipation that short-term projects will be completed during the worker's tenure, and groundwork for medium and long-term projects will be laid. Additionally, there is a possibility of extending the role by securing external funding. Please see the enclosed role profile. 4. What difference will this project make within the locality and to local services and programmes? Please include: ● The outcomes you aim to achieve ● How you will approach reducing inequality ● How this proposal fits with the Locality Partnership priorities of 1. Moving Around (Public Transport, Traffic and Parking) 2. Work and Local Community 3. Facilities and Amenities Outcomes - The GV2023 project aims to provide a firm foundation for collaborative working between established and new groups that makes a significant impact on the communities of the Garnock Valley. The main objective of the project is to bolster skills and confidence within local groups, enhancing their capacity to initiate and lead meaningful grassroots projects and to work with others to influence and drive change. The initiative is about bringing people together, not just to strengthen community ties and spirit but also to improve spaces, places and create a shared sense of purpose and action. By shining a light on what’s already going on, what could be possible, providing opportunities for learning and development, working together, sharing resources between different community groups, and nurturing collaborative grassroots initiatives, the project aims to encourage those who are not yet involved in community activities to take an active role. This involvement and capacity is a crucial vehicle for driving positive change in the Garnock Valley. An important element of the project is supporting the development and progress of community identified and led projects. This includes providing necessary guidance and
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND GARNOCK VALLEY LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP resources to see these projects through to fruition. Additionally, the project will offer training and skills development opportunities for local volunteers, thereby increasing their capacity to effect change and contribute to the community's collective strength. Many groups will be engaged in the delivery of this project, including youth groups and the Garnock Valley Youth Forum. There is also the scope for this project to be a placement opportunity for a Community Development or Community Education student, supervised by the Locality Officer. The impact of this project is designed to be long lasting, ensuring that the benefits continue well beyond the current funding period. It will lead to the development of more appreciation of the heritage and cultural interests and assets, aligned with the GV2023 report, enriching the community's understanding and appreciation of the Garnock Valley Outcomes Indicators Locality Partnership Priorities 1. Enhanced Skills and Confidence in Local Groups - Increase in community projects initiated - Feedback indicating improved skills - Participation rates in training sessions. Work and Local Community 2. Increased Community Involvement and Cohesion - Rise in volunteer numbers. - New formal and informal partnerships and working arrangements between community groups. - Improved or enhanced local amenities, facilities and greenspace Facilities and Amenities 3. Improved Accessibility and Mobility - Feedback on transport services. - Development of transport solutions Moving Around (Public Transport, Traffic, and Parking)
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND GARNOCK VALLEY LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP 5. What engagement has taken place in relation to the project? Please include the number of people who have been engaged with or consulted as well as the range of people. In December 2019, the Locality Partnership approved a three-stage proposal. The commencement of the first phase was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected community engagement efforts. In late 2022, after a selection process, Lateral North were appointed to lead this phase. This part of the project was a joint effort by the Working Group, North Ayrshire Council (NAC), and Beith Community Development Trust. Lateral North conducted workshops and various ad hoc engagement activities in the towns across the Garnock Valley. These activities took place in early 2023 and saw participation from over 250 people. The findings from these engagements were presented to the Locality Partnership in June 2023. After reviewing these findings, the Locality Partnership agreed for the working group to submit a full CIF application for a Cultural Development Worker to take forward the recommendations in the report. This worker's role will be to implement the recommendations outlined in the GV2023 report. Please see the GV2023 report for detail of the engagement. 6. How will the project be managed? Please include: ● How the finances will be managed ● Does the proposed project contribute to volunteering or employment opportunities in the Garnock Valley? Please include the number of volunteering opportunities and employment opportunities ● If there are any staff requirements, please outline your HR plans Before the job advert is released, the working group and its partners will create a detailed work plan with objectives, actions and targets. This plan will use the GV2023 report as its basis. Beith Community Development Trust is expected to take the lead in hiring, hosting, and directly managing the new post on behalf of the working group.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND GARNOCK VALLEY LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP The Locality Officer will oversee the day-to-day management of the project. To ensure everything runs smoothly, a clear agreement will be set up to define the roles and responsibilities of each party involved, especially concerning the management of this new position. This agreement will reinforce the already strong partnership between the working group and its partners. The working group will have an active role in developing the work plan, tracking progress, and reviewing reports. This setup, including the work plan and the reporting mechanism tailored to it, will provide clear guidance for the daily operations of the new role. It will outline the areas where the post holder can make independent decisions. The role will actively encourage new volunteering roles within the groups, clubs and organisations it works alongside, as well as building their capacity and skills, resulting in an increase in community activism and volunteer work. The aim is to increase community involvement and make a meaningful impact in the Garnock Valley. 7. Amount of funding being requested Please supply details of funding being requested and any other funding you have had over the past 5 years, both financially and “in kind”. Amount of funding requested (£) £45,200 Please give a breakdown of cost and recent quotations where appropriate. The funding would be able to employ a Development Worker at 17.5 hrs per week for 2 years at a salary of £28,000 (pro rata) per annum and includes on costs, management, desk, equipment and a budget to support the delivery of the project. Salary £28,000 NI, Pension etc £7,840 Management and equipment costs £3,360 Budget for engagement activities £6000
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND GARNOCK VALLEY LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP 8. Monitoring and evaluation process Please include detail on the monitoring and evaluation processes planned or in place. The project will utilise Beith Community Development Trust’s existing monitoring and evaluation system (Upshot), a digital tool designed to effectively track and analyse project performance. This system will provide a clear, integrated view of the engagement efforts and their tangible results. Activities and Targets will directly relate to the employees workplan, which will enable the working group and partners to objectively assess quantitative and qualitative data for impact and effectiveness, providing a practical M&E framework that ensures that GV2023 meets its objectives, whilst remaining flexibility to pivot to the community's changing needs. This includes completing the CIF monitoring form and seeking evaluations from the Locality Partnership and the working group. These evaluations will focus on the project's alignment with Locality Priorities and the GV2023 report. Further M & E checks and balances will be provided through regular updates to the Locality Partnership and the working group to ensure ongoing alignment with our objectives. Progress will be measured against the GV2023 work plan, with the understanding that adjustments may be necessary. Additionally, we will maintain strict oversight of timesheets and time management to ensure efficient project progression. A bespoke reporting structure will be developed to assess the status of GV2023 projects, providing a clear picture of each project's stage and progress.
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Community Investment Fund Application Form: Irvine Locality The CIF will support proposals and projects that: • Connect with: o The North Ayrshire Fair for All Inequalities Strategy. o the Community Planning Partnership and Locality priorities; and o North Ayrshire Council’s values, priorities, and business objectives. • Fulfil a compelling need and do not duplicate existing services or facilities. • Provide long-term, sustainable, positive results for the greatest number of people possible. • Exhibit project and/or organisational innovation in their approaches to their work in their way of addressing community challenges and in their request to Locality Partnerships and the Council. • Come from (an) organisation(s) that is financially viable (can provide financial statements upon request) and efficiently and effectively managed. This can include an organisation to be created to deliver the project. • Include options or potential for NAC and CPP employee engagement and volunteering where possible; and • Include measurable outcomes and can report to NAC on outcomes on a regular basis. When to apply and how? • LPs should continue to engage with their communities and stimulate interest in the CIF. The Locality Partnership will then strategically assess the applications, make links, and look at the funding ‘in the round.’ • If the partnership supports a bid, then the group will be encouraged to submit a full application form, which they will decide upon before making a proposal to Cabinet for final approval. • The finalised proposal will go to the next suitable Cabinet for final approval. • Forms should be returned to your Locality Co-ordinator, by email if possible: Elaine Baxter Irvine Locality Coordinator Economy and Communities Community Development Team Redburn Community Centre Dickson Drive Irvine KA12 9EW Email: ebaxter@north-ayrshire.gov.uk Tel: 01294 313593 Mob: 07814418453 Support and information will be available for groups who are not successful. For more information see the guidance form here: http://www.northayrshire.community/wp- content/uploads/sites/60/2018/06/community-investment-fund-guidance-notes-17-12-17.pdf Irvine LP Pg 9
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Irvine LP Pg 10 Community Investment Fund Checklist To be completed by Locality Officer at expression of interest stage Item Yes No Not Applicable (give reason) Comments Expression of interest coproduced x Yes this project will bring many people of the community together and is supported by a number of community organisations. Farm basket, Mens shed, Childrens 1st, Irvine locality team to name a few. Link to Fair for All x Green Health is at the heart of the project and will also feature intergenerational projects where the young can learn from the older generation about how to look after a community garden. The vegetables and fruit grown will be distributed via our community food larder (The Farm Basket) which will be given away to our members to encourage them to make nutritious meals using fresh produce. Link to Locality priorities x The project will address all 4 of the Irvine Locality Partnership Priorities: Does not duplicate existing services x Long term impact and sustainable x Evidence of financial viability (bank acct, annual accounts) x BABCA are a registered charity SCO11731
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Irvine LP Pg 11 Evidence of management arrangements (governance arrangements, officer bearers, organisational objectives, organisational status) x They are led by a Community Association OSCR compliance x GDPR compliance x Child protection and vulnerable adults policies x Measurable outcomes x Any issues flagged in past 3 years x Completed By: Elaine Baxter Date Completed: 21.11.23
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Irvine LP Pg 12 APPLICATION FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE Community Investment Fund 1. Details of your organisation Name of Organisation: Broomlands and Bourtreehill Community Association (BABCA) Postal Address for Correspondence: Name of Contact Person: Position in Organisation: Chairperson Contact Telephone Number : E mail address 2. Brief description of your organisation Please include - [a] Legal status, e.g., voluntary organisation, public/private limited by shares or guarantee. [b] How long has organisation been in existence? [c] Aims & objectives. [d] General activities or services provided. Broomlands and Bourtreehill Community Association are long established committee, established in 1975. and have four office bearers and eight committee members who manage Towerlands Community Centre and develop the centre’s weekly programme. We also have a long history of running various successful events throughout the years, ranging from gala. days, social events, community lunches, and more structured activities, and learning opportunities for people of all ages. We also are a registered charity ( Charity Number: SC011731). We also manage the Farm basket Community Food Larder which is situated on the grounds. of the Community centre. Our management committee features many representatives from various community organisations and centre users that are part of our committee. As an organisation we are also given ongoing support from our CLD Community Development Worker (Irvine Locality Team) and local Elected Officials. Along with our centre users, other external partnering agencies and organisations from the area also attend our monthly committee meetings. We are also members of NAFCO and tie in with many other wider community organisations. We are in the process of establishing a subcommittee of BABCA so the garden will have its own pool of volunteers, however BABCA will oversee the running of the project and apply for funding. Any financial purchases will be made with the approval of the committee. Our committee meet monthly with local councillor's and our NAC community Development Worker. We follow proper governance as per our OSCR Charitable Status requirements. We take pride in planning successful projects and events in advance, so we would be hoping once the garden is established that we could have an official opening day. Partnerships and initial consultation have already been formed with other organisations who wish to assist. with this community garden project.
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Irvine LP Pg 13 3. Title and summary of proposal Tell us a bit about your idea. Please describe in as much detail as possible, what the funding will be used for. Please include where it will be held / delivered, who is your target audience, who will benefit from it and how and indicate any partners that are involved. Please include - [a] What outcomes your organisation wishes to achieve. [b] Is this a new service / project? [c] Does a new organisation need to be set up? Broomlands and Bourtreehill Community Association (BABCA) would like to develop a community/memorial Garden to grow fruit and vegetables and a place to sit and remember the people we lost in our community through covid and illnesses over the years. The garden will be situated on an old swing park that is no longer in use, which lies next to Towerlands Community Centre. NAC Connected Communities have agreed that we can convert this green space into a community garden to be enjoyed by everyone and get the community involved to make it a nicer area for people of all ages to enjoy. Green Health is at the heart of the project and will also feature intergenerational projects where the young can learn from the older generation about how to look after a community garden. The vegetables and fruit grown will be distributed via our community food larder (The Farm Basket) which will be given away to our members to encourage them to make nutritious meals using fresh produce. The food larder operates three times a week, providing a much-needed service in relieving food poverty in the area. The development of this community garden will involve centre users, and neighbouring partners including: • St. John Ogilvie Primary School • The Conservation Volunteers (Green Health Partnership) • Children 1st • Crossing Together • Irvine Newtown Men's Shed • Broomlands and Bourtreehill tenants and Residents Association • Trindlemoss Day Centre • Irvine Seniors- Forum • Input • Café Solace • Irvine Locality Team (Community learning and Development) • NAC Community Link Workers (Bourtreehill Medical Practice) • North Ayrshire Ranger Service • Brownies Guides and Rainbows • So Lovely Group • Greenwood Academy • Elderbank primary school We also intend to grow fresh produce to make affordable food for the café in the community centre, and also luncheon clubs for older people within our community. The Luncheon club encourages socialisation for our older members, as most of them have been shielding during the pandemic and are just starting to come back into their local communities. We also want to encourage older people to get involved and give them a safe environment to pass on their garden skills to younger people and encourage the younger people to take pride in where they live. We are also talking to other organisations like Children 1st who work with families and are based in that area and who utalise our centre to hold bigger events. Children’s 1st have a Community Engagement Worker who is part of our committee . The Children 1st organisation is happy to get involved and offer any assistance needed to get some of their families involved in volunteering within the garden.
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Irvine LP Pg 14 QUESTION 3 CONTINUED The young people have also been involved in our community chit chat meetings to improve the area of Broomlands and bourtreehill, Girdletoll and lawthorn. The area is under regeneration and we hope that if the younger generation got involved this might raise an awareness of the positive of green health activities. The young people have also been involved in the Boutreehill Park consultation on the conservation in the local area. We also have the men shed in the area who if we get enough funding they will build raised beds and erect a poly tunnel so we can grow vegetables all year round. We want to make it an intergenerational project so the young learn from the older people how to grow and manage a community garden. Skills and tips can be passed on to learn them how we grow food from seed. The Farm Basket is our Community larder we have people who need support and help in this area we have families, single people and couples who use our larder weekly as they cannot make ends meet or their benefits have been stopped or they need an emergency food parcel untils they can sort ot their benefits out and can get back on their feet. This is run by a group of volunteers. Brownies, rainbows and Rangers need to work towards their badges for their organisations so they will enable them to have space to grow fruit and vegetables and work towards their badges and learn where their food comes from. They are also into recycling and saving the enviroment hence the bug- hotels, bird boxes and solar lighting in our costing. Mothers and toddlers groups will be able have the children grow vegetables and teach them about the importance of growing your own vegetables and we could also do some cooking classes for young mothers and introduce them to the canny cooker and learn them how to budget and make nutrious meals for their chiildren. 4. What difference will this project make within the locality and to local services and programmes? Please include - [a] How you will approach reducing inequality. [b] How this proposal fits with Irvine’s priorities of: 1. Supporting Skills and work opportunities 2. Enhancing our mental health and wellbeing 3. Alleviating poverty 4. Championing Green Health and the Natural Environment The proposed community garden fits within all of Irvine Locality priorities. The garden will meet the priority of ‘Supporting Skills and Work Opportunities’ by providing learning and volunteer opportunities in which residents will be able to learn gardening and growing skills. The proposed project will provide opportunities for local groups ranging from older people to youth groups, recovery groups, and people with additional support requirements, and impact will be made on the need for ‘Enhancing our Mental Health & Wellbeing.’ Through the growing of fresh and sustainable produce for the café and the Farm basket this will assist in ‘Alleviating Poverty.’ The green health activities and the organic approach in growing with all ages, will be an opportunity for ‘Championing Green Heath and the Natural Environment.’ As part of ‘North Ayrshire That is Fair for All,’ the community garden will be part of the priority of ‘developing a wellbeing economy’ by tackling food and health inequalities. The facility of the garden encourages opportunity to encourage resilience within the community by developing a much needed sustainable ‘grown your own’ environment within Bourtreehill. Through the organic approaches in growing the produce, the garden space will ensure that it meets climate change targets.
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Irvine LP Pg 15 QUESTION 4 CONTINUED Community wealth Building is also at the heart of the project as it is developing a derelict site for a more productive use. We have already invested in a fence installation and tree removal that has been provided by a local business. Green Health Strategies in North Ayrshire want to promote green spaces being utilised and used by local community groups they want volunteers to run green projects encouraging people to get active in their local community. Oldhall Energy Recycling Facilities are new to North Ayrshire area and are keen to get involved in the local community and have offered to provide labourers to assist with the heavy digging and preparation of the ground in the old swing park. The benefits of these projects encourage people to develop new skills. I have named a few benefits below: • enjoy a weekly routine with goal orientated activities • meet and socialise with others • improve your general health and wellbeing • gain self-confidence and self esteem • learn about plants, natural history, and conservation • improve your local community • Produce nutritious food • Help preserve green spaces Also volunteers in green space projects have gone on to seek employment in this area of work. We hope that our project will provide all members of the community with learning opportunities related to gardening, growing food and cooking and provide the community and volunteers with the opportunity to gain experience new skills, tools and coping mechanisms and promote positive changes in health, diet, lifestyle, and fitness. 5. Please give an overview of the engagement that has taken place in relation to the project Please include the number of people that have been engaged with/ consulted. BABCA and Irvine Locality team have been involved in hosting Community Chit Chat Engagements about the local area and improvements. One of the reoccurring topics was to have a community garden in the area for growing initiatives and green health activities. In 2021 we held a community consultation in partnership with Irvine Seniors Forum and Broomlands and Bourtreehill tenants and Residents Association, following on from the closure of Age Concern, to identify projects and activities for older members of the community, and the need for a community garden was identified as a popular suggestion. The older members of the community also suggested the opportunity to do an intergenerational project, in which growing skills and tips/hints could be passed onto younger members of the community. We have also completed a monkey survey with our neighbours who reside in the area around the old swing park to see if anyone objected to our proposal to turn the old swing park into a community/memorial garden. We also asked them if any of them were willing to volunteer and help in the garden. The survey brought back positive feedback and no one objected to our plans. Engagement/meetings has also been held with the various community partners as listed in question three of this form. They have all expressed an interest in being involved and part of the garden/memorial project. The breakdown of people engaged through the consultation process is as follows: o Community Chit Chats 2019 - 44 participants o Older people’s activities consultation 2021 – 237 participants o Surrounding Residents Survey Monkey/consultation - 55 participants o Community organisations/centre group engaged with – 25 groups.
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6. Please tell us how the project will be managed Please include - [a] How the finances will be managed. [b] Does the proposed project contribute to volunteering or employment opportunities in Irvine? Please include the number of volunteering opportunities and employment opportunities [c] If there are any staff requirements, please outline your HR plans. [d] Is there evidence of partnership working in relation to the project within Irvine locality? The project will be managed by BABCA and the treasurer will oversee the finances collecting receipts for all purchases and money spent on the garden project. We hope to have a pool of volunteers who commit weekly hours to work in the garden and help develop, the project we will have a small subcommittee headed by our vice chairperson who will give monthly feedback to the BABCA committee at their monthly meetings on the progress of the project and raise any concerns with the larger BABCA committee. As previously mentioned, this project will be run by volunteers with the hope that some of the volunteers will go on to look for employment opportunities with the skills learned at the project. At the moment we have eleven volunteers committed in starting the project and are very keen to support and assist new volunteers to come on board once we break ground. BABCA have a long history of collaboration and partnership working with other organisations which have been very successful. Irvine LP Pg 16
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7. Amount of funding being requested Please supply details of the amount of funding being requested and any other funding you have had over the past 5 years, both financially and ‘in kind’. Amount of funding requested: £12 777 Breakdown of Costings: Item Cost planters x10 £1600 raised bed protectors £220 wooden perimeter fence and gate £900 garden gloves x20 pairs £90 1 ton of sub base for polytunnel £80 slabs for polytunnel £240 polytunnel £600 weed control fabric £800 water butts x 2 plus connectors £200 fence paint £185 materials for insect hotels £66 watering cans x 10 £220 extra long hose £85 hanging baskets/pots and lining £500 park benches £1300 garden netting £100 budget for seeds,bulbs & feed £650 bird box materials £150 pooting tables x 2 £80 garden knee pads heavy duty £140 pruners x 6 pairs £140 Solar lights £95 secateurs x 6 pairs £140 thermometer £20 propergator x10 £140 seed trays £120 top soil 20 ton £800 Plastic walk way £2600 spades £140 shovels £140 garden forks £60 garden rakes £56 hand tool sets x 10 £120 Total: £12 777 Irvine LP Pg 17
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Irvine LP Pg 18 BABCA have a history of securing secured funding for different events over the last five years. Older people funding for events for people over the age of fifty £2185 yearly for the last three years. This was used for to provide a free Christmas three course meals, luncheon club, free bingo, free entertainment to encourage older people to use the community centre after shielding from covid. A day fun trip down memory lane to the Falkirk wheel and kelpies and lunch out. PB funding £1000 for the last five years for to run free family events providing free fun fairs and free food, run events at easter for families giving them free entertainment , free food, and free easter eggs for the children. Also, a free Santa and gift at Christmas for the children who attended our Christmas fayre. We also had funding during covid for on-line events to stay connected with the community. We have been successful in applying for the following grants: • Awards for All - £2,500.00 for equipment - The Farm Basket (2021) • Corra - £3,000.00 - BABCA (2021) • Arnold Clark - £2,500.00 - The Farm Basket (2021) • Tesco - £1,250.00 - The Farm Basket (2021) • James Wood Foundation - £650.00 - The Farm Basket (2022) • Weir Charitable Foundation - £3,000.00 - The Farm Basket (2022) • Scottish Government Recovery Fund - £7,000.00 – BABCA • Citrus Energy - £2225 – The Farm Basket (2022)
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Irvine LP Pg 19 8. Monitoring and evaluation process Please include detail on – [a] What monitoring and evaluation processes are planned/ in place. We will monitor and evaluate the project on a monthly basis as the garden subcommittee will feed into the larger committee at our monthly committee meeting which is the third Monday of every month. BABCA would expect a representative from the garden subcommittee to attend monthly meetings monitor the garden progression and feedback will be written in the minutes of our meetings. BABCA treasurer will oversee the finances for the project so a full report will be available on the expenditure for the garden and will be minute at the monthly meeting. BABCA will also be doing a report for our yearly AGM about the progress of the garden/memorial project. The groups that will also get involved will also feedback monthly as they have a representative that attend the BABCA meeting. For example, the brownie commissioner attends our meeting and she feeds back monthly on the brownie numbers this will mean the children will be able to achieve their garden badges and nature badges.
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Community Investment Fund Application Form: Irvine Locality The CIF will support proposals and projects that: • Connect with: o The North Ayrshire Fair for All Inequalities Strategy; o the Community Planning Partnership and Locality priorities; and o North Ayrshire Council’s values, priorities and business objectives. • Fulfil a compelling need and do not duplicate existing services or facilities; • Provide long-term, sustainable, positive results for the greatest number of people possible; • Exhibit project and/or organisational innovation in their approaches to their work in their way of addressing community challenges and in their request to Locality Partnerships and the Council; • Come from (an) organisation(s) that is financially viable (can provide financial statements upon request) and efficiently and effectively managed. This can include an organisation to be created to deliver the project; • Include options or potential for NAC and CPP employee engagement and volunteering where possible; and • Include measurable outcomes and can report to NAC on outcomes on a regular basis. When to apply and how? • LPs should continue to engage with their communities, and stimulate interest in the CIF. The Locality Partnership will then strategically assess the applications, make links and look at the funding ‘in the round’. • If the partnership supports a bid then the group will be encouraged to submit a full application form, which they will decide upon before making a proposal to Cabinet for final approval. • The finalised proposal will go to the next suitable Cabinet for final approval. • Forms should be returned to your Locality Co-ordinator, by email if possible: Elaine Baxter Irvine Locality Coordinator Economy and Communities Community Development Team Redburn Community Centre Dickson Drive Irvine KA12 9EW Email: ebaxter@north-ayrshire.gov.uk Tel: 01294 313593 Mob: 07814418453 Support and information will be available for groups who are not successful. For more information see the guidance form here: http://www.northayrshire.community/wp- content/uploads/sites/60/2018/06/community-investment-fund-guidance-notes-17-12-17.pdf Irvine LP Pg 20
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Community Investment Fund Checklist To be completed by Locality Officer at expression of interest stage Item Yes No Not Applicable (give reason) Comments Expression of interest coproduced x The area in discussion for green gym was an idea that was identified at a locality chit chat in 2022. The association have an asset transfer on the land and conducted a community engagement as part of the activate programme delivered by Glasgow university. Fullarton CA have recently been awarded National lottery funding and this funding would be a match fund to the future services Fullarton hub offer in the community. Link to Fair for All x Fullarton CA run a community larder in the area Choices Community Matters with over 500 members who access the service. They also access volunteering opportunities and access to financial support via sign posting to other Irvine LP Pg 21
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organisations like chap and money matters. Link to Locality priorities x This project covers all 4 locality priorities. Does not duplicate existing services x The services provided by Fullarton in the area are around support to residents of Irvine. They provide adult learning, youth work, playschemes, cooking classes, exercise classes, provide community events, summer meal and activities, employability support, mental health support, addiction support, counselling service, financial and benefit checks. Long term impact and sustainable x Evidence of financial viability (bank acct, annual accounts) x Evidence of management arrangements (governance arrangements, officer bearers, organisational objectives, organisational status) x Fullarton Community Association are a company limited by guarantee with charitable status. OSCR compliance x GDPR compliance x Child protection and vulnerable adults policies x Measurable outcomes x Any issues flagged in past 3 years x Completed By: Elaine Baxter Date Completed:21.11.23 Irvine LP Pg 22
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APPLICATION FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE Community Investment Fund 1. Details of your organisation Name of Organisation: Fullarton Community Association ..................................... Postal Address for Correspondence: ................................................. .................................................................. ....................................................................... Name of Contact Person: Helen Marshall ................................................................. Position in Organisation: .......................................................................... Contact Telephone Number : E mail address ………………………………………………………………… 2. Brief description of your organisation Please include - [a] Legal status, e.g. voluntary organisation, public/private limited by shares or guarantee; [b] How long has organisation been in existence? [c] Aims & objectives; [d] General activities or services provided; Fullarton Community Association was formed in 1976, and moved into the Green Hut in 1979 when the group gained their charitable status. Fullarton Community Association is a company limited by guarantee with charitable status. In 2013 we took ownership of the land from the North Ayrshire Council as part of a community asset transfer and revealed plans to raise funding to build a new community centre. Fullarton Community Association with support from North Ayrshire Council secured funding from various sources including Big Lottery and Irvine Bay Regeneration Company. The New Fullarton Community Hub opened in November 2017 and employs 7 members of staff. Fullarton Community Hub is in the heart of a small community in the Fullarton area of Irvine. The community Association is run by a volunteer management committee, that is driven by the need of the community. Fullarton Community Hub runs a variety of groups and services on a week to week basis as well as being a host for many private functions. The community hub has a history of working effortlessly in tackling issues in relation to poverty, employability, mental health, and physical wellbeing, tackling loneliness and isolation, and the impact of addictions. Fullarton Community Association works in partnership with a range of partners including: NAC – Connected Communities Team, Health and Social Care Partnership, Community link workers, Loudon Montgomery Primary and Irvine Royal Academy. Along with partners such as Skills Development Scotland, ENABLE, Fair Start, Turning Point Scotland, Eglinton Medical Practice, CEIS Ayrshire, and NAC- Employability. Irvine LP Pg 23
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3. Title and summary of proposal Tell us a bit about your idea. Please describe in as much detail as possible, what the funding will be used for. Please include where it will be held / delivered, who is your target audience, who will benefit from it and how and indicate any partners that are involved. Please include - [a] What outcomes your organisation wishes to achieve; [b] Is this a new service / project? [c] Does a new organisation need to be set up? We require CIF funding for 2 different projects and one is for match funding: • Project 1 – Fullarton Green Gym - £42,870. Due to the current cost of living crisis many residents cannot afford access to local gyms. The outdoor gym would allow for access for families that cannot afford access to mainstream gyms, in an outdoor environment which will improve both pysical and mental health for its users. Identified target audience for the gym will also include recovery groups, New Scots families and young people’s fitness classes. The outdoor gym will break the cycle and provide better outcomes, and improved physical and mental health alongside better community connections. The outdoor gym will also be part of the encouragement of outdoor learning, along with the community garden and the MUGA. The project will be community led, and will aim to foster civic pride in managing the project. The proposed project will address this need by creating a dedicated outdoor gym area within the grounds of Fullarton Community Hub. This facility will provide a safe and inclusive environment for individuals in recovery to engage in physical activity as part of their rehabilitation journey. Additionally, it will encourage young people to adopt healthy habits, reduce sedentary behaviour and improve overall fitness levels • Project 2 The National Lottery Community Fund. Fullarton were successful in receiving £204,000 for the next 3 years staffing and for projects however total cost of the project is £274,500 are looking to CIF for a match fund of £70,500. Fullarton Community Association have undergone a review of locality needs and a review of positions within the organisation due to the number of funded posts that have came to an end. Positions within the organisation have been reviewed and a new internal structure has been created to ensure the association are employing specialist staffing in order to address our hubs priorities. This project will help us to address the key priorities as recently identified by our community. These are to: □ Improve health & wellbeing □ Remove social isolation □ Provide family support □ Tackle the current cost of living crisis. □ Offer community led activities/support. As part of our new support package, we aim to provide the Fullarton and Harbourside residents a safe place to access health and wellbeing services, food, warmth as well as opportunities to participate in inclusive community led and planned activities. We hope that if successful the money from this fund will help us to sustain specialist staffing positions. We aim to tackle to the current cost of living crisis to support individuals with inclusive activities, whilst at the same time allowing us to provide opportunities for inclusive activities in order to address the social isolation issues that many members of our community are currently experiencing. Fullarton CA employs 7 full time members of staff and with funding secured almost two thirds of the funding from National Lottery Community Fund. We are currently working with just enterprise who will help us develop our next 5 year business plan and we hope to have this complete by summer of 2024. Irvine LP Pg 24
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4. What difference will this project make within the locality and to local services and programmes? Please include - [a] How you will approach reducing inequality [b] How this proposal fits with Irvine’s priorities of: 1. Supporting Skills and work opportunities 2. Enhancing our mental health and wellbeing 3. Alleviating poverty 4. Championing Green Health and the Natural Environment Fullarton Outdoor Gym Project The Fullarton Community Hub has long been a focal point for various community initiatives, employability projects, health and well-being, and social integration. We have identified a significant need for outdoor exercise opportunities, particularly for demographic groups in our community, individuals in recovery, various health and wellbeing challenges and young people who lead inactive lifestyles. Due to the current cost of living crisis many residents cannot afford access to gyms. The proposed project will address this need by creating a dedicated outdoor gym area within the grounds of Fullarton Community Hub. This facility will provide a safe and inclusive environment for individuals in recovery to engage in physical activity as part of their rehabilitation journey. Additionally, it will encourage young people to adopt healthy habits, reduce sedentary behaviour and improve overall fitness levels. National Youth Work Outcomes -The green gym hits the priorities for the National Youthwork Outcome 1- Young people build their health and wellbeing Climate Change - An environmentally friendly gym is sustainable and environmentally friendly as it reduces its environmental impact. This includes using energy-efficient equipment, reducing water usage, recycling materials and using renewable energy sources. This fits in with the Councils Climate Change Strategy. Outdoor Learning: research demonstrates that outdoor learning experiences can contribute positively to the learning journey of our children and young people. Well-structured outdoor learning: Has direct health and wellbeing benefits, supports learning in all aspects of the school curriculum, including priorities such as numeracy and literacy and provides opportunities for young people to guide their own learning and develop critical thinking skills, raises young people’s awareness of environmental and sustainability issues and offers a safe space for adventure, where young people can explore risk, test boundaries and build resilience. Data tells us outdoor learning: 83% young people had a stronger appreciation of nature by taking part in outdoor learning. 95% young people developed their skills in being outdoors. Fullarton Community Hub staff develop provision in the area that will address the key priorities as recently identified by our community. These are to □ Improve health & wellbeing □ Remove social isolation □ Provide family support □ Tackle the current cost of living crisis. □ Offer community led activities/support. Irvine LP Pg 25
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5. Please give an overview of the engagement that has taken place in relation to the project Please include the number of people that have been engaged with/ consulted Fullarton hub residents all attended local community chit chat events organised by Irvine Locality team to look at what was happening locally to address locality priorities and to engage with communities to see what their views were and to help us identify any gaps to provision or identifying a need locally. That is where the idea of developing the area at the Riverwalk way discussions started. We worked alongside Streetscene and other partners to install benches along the side of the river. Fullarton CA took a local survey out locally to residents doors as there was also the idea of developing the area next to the community garden and MUGA. Fullarton CA have an area of land that they took on as a community asset transfer and wanted to find out from local residents what they wanted to see the land develop into. This work was carried out by Glasgow University students who were taking part in the activate programme and over 80% of the residents wanted to see the land develop into a green gym for the whole community to enjoy. Fullarton Hub is a lifeline for many residents within its local community and without the investment from CIF to match the National Lottery fund many of its vital services, programmes and interventions would need to stop at the end of March 2024. Our weekly programme of activities include: Volunteering Opportunities Employability Support Cooking Classes Sewing Classes Keep fit classes Community Bingo Community Matters Working Group Dementia Café Fullarton Friends Afterschool Activities Evening youth work activities Adult learning literacy classes Community Mental Health Support Groups 1-2-1 Counselling Positive Steps support group Mental Health Walking Groups Mens all mental health support group. Our organisation has a volunteer policy and take our volunteers through our inhouse policies and procedures as part of their volunteer induction. Please see attached weekly programme of activities that are delivered within the centre these supports range from: 1-2-1 counselling, 1-2-1 individual learning plans, individual goal setting as part of our community employability support and we encourage our learners to give something back to their community by volunteering to help others. We currently have 47 volunteers within our organisation. This could range from helping out with stock taking in our choices community larder shop or answering the telephone when the centre is busy. We work in partnership with NAC employability and skills team, CEIS, Skills Development Scotland and NAC Connected communities. Each of the mentioned services all have a role to play in supporting our community and our support to individuals creates pathways to opportunities. This could be in the form of adult learning provision, a referral to other service provision or work opportunities locally. We want to do more in a way of accreditation and are making links with our community development team to work more closely with Ayrshire College for accredited community courses as a first step into further education. Irvine LP Pg 26
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6. Please tell us how the project will be managed Please include - [a] How the finances will be managed [b] Does the proposed project contribute to volunteering or employment opportunities in Irvine? Please include the number of volunteering opportunities and employment opportunities [c] If there are any staff requirements, please outline your HR plans [d] Is there evidence of partnership working in relation to the project within Irvine locality? (a) How are the finances managed? Fullarton Community Association is a company limited by guarantee with charitable status and has a board of trustees who meet up to make informed decisions. The trustees go over the accounts monthly to see how we can manage our funding wisely and get the best value for our money when organising local activities and events. Constantly engaging with local community and evolving to help communities overcome their individual and communities needs. We as an organisation adhere to governance of our charity and send in our annual accounts to OSCR and hold AGM every year appoint a new board of trustees to help run our organisation. (b) Does the proposed project contribute to volunteering or employability opportunities in Irvine? We rely on our volunteers to help us deliver on our community activities. Some of our volunteer opportunities include: Volunteer Shop Assistant – Choices Community Larder Volunteer Youth Worker Volunteer Mentor Volunteer drive Volunteer Community Sports Coach Volunteer Kitchen staff Volunteer Venue Assistant Volunteer Receptionist Volunteer Community Garden assistant Volunteer Walking Leader Volunteer Bingo Caller We also have secured funding for part of our employability coordinator who works with individuals on a 1-2-1 or in a group setting. Our employability coordinator runs our employability hub and is on 3 times per week. Engaging with opportunities locally to support learners on their employability journey. (C) If there are any staff developments please highlight these: Our organisation undergone a review in summer of 2023 to bring all our staff in line with NAC living wage and in line with NAC pay structure. This was highlighted to us as an area of need when we were working alongside National Lottery as our hourly rates had not been reviewed since we opened our new centre 6 years ago and have a new structure in place to deal with the increased demands of improving mental health and supporting skills for work programmes. (c) Is there evidence of partnership working in North Ayrshire? We have a service level agreement with NAC Connected Communities and NAC HSCP for support to Mental Health provision Irvine LP Pg 27
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7. Amount of funding being requested Please supply details of the amount of funding being requested and any other funding you have had over the past 5 years, both financially and ‘in kind’. Please include detail on - [a] Breakdown of costs if available; [b] Recent quotations where appropriate Please see latest up to date accounts for the year. Please see attached quotes for Fullarton Green Gym and the National Lottery Award letter detailing the match fund required to enable the centre to run their weekly activities please also see attached. Amount of funding requested: £100,000 8. Monitoring and evaluation process Please include detail on – [a] What monitoring and evaluation processes are planned/ in place Fullarton Outdoor Gym We will manage the build of this project and meet with the contractors on a weekly basis to ensure the project will go to plan. Once complete we plan to invite the community along to our opening to showcase the aspirations of the local residents and get the gym used by local people, schools and groups in local area. We monitor and evaluate our programmes of intervention and write reports that our funders request as part of any funding we receive. Our full and part time staff complete monthly reports and are currently working up new action plans now that they have completed our new structure to be more in line with addressing our priorities. We are always thinking up new ways of recording our progress and we play an active part in keeping our social media channels up to date with opportunities for residents of Irvine to participate in and we get a lot of referrals from a range of services, organisations, schools and community groups who all refer on clients that need support. Irvine LP Pg 28
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The CIF will support proposals and projects that: • Connect with: o The North Ayrshire Fair for All Inequalities Strategy; o the Community Planning Partnership (CPP) and Locality priorities; and o North Ayrshire Council’s (NAC) values, priorities and business objectives. • Fulfil a compelling need and do not duplicate existing services or facilities; • Provide long-term, sustainable, positive results for the greatest number of people possible; • Exhibit project and/or organisational innovation in their approaches to their work in their way of addressing community challenges and in their request to Locality Partnerships and the Council; • Come from (an) organisation(s) that is financially viable (can provide financial statements upon request) and efficiently and effectively managed. This can include an organisation to be created to deliver the project; • Include options or potential for NAC and CPP employee engagement and volunteering where possible; and • Include measurable outcomes and can report to NAC on outcomes on a regular basis. When to apply and how? • LPs should continue to engage with their communities and stimulate interest in the CIF. The Locality Partnership will then strategically assess the applications, make links and look at the funding ‘in the round’. • Initial interest in a CIF application should be via an expression of interest form. This will be discussed by the LP or an associated working group. • If the partnership supports a bid then the group will be encouraged to submit a full application form (attached), which they will decide upon before making a proposal to Cabinet for final approval. • The proposal will go to the next suitable Cabinet for final approval. • Forms should be returned to your Locality Officer, by email if possible: Elaine Baxter Locality Officer - Irvine North Ayrshire Council Connected Communities Redburn Youth Centre Dickson Drive Irvine KA12 9EW Email: ebaxter@north-ayrshire.gov.uk Tel: 01294 313593 Mob: 07814418453 Irvine LP Pg 29
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Irvine LP Pg 30 Community Investment Fund Checklist To be completed by Locality Officer at expression of interest stage Item Yes No Not Applicable (give reason) Comments Expression of interest coproduced x This project is led by Turning Point Scotland in partnership with North Ayrshire ADP, Ayrshire College, Connected Communities, the DWP, and MINDs of Recovery. Link to Fair for All x Link to Locality priorities x Does not duplicate existing services x This model is based on a similar project delivered in South Ayrshire which has helped to produce excellent outcomes for people in recovery. This would help address a gap in provision North Ayrshire around employability support for people in recovery, and for those who have been involved in the Justice system who experience many barriers to employment and accessing mainstream college courses Long term impact and sustainable x This programme would support people to obtain an accredited qualification which could lead to further educational opportunities within the college and the
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Irvine LP Pg 31 community and increase participants readiness for entering the job market. Evidence of financial viability (bank acct, annual accounts) x Evidence of management arrangements (governance arrangements, officer bearers, organisational objectives, organisational status) x Turning Point Scotland is a third sector non-for profit registered charity SCO28827 OSCR compliance x GDPR compliance x Child protection and vulnerable adults policies x Measurable outcomes x Any issues flagged in past 3 years x Completed By: Elaine Baxter Date Completed: 21.11.23
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Irvine LP Pg 32 1. Details of your organisation Name of Organisation Turning Point Scotland (P.E.A.R Service) Postal Address for Correspondence Name of Contact Person Gary Douglas Position in Organisation Telephone Number Email Address 2. Brief description of your organisation Please include its legal status, aims and objectives, activities or services provided and how long it has been in existence. Turning Point Scotland is a national provider of social care services and a registered charity (Scottish Charity number SC028827). We take pride in developing quality services to meet changing needs whilst ensuring that our values remain at the core of what we do. We specialise in supporting people facing the most complex and challenging situations by placing them at the heart of everything we do. We work to overcome barriers to stigma and work in collaboration with partners to meet the needs of individuals. We invest in skilled and passionate staff, and affect change through high quality services, leadership, and innovation. We believe that we are investors in people because people matter. Turning Point Scotland came into existence as an independent charity at the time of devolution in April 1999 – it has previously been part of the UK organisation Turning Point, previously known as Helping Hands which was founded in 1964.
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Irvine LP Pg 33 3. Title and summary of proposal Tell us about your idea. Please describe in as much detail as possible, what the funding will be used for. Please include: • where it will be held / delivered • who is your target audience • who will benefit from it and how • any partners that are involved. North Ayrshire - Pathways 2 Progress This project is led by Turning Point Scotland in partnership with North Ayrshire ADP, Ayrshire College, Connected Communities, the DWP, and MINDs of Recovery. The aim of the project is to develop a college course, delivered by Ayrshire College, for people in recovery from substance or alcohol use. The course would enable people to develop their personal and employability skills in a supportive environment to work towards the job market. If successful in gaining funding this will largely be invested in a Peer Lead Practitioner. The core focus of this role will be to provide support to people on the course and to the lecturers from Ayrshire College. Additionally, as part of their role they will be expected to help identify appropriate volunteering opportunities for people in the community and provide support to enable people to sustain both their attendances at college and volunteering placements. This model is based on a similar project delivered in South Ayrshire which has helped to produce excellent outcomes for people in recovery. This would help address a gap in provision North Ayrshire around employability support for people in recovery, and for those who have been involved in the Justice system who experience many barriers to employment and accessing mainstream college courses. This programme would support people to obtain an accredited qualification which could lead to further educational opportunities within the college and the community and increase participants readiness for entering the job market. Additionally, the programme would enable people in recovery to provide peer support to one another, develop their skills and knowledge around mental health, wellbeing and resilience, and tackle issues around poverty and access to meaningful opportunities.
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Irvine LP Pg 34 If successful, the project will be delivered within the Irvine locality in a community setting and from Ayrshire College at the Kilwinning Campus. It will be made available to people who live in other localities in North Ayrshire, but people from Irvine will be prioritised.
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Irvine LP Pg 35 4. What difference will this project make within the locality and to local services and programmes? Please include: • The outcomes you aim to achieve • How you will approach reducing inequality • How this proposal fits with the Locality Partnership priorities The ‘Pathways 2 Progress’ programme will be facilitated by Ayrshire College between Fullarton Community Hub and Ayrshire College Campus in Kilwinning for 2 days per week. The benefit of having the course delivered in Fullarton hub is not only having access to fantastic facilities but there are also already recovery groups operating from the centre that people can be linked in with. The benefits of delivering the course on campus at Ayrshire College for one day gives the participants access to facilities in any way other students would have access. By introducing people to the college environment this could potentially inspire participants to think about further progression in higher education. The aim of the course is to provide an opportunity to people in recovery from alcohol and drug use to enhance their employability skills and move closer to the job market. The course will give 15 individuals the opportunity to develop their skills enabling them to be more prepared for entering the world of work. The content of the course will cover a range of topics such as: Phase 1 – Pathways Unit Code Unit Name F3GC09 ICT F78610 Preparing for Employment F78710 Building Own Employability Skills F78810 Responsibilities of Employment G9CY44 Group Award H18L44 Exploring Wellbeing H18M44 Improving Wellbeing GF2N 44 Group Award D51909 Using a Keyboard
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Irvine LP Pg 36 HEB Healthy Eating on a Budget BAS Basic Sociology and Life Planning PRESSKILL Presentation Skills BASFAID Basic First Aid BBV BBV, Naloxone and Other Phase 2 – Progress F3GB10 Communications J1CY44 Understanding Mental Health Issues J1D1 44 Influences on Mental Health and Wellbeing J1CW 44 Coping Strategies and Building Resilience GP2T 44 Mental Health Group Award – Level 4 FR2610 Prepare to Volunteer RF2710 Volunteering Experience FR2810 Volunteering investigative Project GD1P44 Award in Volunteering SIGNSUPP Signposting and The Support Network LEGISLATION Legislation CODESOCSAR Codes of Conduct in Social Care RA Risk Assessment PREP SVQ Prep BASCOUN Basic Counselling DRUGAWARE Drug Awareness and Workshop facilitation LGBTQ+ LGBTQ+ awareness SOCNETEMPLOY Social Networking and Advanced Employability ADVOCACY Advocacy A large majority of those completing both courses will be given the opportunity to go on to complete an SVQ in Health and Social Care, which will open many paid work opportunities for successful students.
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Irvine LP Pg 37 By opening the College to students, they also have the opportunity to attend full time college courses as the barrier to attending college has been broken as people feel more confident in their learning abilities. By participating in the course, it will have a positive impact on their mental health and wellbeing. In addition, the course will help to develop the participants skills, increasing their chances of employment, further minimising the risk of living in poverty. 5. What engagement has taken place in relation to the project? Please include the number of people who have been engaged with or consulted as well as the range of people. The ADP supported the facilitation of a development day in April 2023. A wide range of people from across North Ayrshire came together to discuss possible areas for development for people in recovery. A strong theme which emerged was people in recovery being given the opportunity to develop their skills that could potentially lead to employment in the future. Since, the development day the ADP have supported the development of a Lived Experience Panel and members of this group have reinforced the importance of people being given opportunities to further develop their skills which better prepares them for employment in roles such as Recovery Development Workers. This type of course being available in North Ayrshire demonstrates that the community is willing to make an investment in people with lived experience to support them in sustaining their recovery, but also give people a chance to contribute positively to their community through volunteering. Moreover, engagement with people with lived experience and colleagues within addictions services has highlighted that people with lived experience can use their own experience and influence to try to connect with people in active addiction and encourage them into recovery. The contribution of those with lived experience in support service and across recovery communities was noted as being extremely valuable, this course would help to harness and build upon that value.
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Irvine LP Pg 38 6. How will the project be managed? Please include: • How the finances will be managed • Does the proposed project contribute to volunteering or employment opportunities in Irvine? Please include the number of volunteering opportunities and employment opportunities • If there are any staff requirements, please outline your HR plans The projects finances will be managed by Turning Point Scotland. If successful, the investment will contribute to funding a post to help support the participants on the course. The person involved will be hugely valuable in helping people to sustain and complete the course, source volunteering opportunities, and help people plan for their next steps. 7. Amount of funding being requested. Please supply details of funding being requested and any other funding you have had over the past 5 years, both financially and “in kind”. Amount of funding requested (£) 96,112 Please give a breakdown of cost and recent quotations where appropriate. Year 1 Year 2 Total Payroll 30,197 31,707 61,094 Training 906 951 1,857 Laptop / Phone 570 599 1,169 Room Hire 8,640 9,072 17,712 Catering 3,300 3,465 6,765 National Support Costs 3,271 3,435 6,706 Total 46,884 49,228 96,112
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Irvine LP Pg 39 8. Monitoring and evaluation process Please include detail on the monitoring and evaluation processes planned or in place. We will agree a minimum dataset to be collected with the funders however we anticipate that the key information to be recorded and analysed will include: • Demographic information about all participants, including information on protected characteristics • • Referral sources • • Levels of engagement of participants • • Units successfully completed • • Personal outcomes • • Progression in to volunteering, education, employment or training
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Irvine LP Pg 40 Community Investment Fund - Expression of Interest Organisation name Crossing Together (Irvine Parish Church: Charity Number SC008725) Brief details of organisation Crossing Together is a project based in Bourtreehill, established by the Church of Scotland, covering the Irvine area. The aims of Crossing Together are to establish a new intergenerational church in the south Irvine area, and to develop practical support services that respond to the social needs in the local community, promoting wellbeing in the local community and role modelling values of caring for each other. Crossing Together has one part- time employee and a small group of volunteers. We offer a range of weekly activities and seasonal events that are free for all to ensure accessibility is maximised to people from Irvine and surrounding areas. The weekly activities include a Monday Hub serving breakfast which sees between 25 and 35 people attend weekly to the warm free hub, building friendships and social connections of natural support, decreasing isolation, and encouraging increased self-worth and positive mental wellbeing along with access to the ‘New to Me’ clothing project. We also offer a safe space at Wellbeing Wednesdays where weekly 18-20 participants come together for a free hot lunch followed by developing skills through arts, recovery workshops and engaging in community action. The seasonal events have included a community BBQ, Easter ‘Eggtravaganza’ and Christmas events along with our monthly community meal and praise event. We are just weeks away from holding our third annual Christmas Candlelight Parade and community meal. The seasonal events bring over 100 people from across Irvine together to access the activities as well as hospitality promoting action against food poverty. Locality Irvine Amount Requested £98,000 Timescale Two years Brief Overview of Proposal Project Details Over the past two years Crossing Together has developed a Monday Hub, open every week providing free hospitality, which offers a sense of community and increases individual well-being. The Hub operates as a pickup point for the library, which is no longer open in the area.
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Irvine LP Pg 41 Within the Hub we also have a New to Me Clothing Project that people can access free preloved clothing/accessories. This gives people a sense of self- worth and allows them to budget in the current financial climate for other essential bills. It also encourages us to look after the environment. We developed the clothing project after speaking to the local community who came up with the idea. It is promoting community action to tackle local poverty and improving people's mental health and wellbeing. Local people, charities and services are accessing the project. We recently supported a 24-year-old mum of two children aged 3 years and 7 months, with clothing for the family as they had fled domestic violence and were placed in temporary housing as they had to leave their belongings behind. Another example of support is a local 87-year-old man who is struggling financially who we again supported to provide clothing as he has lost weight due to health needs and due to financial pressures of the cost-of-living crisis he was not able to purchase new items. We also supported the man to arrange an appointment with Christian's Against Poverty (CAP) to offer support and advice with money matters, debt and budgeting. We have recently started to expand on work with a 6-week block taster 2- hour session ‘Art for the Soul’ group followed by a 6-week CHIME course in partnership with The Recovery College. These are tutor led art/craft and self-esteem building sessions, with lunch provided, exploring nature, friendship/connectedness and mindfulness/self-growth. The groups have been attended well with two individuals coming along who had been signposted to us from the Job Center to enhance their skills and wellbeing for employability. Crossing Together currently works out of Relief Mission Centre. As a former church building it can be off-putting for people to come into, and this can reduce accessibility for all. The Church of Scotland is also currently reviewing all its properties in Irvine, and so longer-term future of the building is uncertain. We are therefore looking to rent other premises that are accessible to all and are in the heart of the community. Crossing Together works closely with the local Health and Social Care Partnership, charities like Children 1st, Age Concern, and CAP (Christians Against Poverty), The Recovery College, as well as homeless, alcohol and drug recovery and mental health services. The service that we offer is unique in the area and we are in regular conversation with other local groups to ensure that what we offer will enhance and complement the services available to people living in the area. We have a diverse group of people of all ages and with varying needs coming together and learning to support each other. It is a blessing to see relationships form and often the varying ages and needs would not fit together but through role modelling a community family has been formed. As we recovered from the pandemic people shared there was a local need for community and connection. Many people who now attend were
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Irvine LP Pg 42 isolated during the pandemic and are finding a sense of belonging and a purpose in the community again. A 72-year-old lady was shielding during the pandemic and had not left her home for over 2 years due to fear and anxiety, but she now attends twice a week and reports she feels as those she has developed new skills and made strong friendships who check in on her during the week. Proposal We want to consolidate all these areas and build on this over the next two years by: Recruiting two part time workers • Activities co-ordinator to organise and run the Monday Hub, organise the Wellbeing Wednesday Groups, and other community building activities as they are identified. • Resources co-ordinator to oversee volunteers, project publicity, and liaise with external organisations including funders, and manage project budget. Funding for sessional workers and volunteer expenses to run short courses, materials and catering. Venue – either all new venue or hiring rooms to hold activities in more accessible venues for people across locality. We have linked in with North Ayrshire Council to discuss local availability of lets in and around the Bourtreehill/Broomlands area in particular the shops in the Vennel, Bourtreehill and the Oasis Café at Broomlands Gate which would be ideal locations to continue to serve in the area we have built good relationships in and remain accessible Irvine wide. Costings Projected annual cost is: • Staffing Two part time workers equating to 1 full time equivalent £36,000 yearly – Total £72,000 for 2 years • Sessional / Volunteer Expenses £1,000 yearly – Total £2,000 for 2 years • To facilitate short courses & activities £4,000 yearly – Total £8,000 for 2 years • Activity Expenditure To cover materials and catering £2,000 yearly – Total £4,000 for 2 years • Venue Hire £6,000 yearly – Total £12,000 for 2 years Total Annual Expenditure £49,000 – Total Expenditure for 2 years £98,000
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Irvine LP Pg 43 Match Funding We intend to apply for further funding from Awards for All, Seeds for Growth and The Big Give to support any funding awarded. We are a Church Project that is self-sustainable in the Irvine area who had a startup budget from Church of Scotland of £4,000 and the commitment to fund our Mission Pioneer post of 22.5 hours per week for 4 years. Which has 2 years left of the salary funding before it will be reviewed. Key Aim The North Ayrshire Partnership Plan identifies Wellbeing as a priority. One of the outcomes identified is: • We have strong relationships within our communities to reduce social isolation and loneliness. The work of Crossing Together directly addresses social isolation and loneliness and contributes to building community wellbeing, and so will contribute to the outcomes of the plan. Additional information is attached: Mission Pioneer Report Costings For Posts Contact Details Mobile: Email: • Notes for application • The CIF will support proposals that • Connect with o The NA Fair for All Inequalities Strategy o The CPP and Local Priorities o NAC’s values, priorities, and business objectives; • Fulfil a compelling need and do not duplicate existing services or facilities; • Provide long-term, sustainable, positive results for the greatest number of people possible; • Exhibit project and/or organisational innovation in their approaches to their work in their way of addressing community challenges and in their request to Locality Partnerships and the Council; • Come from an organsiation that is financially viable (can provide financial statements upon request) and efficiently and effectively managed; • Include options or potential for NSC and CPP employee engagement and volunteering where possible; and • Include measurable outcomes and can report to NAC on outcomes on a regular basis. • When and how to apply
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Irvine LP Pg 44 • Groups should have an initial discussion with the relevant Locality Officer. Their contact details are available by emailing communityplanning@north-ayrshire.gov.uk • Initial interest in a CIF application should be via an expression of interest form sent to the Locality Officer. This will be discussed by the LP or an associated working group. • If the partnership supports a bid, then the group will be encouraged to submit a full application form, which they will decide upon before making a proposal to the Cabinet for full approval. • for full approval.
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The CIF will support proposals and projects that: ● Connect with: o The North Ayrshire Fair for All Inequalities Strategy; o the Community Planning Partnership (CPP) and LocalStevity priorities; and o North Ayrshire Council’s (NAC) values, priorities and business objectives. ● Fulfil a compelling need and do not duplicate existing services or facilities; ● Provide long-term, sustainable, positive results for the greatest number of people possible; ● Exhibit project and/or organisational innovation in their approaches to their work in their way of addressing community challenges and in their request to Locality Partnerships and the Council; ● Come from (an) organisation(s) that is financially viable (can provide financial statements upon request) and efficiently and effectively managed. This can include an organisation to be created to deliver the project; ● Include options or potential for NAC and CPP employee engagement and volunteering where possible; and ● Include measurable outcomes and can report to NAC on outcomes on a regular basis. When to apply and how? ● LPs should continue to engage with their communities, and stimulate interest in the CIF. The Locality Partnership will then strategically assess the applications, make links and look at the funding ‘in the round’. ● If the partnership supports a bid then the group will be encouraged to submit a full application form (attached), which they will decide upon before making a proposal to Cabinet for final approval. ● The finalised proposal will go to the next suitable Cabinet for final approval. ● Forms should be returned to your Locality Officer, by email if possible: For more information see the guidance form here: http://www.northayrshire.community/wp-content/uploads/sites/60/2018/06/community-invest ment-fund-guidance-notes-17-12-17.pdf
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1. Details of your organisation Name of Organisation Stevenston Community Council Postal Address for Correspondence 54 Campbell Avenue Name of Contact Person Don Campbell Position in Organisation Secretary Telephone Number Email Address 2. Brief description of your organisation Please include its legal status, aims and objectives, activities or services provided and how long it has been in existence. Community Councils were established under the same legislation as North Ayrshire Council and have a duty to represent the residents of Stevenston. Members are elected from nominations on a 4-year cycle and endeavor to advocate for the town. We provide a voice to promote positive changes to the town. As such we are a non-charitable voluntary organisation. Stevenson Community Council was first established in 2017 In Addition the Commyunity council adopted a constitution
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3. Title and summary of proposal Tell us about your idea. Please describe in as much detail as possible, what the funding will be used for. Please include: • where it will be held / delivered • who is your target audience • who will benefit from it and how • any partners that are involved. Over several years inconsistencies in local signage have been noted, including very tired Heritage trail interpretation boards at least 20 years old; in some cases, most have become very faded and others are unreadable or missing altogether. Any non-road direction signs don’t show local places. Signs along the cycle route don’t mention Stevenson or parts of the town. The original nature reserve information boards at the beach are long past their replacement dates and there are non in the Rec park where lots of effort has gone into increasing the biodiversity and making a carbon capture positive. The value of this work must be promoted to all ages as they walk around the towns nature reserves. The Community Council members met early this year to create an ambitious list of proposals to enhance both visitors’ active travel navigation of the town and enhance the residents' understanding of the under-promoted nature reserves and valuable green spaces. We followed this up with an online survey post on our own and local social media sites asking for support and suggestions. The options were displayed in the library for additional comment. Detailed changes and additional signs/ interpretation boards were collated over the summer and then presented to relevant NAC services for their comments and technical expertise input. We must thank Streetscene, Roads, Heritage, and Community Development for their invaluable advice.
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4. What difference will this project make within the locality and to local services and programmes? Please include: ● The outcomes you aim to achieve ● How you will approach reducing inequality ● How this proposal fits with the Locality Partnership priorities of 1. Promoting the Local Economy and Tourism 2. Regenerating Community Facilities 3. Increasing Civic Pride and Community Engagement, Improving Community Wellbeing. The outcome of this project will be the provision of useful direction signs highlighting places of interest and community assets that are up to date long-lasting. A refreshed Heritage trail and new nature reserve information boards highlighting the value of the biodiversity and variety of the town's green spaces. Green spaces which will are vital to combatting Climate change and carbon zero targets. Inequality has many factors and we believe at times the residents of Stevenston think their town is not as good as any other and have been led to believe there is nothing to be proud of or that makes Stevenston special. Something most have heard other people say when telling them we live in Stevenson. While many have heard about ICI Nobel and the history of the Adeer peninsular factory the town was a vital part of Scotland and with the link to the Hamiltons of Kerlaw, this brings Stevenston to the worldwide interest in American history and many visitors are looking for these links to their families history. The Beach Nature Reserve is recognised as a national asset previously being featured in BBC nature programs. By improving the signage and information available we hope that residents are more positive about their town and where they live is as good as any other town in Scotland. This project supports 1. Promoting the local economy and tourism by improving the ability of visitors to actively travel around the town to follow the local history trail and Nature reserves. As the reputation of the town as a place to visit not just pass through improves then more income will come to the local businesses 2. Regenerating Community Facilities by replacing worn-out signs and putting in place new ones more relevant to active travel and places of interest. 3. Increasing Civic Pride and Community Engagement, By replacing tired old signs and boards with new ones and the new nature reserve signs we hope to address any
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adverse attitudes that the town is rundown and in decline. We have been pleased by the positive community engagement about this project with lots of encouragement to do more in the future by showing what can be done by a small community group we hope more residents will get involved in the future for bigger projects. 4. Improving Community Wellbeing. Wellbeing will be improved through encouraging active travel ie walking, wheeling, and showing how the towns' green spaces are vital to tackling Climate change and an important part of Ayrshires nature reserves. Encouraging the town's residents to be positive about their town.
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5. What engagement has taken place in relation to the project? Please include the number of people who have been engaged with or consulted as well as the range of people. This project idea was shared on the community councils own social media page and then shared across a number of local social media pages. We estimate at approx. 1000 people interacted with our posts most comments have been positive. We also displayed the project plans in the library for over a month and received a few suggestions and comments most were similar to “ good idea” . We have also individually been able to promote the project and had positive responses to the project when we have been in public and during the community council meetings.
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6. How will the project be managed? Please include: ● How the finances will be managed ● Does the proposed project contribute to volunteering or employment opportunities in Three Towns? Please include the number of volunteering opportunities and employment opportunities ● If there are any staff requirements, please outline your HR plans The community council will be responsible for paying the invoices for the work as they come due. Our partners in roads and street scene and the contractor will oversee the installation and sign off the quality. All the community council are volunteers and have contributed a considerable number of hours to the planning and research of this project. There are 6 Community councillors. No staffing required
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7. Amount of funding being requested Please supply details of the funding being requested and any other funding you have had over the past 5 years, both financially and “in kind”. Amount of funding requested (£) 29,988 Please give a breakdown of cost and recent quotations where appropriate. Project Costs (quoted costs have been rounded up) The following costs are based on quotes received November 23. A 15% additional contingency amount has been prudently included to cover unforeseen cost increases caused by the timeline of the funding process and the project start date being March 24. Any excess would be returned to the locality partnership. Road Signs £1640 Street Signs, Heritage Boards nature reserve display to be provided and installed by contractor £23,015 Design contractor £800 Installation of finger post £622 Returnable Contingency £ 3912 We must thank staff from Roads, Streetscene, and Heritage services for their in-kind support and advice which has helped reduce the original estimated cost considerably. Without this expertise, this project would have been very difficult. Previous funding and purpose 2018 £1500 local donation for town center Garden improvement. 2022 £8000 lottery for town centre gardens 2023 £5000 lottery for beach pavilion art project.
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8. Monitoring and evaluation process
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Please include details on the monitoring and evaluation processes planned or in place. Project monitoring. Installation quality assurance will be through Roads and Streetscene for Signs in public spaces due to the legal responsibility involved for NAC. Community Council members will also observe installations and provide feedback if required. Evaluation will be via a post-project survey to encourage residents to consider additional projects to enhance the town further. This will also help future projects that are proposed to be under the responsibility of the Newly Created Stevenston Development Company (Charitable organisation)