5. CIF - Cabinet - 02.05.2023
North Ayrshire Council · 2 May 2023
Back to Cabinet — 2 May 2023 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 2 May 2023 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 North Coast and Cumbraes and Three Towns Locality Partnerships in line with CIF criteria; b) Approves the CIF application in relation to Ardrossan Scouts Group; c) Approves the early release of £15,000 from a sum of previously agreed to be ringfenced for Ardrossan Community Sports Hub; and d) Approves the CIF application in relation to West Kilbride Community Sports Club and Friends of Kirktonhall Glen. 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 though 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. 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 plans and are refining proposals for expenditure in line with their locally identified needs. This is a difficult process, and it is a testament to the dedication of the Locality Partnerships and their community partners that proposals are now emerging to provide creative 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. 1.4 These proposals have been approved to be submitted to Cabinet through a process of collaboration and consensus by the Three Towns Locality Partnership.
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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 though 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: 2.2 It was agreed that the CIF awards 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; • 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 request) and efficiently and effectively managed. This can include an organisation to be created to deliver the project; 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 £562 184 £290 000 £580 000 £1 061 816 Kilwinning £286 000 £286 190 £120 000 £240 000 £359 810 Three Towns £598 000 £616 206 £240 000 £480 000 £556, 027 Garnock Valley £390 000 £341 805 £150 000 £300 000 £498 195 North Coast £468 000 £422 316 £170 000 £340 000 £555 684 Arran £104 000 £45 226 £30 000 £60 000 £148 774 TOTAL £2 600 000 £2 273 927 £1 000 000 £2 000 000 £3 326 073
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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 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 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 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 Balance £556, 027 2.6 Proposal: Ardrossan Scout Group - £100,000 (see Appendix 1) 2.6.1 Ardrossan Scout Group has been in existence for over 100 years. It is a registered charity. It is an autonomous organisation holding its own property and equipment. It is subject to the policies of the Scout Association, including Equal Opportunities Policy and Health and Safety Policy. 2.6.2. The aim of Scouting is to actively engage young people in their personal development,
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empowering them to make a positive contribution to society. The Scouts also offer personal development opportunities to young and older adults through volunteering as leaders, assistants, and trustees. 2.6.3. The Scout Hut was built in 1967 and requires refurbishment to bring it up to modern day building standards, make it fit for purpose and more importantly sustainable with reduced running costs and maintenance. The fabric of the building is now failing and beyond designed lifespan. 2.6.4. The most pressing requirements are to:- • Remove the roof, including removal of asbestos, and replace with an insulated alternative • Remove all ceiling panels • Install an effective and efficient heating system • Reconfigure the internal layout to make a more flexible and usable space. 2.6.5. The funding requested is to support the first phase of work, which is the removal and replacement of the roof. An energy efficiency assessment has been completed by Business Energy Scotland, which includes financial savings and reduction in carbon emissions which would result from replacing the roof. 2.6.6. Once refurbished, the centre would be a pleasant and attractive space for existing users as well as for new users. The Scouts group have been working closely with other local groups including Ardrossan Community Development Trust (ACDT), Ardrossan Community Sports Hub and NAC Community Development Staff and this work would complement other local plans such as the South Beach project by ACDT. 2.6.7. The project would contribute towards the Locality Partnership’s priorities of Regenerating Community Facilities, Increasing Civic Pride and Community Engagement and Improving Community Wellbeing through offering improved facilities for a range of activities. It would also help reduce carbon emissions and utilities costs. The total cost of phase 1 of the project is between £127,280.27 and £128,827.15. The remaining balance after the use of the CIF award would come from fundraising by and donations to the group which have been set aside for general refurbishment activities. 2.7 Proposal : Early Release of £15,000 to Ardrossan Community Sports Hub (see Appendix 2) 2.7.1. The Three Towns Locality Partnership is requesting the early release of £15,000 to Ardrossan Community Sports Hub. This will enable the project to progress with consultancy and design work needed to obtain match funding for the project. This award will be part of the £100,000 money previously ringfenced from CIF by Cabinet in January 2023 for the installation of a 3G synthetic surface at their Winton Park facility. The money is needed for planning, design, and architectural fees to allow the project to proceed. The group have indicated that until they are able to do this, the entire project is at risk of not proceeding and the early release will allow them to continue their work to obtain the match funding required. The full cost of the project including VAT is expected to be around £550,000.
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2.7.2. The previous decision was that the £100,000 CIF funding remained ringfenced until the rest of the project funding was in place. Changing the conditions of grant to agree an early release of funds from a previously approved grant would require the suspension of Standing Orders as the decision to award the grant was taken less than six months previously. Cabinet is asked to consider whether it is appropriate to do so under these circumstances in order to allow the project to proceed. 2.8 North Coast and Cumbraes Locality Partnership The allocation and funds committed to date are outlined in the table below. The North Coast & Cumbraes Locality Partnership CIF allocation to date £978,000 Organic Growers of Fairlie £22,800 Clearer Minds £30,200 Millport Town Hall £200,000 Sing Your Song (WKCIL) £14,892 Locality Priorities Worker £35,948 West Kilbride Technical & Creative Training Programme £76,605 Locality Priorities worker - extension of support £41,871 Balance £555,684 2.9 Proposal: West Kilbride Community Sports Club (WKCSC) and Friends of Kirktonhall Glen (FOKG) - £6,750 (see Appendix 3) 2.9.1. West Kilbride Community Sports Club (WKCSC) is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) established in 2013 The Club has undertaken two main projects so far in Kirktonhall Glen in pursuit of its aim of improving sports facilities in West Kilbride. These have been an upgrading of the formerly redundant tennis courts the comprehensive refurbishment of a previously dilapidated sports pavilion. Both projects were completed within budget and to a very high standard. The tennis courts are now operated by the relaunched tennis club which has subsequently become one of the largest and most successful in Ayrshire with a membership of around 200 and an extensive coaching programme for young people. The new sports pavilion has been shared between the tennis club and West Kilbride Amateurs football club providing excellent facilities for both. 2.9.2. Friends of Kirktonhall Glen (FOKG) is a properly constituted sub-committee of West Kilbride Community Council. Established in April 2021 the group offers an opportunity for all those with an interest in the future of Kirktonhall Glen to take part in discussions about the Glen and how it may be developed and maintained. The group includes representatives from the Community Council, Sports Club, Environmental Group of WK Initiative, children’s groups such as Woodland Wakeup, the Bee Keepers & the Civic Society. They have also been supported by local elected members. 2.9.3. The proposal is for funding to employ a Funding Consultant to scope the availability of funding for two projects and to complete applications on their behalf:
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1) The potential to raise £800k for the development of a synthetic pitch on the currently derelict blaes area of the Glen. The Sports Club have already been accepted to submit an application for up to £250k to the Community Ownership Fund (COF). 2) To identify funding to cover a further 30% of funds needed to complete the upgrading of two pathways in the Glen. The initial 70% is being provided by Pathways For All through the Ian Findlay Fund. 2.9.4. Funding would be managed by West Kilbride Community Sports Club, with a small voluntary committee from both clubs overseeing the work of the funding consultant. 2.9.5. The proposal aligns well with the Locality Partnership’s priorities of Increasing Social Inclusion and Improving Mental Wellbeing. Through the potential leverage of large amounts of external funding, it offers the residents of West Kilbride further opportunities to come together to engage in physical activity and enjoy the outdoors and green space. Some funding is already in place, specifically for the pathways project, and the support of the funding consultant would help to ensure that is accessed through finding appropriate match funding. 3. Proposals 3.1 That Cabinet: a) Reviews the enclosed applications from the North Coast and Cumbraes and Three Towns Locality Partnerships in line with CIF criteria; b) Approves the CIF application in relation to Ardrossan Scouts Group; c) Approves the early release of £15,000 from a sum of previously agreed to be ringfenced for Ardrossan Community Sports Hub; and d) Approves the CIF application in relation to West Kilbride Community Sports Club and Friends of Kirktonhall Glen. 4. Implications/Socio-economic Duty Financial 4.1 CIF funding is allocated within existing resources. Human Resources 4.2 None. Legal 4.3 A decision to release funding early to Ardrossan Community Sports Club would require a suspension of Standing Orders due to the timescale of the previous decision.
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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 he North Ayrshire Council Plan priorities: • Active and strong communities • Inclusive, growing, and enterprising local economy • People enjoy good life-long health and wellbeing. 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 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. Audrey Sutton Executive Director (Communities & Education) For further information please contact Rhonda Leith, Head of Service (Connected Communities), on (01294) 324415. Background Papers Appendix 1: CIF Application: Ardrossan Scouts Group Appendix 2: CIF Application: Ardrossan Community Sports Hub Appendix 3: CIF Application: West Kilbride Community Sports Club and Friends of Kirktonhall Glen
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND THREE TOWNS 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: 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 Colin Ferris Locality Officer (Three Towns Locality) North Ayrshire Council Base: St John’s Email: colinferris@north-ayrshire.gov.uk
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND THREE TOWNS LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP 1. Details of your organisation Name of Organisation Ardrossan Scout Group Postal Address for Correspondence Name of Contact Person Sandra Bale Position in Organisation Trustee/ Executive Group Member Telephone Number Click or tap here to enter text. 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. Ardrossan Scout Group has been in existence for over 100 years. It is a registered charity. It is an autonomous organisation holding its own property and equipment. It is subject to the policies of the Scout Association, including Equal Opportunities Policy and Health and Safety Policy. The aim of Scouting is to actively engage young people in their personal development, empowering them to make a positive contribution to society. We also offer personal development opportunities to young and older adults through volunteering as leaders, assistants and trustees.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND THREE TOWNS LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP The objectives are for young people and adults to work together, based on the values of scouting and :- • Enjoy what they are doing and have fun • Take part in activities indoors and outdoors • Learn by doing • Share in spiritual reflection • Take responsibility and make choices • Undertake new and challenging activities • Make and live by their promise They take part in activities such as nature studies, creative arts, cooking ,games, camping, first aid, outdoor activities and survival skills, all of which give them skills for life and include personal development such as teamwork, leadership, communication, and time management. The Scout Group comprises 4 age group sections:- • Beavers 6-8 years • Cubs 8-10 years • Scouts 10.5 -14 years • Three Towns Explorers Unit 14 to 18 years Currently we have 70 young people and support a voluntary adult leadership of 13 and 11 committee members. As well as the various sections of the Scout Group using our premises at Kilmeny Terrace, Ardrossan, our premises are also open to community groups to let. Currently the following groups are using the premises to meet in and to store equipment:- • Table Tennis Club • Akaido Club • Mother and Toddler Group • Drum4UrLife Group • Canoe Club • Woodland Wake Up • Attainment Training • RamH College This amounts to approximately another 60 users.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND THREE TOWNS 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. ARDROSSAN SCOUT HUT REFURBISHMENT The Scout Hut was built in 1967.We have to refurbish it to bring it up to modern day building standards, make it fit for purpose and more importantly sustainable with reduced running costs and maintenance. The fabric of the building is now failing and beyond designed lifespan.The most pressing requirements are:- Remove the roof, including removal of asbestos, and replace with an insulated alternative Remove all ceiling panels Install an effective and efficient heating system Reconfigure the internal layout to make a more flexible and usable space. The roof is in poor condition, has been extensively patched and is progressively leaking. It has reached the end of its lifespan and to make the building sustainable for the future requires to be replaced. The replacement of the roof would then allow us to upgrade the heating system, which is currently in the form of electric heaters suspended from the ceilings. These are inefficient and costly to run. An energy efficiency assessment has been completed by Business Energy Scotland, which includes financial savings and reduction in carbon emissions which would result from replacing the roof. We already have planning permission and have engaged an architect and a quantity surveyor. The plans have been drawn up in such a way that the refurbishment can be done on a phased basis, as and when funding allows. As well as the current users, the target audience is new users. We recognise that the Scout Hut has not been fully utilised in the past and we want to open it up further to
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND THREE TOWNS LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP community use and make it a local community centre, particularly as there is no community centre in this part of Ardrossan. Community groups and Scout groups will benefit from it, along with individual users who may wish to let the premises. They will benefit from a modern facility, which is comfortable and warm. We believe that we can offer affordable lets for a range of groups. It can also be open to individual lets for events. We believe there is a demand for a modern, well appointed and affordable community facility in this area. We have been liaising closely with Ardrossan Community Development Trust, who have plans in place for development of the South Beach area of Ardrossan to regenerate it and to bring more community use into that area and we consider that our plans would complement theirs. We have also been liaising with Ardrossan Community Sports Hub regarding possible joint activities and with North Ayrshire Council’s community development officers.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND THREE TOWNS LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP 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. OUTCOMES Provision of affordable, comfortable and highly practical accommodation for as many community groups and individuals as possible. Compliance with modern day building regulations and health and safety standards. Reduction in energy costs and carbon emissions. Increased income to the Scout Group to make its premises sustainable for the future. Increased income to allow the Scout Group to invest in its young people. REDUCING INEQUALITY Make the premises fully accessible. Increased income will allow the Scout Group to subsidise membership costs when required, to ensure that no one is unable to join the Scout Group because of finance. The premises are open to all. LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP PRIORITIES Meets the following priorities: - Regenerating Community Facilities - A refurbished Scout Hut to a high standard will allow increased community usage.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND THREE TOWNS LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP Increasing Civic Pride and Community Engagement - Will fit with the plans to regenerate this area of Ardrossan. Will give the community a facility that can be widely used and open to all. Improving Community Wellbeing - Will allow more community activities to be held in this area of Ardrossan.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND THREE TOWNS 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. A consultation was undertaken some years ago with members of the Scout Group, their parents, other users of the premises, community associations and children from local schools. They were asked about the current provision of facilities, their views of Scouting and what changes needed to be made going forward. In relation to the building itself, the most common concern was that, although well loved, it was not fit for purpose and should be upgraded. They considered that there was a need to upgrade the facilities to create a safe and comfortable environment in which to work and learn. It also took account of a piece of research compiled by Community Education in 2014 involving 103 teenagers, which examined gaps in community provision in the area. Scouting was seen by them as closely linked to the outdoors and associated with adventure. 94% of the teenagers said they would like to take part in an adventurous activity. 79% said they would like to do some sort of outdoor activity. The number of people engaged with across the more recent forms of consultation amounts to over 100. A face to face consultation was held at our Christmas Fayre in November 2022, which was open to any member of the public. The results showed that 100% agreed that the Scout Hut was in need of refurbishment. 75% thought that their community group would use it. Of the remainder, some were not a member of a community group. Some were involved in groups in their local church. Members of St Peter’s Church and of Park Church in Ardrossan have indicated that their lets are at capacity, so we believe that there would be an overspill demand to use our premises. 80% said that they as an individual would be interested in using it for a family event. A number of adults who were former members of the Scout Group commented that the Scout Hut had not changed since their day. A consultation was also held recently with user groups. Comments included:- • “How cold it is.” • “Heating is not great, Sessions would be more relaxed and enjoyable with improved heating”.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND THREE TOWNS LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP • “Improve the heating.” • “Toilets are a bit iffy”. • “The fabric of the building is rather tired. Any improvements would be welcome” . • “ Disabled access - portable ramps are ok, but better access would be a bonus, both internally and externally. Improved access would allow us to widen the attraction of our drum circles”. Things that user groups like about the building include the location and the size of the rooms. As well as having two large halls, meeting rooms, a kitchen and ample storage space, the Scout Hut is on a main bus route, close to two railway stations and has ample parking making it ideal for community use. A further consultation was held online in February 2023. The responses came from Scout Group members, Adult Not for Profit Community Groups, Small Businesses, Other Groups and Local Residents with the majority of responses, 55% coming from those who classified themselves as local residents and the remainder split across the other categories. 85% responded that they would be interested in using the scout community hub if it was value for money and comfortably refurbished. Over 40% indicated that there would be up to 30 participants using the premises. Almost 40% indicated they would wish to use the entire facility. In terms of features which would be necessary for them as a group or individual, the top feature required by 78% of respondents was “warm and comfortable”. This fits in with our priority in the phasing of the works, which is to replace the roof and insulate it in order to minimise heat loss.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND THREE TOWNS LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP 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 FINANCES The finances will be managed by the Group Treasurer, with regular reports to the Executive Group, who will have overall control of the finances and the project. There is a project plan which breaks down the overall refurbishment into phases, as and when income allows. An architect and a quantity surveyor have been engaged to manage the project. VOLUNTEERING The Scout Group wishes to attract more volunteers to help run their own sections and allow them to increase their membership numbers. They also wish to attract more community users. They believe that a refurbished Scout Hut will attract more users generally and therefore will attract more volunteers
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND THREE TOWNS LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP 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 (£) £100,000 Please give a breakdown of cost and recent quotations where appropriate. OTHER FUNDING OVER PAST 5 YEARS • Hugh Fraser Foundation £4,000 • Robertson Trust Wee Grants £2,000 • Robert Barr Trust £10,000 • Community Benefit Fund £2,700 BREAKDOWN OF COSTS • Option 1 £127,280.27 • Option 2 £128,827.15 These options are based on recent quotations and include: - Roof Replacement, Asbestos Removal, Scaffolding and VAT
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND THREE TOWNS LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP 8. Monitoring and evaluation process Please include detail on the monitoring and evaluation processes planned or in place. The Executive Group will use the following outputs to monitor and evaluate the refurbishment:- • Number of community groups using the premises. • Number of hours per week when the premises are being used. • Footfall per week. • Number of Scout Group members. • Number of community group members. • Number of volunteers. • Feedback from users. • Reduction in energy and maintenance costs.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND **** LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP The CIF will support proposals and projects that: • 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; • 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 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: Name Colin Ferris Locality Officer (Three Towns Locality) North Ayrshire Council St John’s Primary School Morrison Avenue Stevenston KA20 4HH Email: colinferris@north-ayrshire.gov.uk Tel: 475912/212 Mob: 0758461250
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND **** LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP 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 1. Details of your organisation Name of Organisation Ardrossan Community Sports Hub Postal Address for Correspondence Name of Contact Person Eddie Gibb Position in Organisation Trustee Telephone Number Click or tap here to enter text. 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. Ardrossan Community Sports Hub are a Registered Charity (SC049582) who were created in 2019 to promote a healthier Ardrossan where people are more active more often and where physical activity and sport helps bring about positive benefits for individuals and our community, including a sense of wellbeing, resilience and civic pride. We have 4 key objectives that we aim to deliver within Ardrossan: • To promote excellent physical and mental health through participation in person-centred sport and physical activity. • To promote a strong, resilient, sustainable, and supportive community which has pride in its achievements. • To develop skills for life, learning and work through volunteering and employment. • To improve access to sport and physical activities facilities and environments.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND **** LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP We have 133 members and beyond this our gym membership numbers stand at 340. Our 8 member Board are well connected with trusted community organisations such as Ardrossan Castle Heritage Society, Ardrossan Community Development Trust, Winton Rovers CIC, and local Primary and Secondary Parent Councils. To develop our activities we’ve consulted extensively with local people and groups using social media with over 1400 Facebook followers. During 20/21 ACSH took over a 7500q ft private gym in Ardrossan which had shut down during COVID – bringing a redundant building back to life, resurrecting this as a community asset and operating it as a community gym. Since the gym opened in May 2021; • more than 340 members have been signed up to take advantage of affordable, low cost gym membership generating membership income to provide the building block for a longer term sustainable community enterprise. • 5 staff have been employed and sustained to operate the facility, creating valuable employment opportunities for residents • several grant awards were secured to provide sporting activities for children and purchase equipment to enable local people facing financial hardship to access on line services and encourage children and parents to interact inside and outside during lockdowns. • a large external grass area was developed following a request from Winton Youth Academy to provide a turfed area suitable for their youngest teams to train and play games. Given ACSH’s status as a Registered charity, our track record in resurrecting a redundant gym and success in quickly establishing a significant membership and community profile, it is envisaged that we will take the lead role in the Winton 3G project.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND **** 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. Project Title – Winton Park 3G Background Ardrossan Winton Rovers Junior Football Club (AWR) are a well-loved institution within the town of Ardrossan and are committed to developing even further as a community club. Community use of the facilities at Winton Park, however, is constrained as the grass pitch is unable to take more intensive use. Ardrossan Community Sports Hub (ACSH) have a growing reputation and profile after resurrecting a Community Gym of the town in 2021 – operating now as a local social enterprise with more than 340 members and a track record in securing grant funding for projects. 15 teams currently operate under the umbrella of Ardrossan Winton Rovers Youth Academy (AWRYA), with more in the pipeline, with more than 325 youngsters registered within the Academy. Current Situation & Project Proposal A significant majority of AWRYA teams report great difficulty in hiring training facilities and a pitch for home games in Ardrossan – with none of the 15 playing in Ardrossan itself. Academy Managers reported difficulties travelling to train or play home games - both logistically and in terms of costs, with lower turnouts when travel is involved as a result. Significant expenditure (c £50-70k pa) is made by the AWRYA teams outside of Ardrossan in facility bookings and ancillary spend whilst teams travel for home games and training – representing leakage from the local community. Ardrossan contains significant pockets of deprivation with low income and poverty being a barrier to participation in sport. In health terms 45% of Three Towns data zones are in the top 15% most health deprived in Scotland, the highest rate for any local authority. Despite this there is obvious under provision of facilities within Ardrossan and the Three Towns when mapped against those available in other North Ayrshire towns such as Kilwinning, Irvine, Dreghorn and Kilbirnie. There are no Astroturf facilities within the Three Towns that are suitable in size or surface to accommodate 11 aside league games on. As a result a project partnership has been established to develop the business case and assemble funding to install a 3G synthetic surface at Winton Park. The development of a new community asset
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND **** LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP would help give the AWRYA teams an identity and an affinity to the club and town – with a local survey establishing likely positive impacts on participation on sports and physical activity. Project Partnership The project involves a delivery partnership with key roles for each of the three parties involved • Winton Park is owned by Ardrossan Winton Rovers Ltd, essential a holding company the shares in whom are wholly owned by Ardrossan Winton Rovers CIC – who are the legal vehicle for Ardrossan Winton Rovers Junior football team. Ardrossan Winton Rovers Ltd will retain ownership of Winton Park will lease the pitch to Ardrossan community Sports Hub for 25 years. Winton Park will remain the home ground of AWR who will have priority access to the facility for home matches and training. AWR will continue to operate the Supporters club, Hospitality Suite and changing rooms whilst making these available to the wider community. • With a 25 year lease for Winton Park in place, Ardrossan Community Sports Hub would be the lead partner in this project seeking capital funding to install the new 3G surface and procure and manage the works contract. Post installation ACSH will be responsible for overall facility management, financial management and marketing and promotion of the facility including managing pitch bookings via their software system. ACSH intend to enter into an Agreement with Ardrossan Winton Rovers CIC for the maintenance of the facility. • Ardrossan Winton Rovers Youth Academy teams would populate the facility for training and home games, providing sufficient income to make the facility financially sustainable and play a key role in managing and promoting wider community use. What will the Funding be Used for CIF funding will contribute to the capital funding package we are assembling for the project. Indicative cost estimates secured earlier in 2022 suggest this could be c £615,000 which includes provision for replacement of the existing grass surface with a new 3g synthetic surface, associated drainage and substructure work, ball retention fencing and netting, 3 sets of 7 a side and 1 set of full-size goals, allowance for new LED floodlighting system, installation of a modular changing facility with multipurpose room on site, professional fees and unrecoverable VAT. A detailed specification of the works involved is contained in the Business Plan, with an elemental cost breakdown shown in Section 7 of this application.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND **** LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP 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 *** Outcomes In developing the proposals set out in this application the project partnership will look to deliver the following activities and outcomes within the local community • Develop and operate a sustainable 3G facility that is able to meet the requirements of the wider local community as well as the Ardrossan Winton Rovers Youth Academy for a safe, welcoming and accessible venue • To promote excellent physical and mental health through participation in football, sport and physical activity. • Enable more children and young people engage in and enjoy positive sporting and diversionary activity. • Increase the number of players, coaches and clubs playing football and progressing through recognized national pathways. • Design and deliver specific programmes for a range of different groups within the community and link with related clubs and promote the new facility as a venue for local social and leisure events • Create employment and volunteering opportunities, developing skills for life, learning and work. • To improve access to sport and physical activities facilities and environments. • Increase the level of community engagement with the Winton Park facility and establish a reputation for quality and good practice. • To promote a strong, resilient, sustainable, and supportive community which has pride in its achievements. • Provide opportunities for participation in football and wider sports to local residents from underrepresented groups. Tackling Inequality Ardrossan with a population of c10,500, has quite significant challenges in relation to inequality, with numerous issues affecting the local population such as: low income, poor health, high unemployment, substance abuse and a lack of proper infrastructure in the town:
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND **** LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP Some of the statistics below paint a rather daunting picture with regards to some of the issues affecting our local Ardrossan residents. • 7 out of 13 Ardrossan data zones, accounting for 55% of the population, rank within the 20% most deprived in Scotland • In terms of income deprivation, 5 of Ardrossan’s 13 data zones are in the worst ten percent in Scotland with 6 of the data zones having income deprivation levels twice the Scottish average. • Ardrossan remains an unemployment blackspot. The neighbourhood of Ardrossan Central ranks the highest for both adult (9%) and youth (11%) unemployment in North Ayrshire. 7 of Ardrossan’s 13 data zones are in the worst 20% for employment deprivation in Scotland. • In health terms within Ardrossan 7 of 13 data zones are in the worst 20% in Scotland. • Ardrossan Central has the lowest male life expectancy in North Ayrshire (68.2 years versus 75.3 years) and the third lowest female life expectancy (75.2 years versus 80.1 years) This level of deprivation translates into significant inequalities in terms of being able to access and participate in sport and fitness activity – particularly for young people. This is compounded by the marked absence of local provision for sport and fitness within Ardrossan, where KA Leisure don’t operate any facilities. Despite overall increases in sports participation across the country in recent decades research indicates that those living in the most deprived areas – such as those prevalent within Ardrossan - continue to maintain an especially low level of participation. In March 22 we surveyed officials from the Ardrossan Winton Youth Academy about their experience of how the lack of facilities locally impact on young people’s participation. Feedback received included: • Ardrossan has no 11 aside Grass or Astroturf pitches or goals. There are 10,600 people in Ardrossan, and they all must travel to Saltcoats or Ardeer Rec in Stevenston to get use of grass playing facilities, which in Winter are either swamped due to poor drainage or ice has made the ground unplayable. Not to mention travelling miles to get there and at cost using public transport or cars. • I believe some of our boys pick and choose games depending on where it is based. • Travel/time/expense are definite barriers to us at AWRYA and applies to a lot of our players. • We must play all our home games away from home 9.5 miles away in Irvine - this proves to be a logistics problem most weeks trying to get 20-30 kids and parents that distance puts a strain on the coaches/parents and families. Also incurs additional costs as almost every week the team is having to travel away from its hometown to access decent quality facilities. • Some Girls can’t pay the expense so unfortunately miss out. It’s a real issue. • Some kids miss out as they wont or don’t travel to the home games due to parents lacking transport or the distance/cost to get there. This feedback has been crucial in convincing our project partnership to develop our proposals for a new 3g facility at Winton Park. ACSH commissioned a community survey in April 22 to test residents’ views on the 3G proposals which included their opinions about the potential wider community impacts. The feedback received from residents emphasised that the project would definitely play a
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND **** LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP role in addressing these inequality – with very large majorities expecting the project to have a positive impact on participation on sports and physical activity generally (92%) and on the health and wellbeing of people in the community (92%) whilst 89% felt it would improve the quality of life generally. Three Towns Locality Partnership Priorities The Winton 3G project will impact on the priorities of the Three Towns Locality Partnership in the following ways: Promoting the Local Economy and Tourism The project will lever significant new funding into Ardrossan from a range of public and Trust funders, leading to the creation of a significant new community asset. In funding the upgrade of Winton Park this investment will, in turn, help stem the leakage of expenditure from Ardrossan. Our survey work with our Winton Youth Academy teams earlier in 2022 established that these teams make significant expenditure (c £50-70k pa) outside of Ardrossan in facility bookings, travel and other ancillary spend whilst teams travel for home games and training – representing leakage from the local community. As local teams are able to play home games at the facility this will be reduced, with resultant benefits in terms of refreshment spend in local shops - not only from expenditure incurred by Winton players/parents but also from the resulting increase in visitor footfall to Ardrossan from opposition teams. Within our business plan we estimate that once the facility is up and running we will have around 66000 visits to Winton Park from over 1100 participants over the course of a year (including players, coaches, volunteers, youth and community groups). More directly the project will create 3 jobs in managing and operating the facility which will provide paid employment opportunities for local residents – with 2 of these posts targeted specifically on unemployed young people. Over a longer period we expect increasing sessional employment opportunities to be created from the delivery of coaching and other skill development programmes which will take place at the facility Regenerating Community Facilities The Winton 3G proposals fit directly with North Ayrshire Community Wealth Building objectives. The Development Partnership we have put together involves collaboration to best effect between a local Community Interest Company (Ardrossan Winton Rovers), an existing SCIO (Ardrossan Community Sports Hub) and an aspiring SCIO (Ardrossan Winton Rovers Youth Academy) – all managed by voluntary Boards / Committees made up of local residents. Use of Winton Park is currently limited to accommodating home games and training for Ardrossan Winton Rovers. A ‘typical’ weekly usage profile indicates that around a maximum of 8 hours activity
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND **** LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP per week takes place in the summer months – with this dropping further in Winter weather conditions as training requires to be moved off site to protect the surface. Ardrossan Winton Rovers as a community club would like to be able to offer more community use of the facility, but this isn’t possible with the existing grass pitch which could not sustain further use given prevailing weather conditions and the maintenance regime required to keep the pitch in good condition. The project will, therefore, upgrade the facilities at Winton Park, creating a new modern facility with a synthetic surface and associated facilities which will allow much more intensive use of Winton Park by the community. The facility will be available for use over 85 hours across 7 days per week not only by the clubs within the Winton Youth Academy structure but also for walking football, by local schools, community session (e.g. unemployed groups, walking clubs, youth groups) use by Ardrossan Community Sports Hub gym activities (e.g. boot camps, aerobics etc), and coaching courses. Increasing Civic Pride and Community Engagement The survey work we undertook to establish the local community’s perceptions of the project established that a very significant proportion are supportive, with 80% expressing a positive view and only 3% expressing a negative view - with a significant majority of respondents (62%) very positive. Some of the benefits identified by those commenting included creating more of a focus for people in the local community to come together; improving social cohesion; and the facility being seen as good for the community generally. Feedback from the coaches surveyed within the Winton Youth Academy also stated benefits of this kind: • Better facilities will be a great community asset ....... that the Ardrossan Community can use which in turn helps social isolation, mental health, physical health, and fitness. • Bringing back some Civic Pride to our town by establishing a proper community club in the heart of an underprivileged area. • A home ground would give us girls an identity and an affinity to the club and town. We are forced miles away and are essentially nomadic. • Keeps a lot of money in the town and helps local businesses and shops who otherwise are losing trade as the 15 teams never actually play in Ardrossan. • We are buzzing as an academy that this site is being looked at as a potential new Astroturf facility, we think it would give the town a better community spirit, as well as a financial boost. Improving Community Wellbeing Sport and physical activity are not the sole answers to widespread health issues – issues of diet, lifestyle and poverty are central to many of these. Nevertheless, there are clear health gains to be obtained by a general increase in regular participation in sport and other physical activity which will be facilitated for Ardrossan residents by this project. Physical activity has significant direct health
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND **** LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP benefits – making a significant contribution to the control and reduction of obesity and increased cardio-respiratory fitness reducing the risk of coronary heart disease mortality in particular. It’s well documented that a positive experience of sport and physical activity at a young age can contribute to a lifetime of participation in sports. The availability of the Winton 3G facility will make it much easier for young people and adults to participate in the recommended level of physical activity per week. Improved self-esteem, confidence, self-efficacy, and perceived competence result from long-term participation in sporting activities and team sports. The appeal of sport and sports-related employment can also be used within the education curriculum to engage disaffected pupils and improve academic performance and commitment to continuing education. Football governing bodies across Europe have undertaken a lot of work in recent years to demonstrate that an investment in grassroots football can generate positive societal impacts by stimulating inclusion and integration as well as improved health and wellbeing for those playing. Using Social Return on Investment models, UEFA worked with several top academics and practitioners in the field to quantify both the positive social consequences of football and its overall economic impact. In addition to obvious direct economic and employment benefits resulting from investment in football facilities the largest impacts are derived from “implied benefits” relating to education, integration, reduced crime rates, improved wellbeing, and reduced risk of type II diabetes and heart disease. There’s also evidence of impact on mental health, in terms of anxiety and depression and social benefits such as a reduced likelihood of people getting involved in the criminal justice system , in terms of people’s greater propensity to be employed and in terms of improved educational performance. We are confident that the development of a Winton 3G facility will have similar associated benefits for our community.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND **** 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. Two focused consultation exercises were undertaken to inform the development of our proposals In March 2022 Ardrossan Community Sports Hub undertook a survey of the 15 teams playing under the umbrella of the Ardrossan Winton Rovers Youth Academy (AWRYA) – and representing 325 young people aged 5 to 20 years old. The aim of the survey was to gather information on the facilities currently used for training and playing home matches and to gauge the views of the Team Management on the adequacy of the these. Key findings included: • The 15 youth academy teams undertake 30 training sessions a week – with only 8 of these taking place in Ardrossan. 12 out of 15 AWRYA teams reported it to be very difficult to hire training facilities in Ardrossan • Similar numbers reported it to be Very Difficult to hire a pitch for home games in Ardrossan – with none of the 15 playing in Ardrossan itself, the majority playing elsewhere in the Three Towns and 6 of the teams travelling as far as Kilwinning (6.2 miles), Irvine (8.6 miles) and Kilbirnie (11.1 miles) to play home matches. • St Matthews, despite training on it out of necessity, is very poor surface predominantly for Hockey with sand based low generation Astroturf which has been there for years. This facility is also prone to surface water flooding. • There are no Astroturf facilities in the Three Towns that are suitable in terms of size or surface to accommodate 11 aside league games on. Despite only having 6,000 more people than Ardrossan Kilwinning has 3 full size Astroturf pitches. Kilwinning is half the size of the three towns locality and has 3 times the amount of suitable all weather Astroturf facilities for anyone playing over age 12 • The survey went on to ask Team Managers about how they might use any new 3G Astroturf facility which could be created at Winton Park in Ardrossan. All 15 teams expressed a wish to train and play at the facility. This was followed up by a wider community survey an independent survey of 189 Ardrossan residents conducted by IBP Strategy and Research in April 2022 on the impact which a new facility would have locally - not only on participation levels but also in wider community terms. Those commenting positively referred to benefits such as increasing participation in physical activity generally; providing quality facilities to allow sports people to fully develop their potential; positive impact on pride in the area; and providing greater opportunities for participation amongst young people. A smaller proportion indicated that they felt the project would have a substantial impact on reducing crime and anti-social behaviour in the area whilst almost 9 in 10 felt it would improve the
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND **** LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP quality of life generally. These very positive views were reflected across all identified demographic groups. Further consultations have taken place with key stakeholders. North Ayrshire Council are proposing to redevelop the vacant site adjacent to Ardrossan Marina at North Shore. Following public consultation the development of the North Shore site is part of a wider £150M regeneration programme including Ardrossan Harbour, 130-150 new housing units, an extended marina, and a community campus which includes sports pitches for school and community use. The development is not likely to be completed until 2025. The development framework for the site notes that sports pitches will be mainly used by the schools in school hours, with the pitches required to meet the needs of school curriculums but should be available for community use outside these times. Consultations took place with North Ayrshire Council staff in early June 2022. During the meeting it was emphasized that the Winton 3G facility and the new pitch within the Campus in North Shore would be able to dovetail to provide significant new capacity within the Town as follows: • The proposals outlined in our business plan demonstrate significant demand (amount to c75% of peak period capacity and 40% of overall capacity) from teams within the Ardrossan Winton academy structure. This would be sufficient to financially sustain the facility, with room for additional peak time use by other teams outside the Winton family and would be almost exclusively free to be used during off-peak periods by the Community. • In contract the new schools pitch within the North Shore Campus would have significant planned use during the day, Monday to Friday – which is effectively the off-peak period – with capability for use by the wider community in the evenings and weekends, including from teams who aren’t able to access the Winton 3G facility at these times due to excess demand. On this basis discussions took place regarding the range of potential funding opportunities both within and external to North Ayrshire, with local authority staff happy to provide further inputs and offer support for the proposals to strategic funders such as Scottish Football Association and Sport Scotland. Consultations have also taken place with Cameron Watt, Football Facilities Manager at the Scottish Football Association, the potential key funder for the project. The SFA indicated their awareness of Winton 3g proposals dating back to 2013/14, understood the basis of a potential submission and confirmed that the project would be likely to be eligible to apply under Phase 3 of the Grassroots Pitches Fund in Autumn 2023.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND **** LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP 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 ACSH Board Facilities Management As the lead partner within the project, Ardrossan Community Sports Hub will have the following roles and responsibilities Financial Responsibilities ● Managing Winton 3G cash flow and ensuring it meets all its financial obligations and undertakings and that money received and spent is properly accounted for. ● Ensuring effective financial record keeping and procedures and production of regular financial reports as required to funders, members and stakeholders. People Responsibilities ● Provision of line management, support and supervision of employees. ● Exercising duty of care to employees, volunteers, service users and visitors or visiting their premises. Premises / Facilities ● Overall responsibility for the state, use and security of its premises, particularly in relation to legal uses and health and safety. ● Ensuring employer liability, public liability, building and contents insurance provision, compliance with fire and safety regulations, public health requirements and planning consents and regulations. Legal / Governance Issues ● Ensure compliance with the relevant charity and company law ● Make decisions on and exercising general and legal responsibility for all contracts to be entered into by the organisation. ● Ensuring funding is used as per conditions of grant Reviewing And Monitoring ● Ensuring regular review of performance against the terms and targets of contracts, grant awards and other funding
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND **** LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP ● Ensure key stakeholders and funders are updated regularly on performance and progress and effectively manage relationships with them Business and Project Development ● Developing and monitoring the Business Plan and its implementation ● Developing a Marketing and Promotion plan for the Winton 3G Hub and ensuring a strong brand within the local community ● Identifying new development opportunities and sourcing business development support as required Financial Management Ardrossan Community Sports Hub Board will be responsible for financial management of the facility and to this end have prepared 5 year financial projections for the facility which are set out within our business plan. The main source of earned income for the facility will come from 3G pitch hire with peak period pitch fees projected to contribute 54% of income in Year 1 rising to 56% in Year 5 and determined by benchmarking with KA Leisure. Occupancy levels are based on known requirements by Winton Youth Academy teams together with prudent assumptions concerning use of the facility by local amateur teams, other youth football clubs and the general public hiring the pitch for their own leisure use We have included grant funding contributions at reducing levels towards staff costs which we believe is realistic given the known availability of revenue grant funding from various sources and ACSH’s track record to date in securing similar funding awards. Staff Costs are the main cost item for the Winton 3G Hub over the life of this Business Plan – followed by the Sinking Fund provision required to be made to enable replacement of the artificial carpet surface after Year 8. Within Overhead Costs we have insured increased provision is made for Heat and Light cost given the recent and future predicted pattern of energy costs. We have set out realistic and attainable income and expenditure targets which can deliver modest annual surpluses whilst ensuring key funder requirements such as Sinking Fund provisions to secure the longevity of the facility and sustain funder investments can also be met. Proposed Staffing Arrangements Ardrossan Community Sports Hub will employ a Facility Manager to manage the facility – supported by 2 Facility Assistants recruited via Employability programmes. Pitch bookings and payments will be made using industry standard on line software, minimizing the need for staff administration time. It is intended that these staff will provide cover the facility during Peak operating hours – from 4.30 pm to 10om Monday to Friday and during the weekends.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND **** LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP During Off Peak periods in a typical week – essentially Monday to Friday 9am to 4.30 pm – it is envisaged that the facility will be used primarily for wider community use and access for these purposes and associated supervision will be provided for by Gym staff who are located within the nearby Ardrossan Community Sports Hub Community Gym. The Facility Manager will have the following management and development roles and responsibilities • Oversee the daily operations and management of Winton 3G Hub and its facilities including ensuring the safety and quality of playing surfaces and the safety of those using the facilities. • Prepare annual budgets for Board approval and manage resources within budget • Take the lead in proposing pitch hire, membership, room hire and other facility fees for Board approval • Line manage, support and develop the Facility Assistants • Work within specific guidelines, e.g. equal opportunities, health and safety and child protection • Identify and develop sport, recreation and health initiatives and develop partnerships to develop initiatives and implement them • Attend meetings, seminars and conferences and liaise with schools, partners and other Clubs to develop new opportunities and partnerships • Ensure the facility is effectively marketed to ensure high useage rates and engagement within the local community – using social media, specific events and other relevant activities • Identify potential opportunities to secure external funding • Raising local public awareness of health and fitness issues and promote participation in sport, particularly amongst underrepresented groups • Evaluate and monitor activities and projects using performance indicators The Facility Assistants will have the following roles and responsibilities • Act as first contact for sports facility visitors, dealing with enquiries. • Maintaining admin procedures for the Winton 3G Hub and deal with cash handling as required • Organize and schedule events as required. • Assist the Facility Manager as required in the marketing of the Hub and its facilities including use of social media • Assist in the set up / take down of sports equipment as required. • Ensure that the safety and behaviour of the public is controlled to prevent injury, misuse and damage to facilities. • Provide first-aid cover, and act as a Fire Warden ensuring that the appropriate documentation is completed • Carry out routine facility checks and completion of relevant documentation • Carry out general cleaning duties of the facility, including changing rooms, toilets and external areas. Volunteering Opportunities
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND **** LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP All three organisations involved in this project have volunteers at the core of their operations. Ardrossan Community Sports Hub have 8 Trustees who act on a voluntary basis across various roles to champion Ardrossan and make sure the Town secures the best resources possible. Ardrossan Winton Rovers CIC have a voluntary board of Trustees and facilitate volunteering opportunities currently mainly around Ground/Stadium Maintenance, fundraising and administration of the football teams. Ardrossan Winton Youth Academy have a volunteer Committee and have 15 teams with 32 coaches who train, coach and facilitate the Youth Academies games on a weekly basis. A further 44 volunteers are involved in the teams in other roles such as secretary, treasurer, and first aid/ safety officers. With the new facility the deliver partnership will likely create further volunteering opportunities as the Youth Academy are expected to grow further so will need further coaches and off field voluntary support. They will likely also want to increase their board. ACSH and AWR will seek help with maintenance of new facility and will aim to upskill potential trainees or volunteers to allow more voluntary contribution to this new community facility.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND **** LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP 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 (£) £100,000 Please give a breakdown of cost and recent quotations where appropriate. Cost Breakdown In April 2022 a set of indicative capital costs for the installation of a 3G pitch at Winton Park with associated works were secured from Sportslabs. These are appended at the end of this application for information. The summary elemental costs, in the region of £615,000, are shown in the table below. Estimated 3G Capital Costs Element Estimated Costs Prelims £25,622 Site Preparations £34,888 Drainage £12,357 Sub Base £93,314 Shock Pad & Synthetic Turf £200,673 Fencing £17,022 Reinstatement £2,197 Equipment £9,966 Floodlighting £50,000 Maintenance £2,200 Modular Changing Room £50,000 Sub Total £498,239 Key Stage Inspection Fees & Testing £4,420 Sportslabs Consultants Project Management Fees £10,250 Net Total £512,909 20% VAT £102,582 Total £615,491
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND **** LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP Current Funding Plan One For The Team CIC conducted a review of key potential funding sources for a Winton 3G project in October 2022. A summary of key and possible funding sources for the project is set out in the table below. It is anticipated that ACSH will require to secure assemble a capital funding package between October 2022 and March 2024 to enable 3G installation between May – June 2024 - with contributions from between 6 and 8 funders required to meet the indicative Capital Costs set out above. ACSH will continue to monitor the funding environment to identify new suitable funding opportunities as they arise. Funding Body Comments Scottish Football Association • Scottish FA Grassroots Pitch & Facilities Fund was created in 2021 using UK Government money. • Initially the money was used to support the replacement and enhancement of existing 3G pitches across Scotland, but mostly focused on areas identified in Deciles 1-6 of SIMD areas. • This fund in 2023 will open to applicants looking to transform grass pitches into Synthetic and will meet up to 50% (c£300,000 - £350,000) towards the cost on installation of pitch. • This has been identified as a Key Funding Source by ACSH and having spoken to SFA Football Facilities Manager, he feels Winton 3G are positioned well to apply at the next funding round in October 2023. Sport Scotland • Sport Facilities Fund (SFF) aims to support capital projects that create or improve places where people take part in sport and physical activity. • Sport Scotland have set 2 deadlines each year for this fund: the 1st of April and the 1st of September. The next deadline is 1st of April 2023. • Successful applicants can secure up to £100,000 towards their project if they successfully demonstrate that their project will meet Sport Scotland’s key funding criteria (Increasing Participation and Progression) North Ayrshire Council – Community Investment Fund (CIF) • North Ayrshire Council have a Community Investment Fund which can provide Grants of up to £100,000 for projects which connect with identified local strategies. • The Three Towns Locality have already approved the Expression of Interest submitted by ACSH, to allow a full application for up to £100,000 to be developed.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND **** LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP • The Full Application will be submitted in early November 2022 to be considered at the next meeting of The Three Towns Locality. Garfield Weston Foundation • Garfield Weston Operate 2 grant schemes – one for under and one for over £100,000. • Themes Garfield Weston are looking to fund includes: Arts, Education, Youth, Health, Museums & Heritage, Community, Environment, Faith, and Welfare. • However, in practice Capital Grants are unlikely to be more than 10% of the total project cost (£50,000 or under) and are made when ACSH can demonstrate that they have raised funds locally, that their project is valued by the community, and they have identified approximately half the costs of the project already. Suez Landfill – Primary Fund • Up to £50k available from their Primary Fund, after successfully applying via Suez 2 stage application process. Which can take up to 6 months. • SUEZ Communities Trust consider projects which focus on physical improvement at an identified site. • To be eligible, your project site must be in Scotland. and in the vicinity of a landfill site or transfer station. ACSH are eligible. • Before SUEZ Communities Trust can release funding, a supported project must arrange a payment called the Contributing Third Party (CTP) payment – equal to 11.5% of the grant amount. ACSH willing to arrange this. Additional funders who can be targeted include Barcapel Foundation; Postcode Trust; and Valencia Landfill Community Fund. Previous Funding Support ACSH have a good track record of levering in grant funding resources to enable delivery of our activities. Recent funding secured since 2019 is set out in the table below. Grant Funding Received since 2019 by ACSH Funder Amount Date Received Purpose of Grant Funding Sport Scotland £9,800 April 2019 Grants to provide local children with sporting activities and purchasing of required Sporting Equipment to do so.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND **** LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP Corra Scotland £5,730 May 2020 Funding secured to help ACSH through the COVD 19 pandemic Foundation Scotland The Community Response, Recovery and Resilience Fund £5,000 June 2020 To fund the purchase of resources to encourage interactions between children and parents inside and outside the home during times of social distancing (board games, arts and crafts materials, books, etc.), and to enable people facing financial hardship to access online services. National Lottery Awards for All £9800 March 2020 Funding to allow ACSH to take young people to sporting events and provide a range of sports activities. The project aim is to inspire people in Ardrossan to participate in sport and give them access to new opportunities. Corra Scotland - Winter Support Small Grants Fund £3,390 December 2020 Funding to help families with Christmas gifts, food and fuel costs. North Ayrshire - Community Investment Fund £43,000 January 2021 Full contribution to wages for 1 year of a Fulltime Gym Manager and 1 Part Time Assistant Coach role. National Lottery – Community Led Fund £92,639 June 2022 Grant money obtained over three years to contribute towards salary of the Gym Manager and Coaching Assistants as well as for further cardio equipment within the ACSH gym. North Ayrshire Ventures Trust Fund £30,000 August 2022 Grant money obtained over three years to contribute towards Gym Manager salary cost.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND **** LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP 8. Monitoring and evaluation process Please include detail on the monitoring and evaluation processes planned or in place. Ardrossan Community Sports Hub will ensure an effective monitoring and evaluation programme is in place to provide the feedback necessary to allow us to run the facility effectively and secure the impacts we want to deliver for the community. This will include: Area What Will be Monitored Use of the facility Weekly recording of: • No of Games and Training Sessions • No of Players/Participants • % Occupancy levels in Peak and Off Peak periods Use of information to monitor uptake as per business plan projections and to identify excess demand / access problems Beneficiaries Weekly recording of sociodemographic information on participants including age, gender, residence, disability, protected characteristics. Use of information to test who is using facility, ensuring maximum penetration within local community; help guide marketing and promotion activity to underrepresented groups; and identify need for creation of specific initiatives to address any issues arising. Financial Sustainability • Monthly financial reports noting Peak and off peak income from facility hire; event income; grant revenue funding received – all against target • Monthly financial reports noting expenditure against budget Use of information to monitor financial position, identify variances against budget and need to take remedial actions where required. Satisfaction Levels Quarterly surveys of facility users to gain feedback on services provided – from booking systems, access arrangements and affordability to quality of surface, changing rooms, spectator areas and refreshment facilities. Use of information to address concerns and review any policies or procedures necessary to ensure safe, welcoming, affordable and accessible facility Coaching Infrastructure 6 monthly monitoring of: • Nos and Characteristics of coaches; qualifications obtained; progress through recognised national pathways
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND **** LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP and Volunteering • Nos and Characteristics of volunteers; no of volunteer hours; types of volunteering opportunities • Questionnaires gathering information from coaches/volunteers on impact of these opportunities on skill levels, confidence, self-esteem and future aspirations Use of information to ensure facility is creating necessary non-playing infrastructure and opportunities which are vital to long term success and supporting the development of volunteers. Wider Community Use Monthly recording of amount and type of use by different groups within the community including social and leisure use e.g. walking football, by local schools, community sessions (e.g. unemployed groups, walking clubs, youth groups), boot camps, aerobics, coaching courses etc. Use of information to gauge level of wider use made of facility by community and associated satisfaction levels. Impacts Anticipate carrying out annual survey work with facility users/participants, member clubs, wider community clubs and other community users. Use of information to test if facility has: • improved access to pitches for training and home games and resolved current barriers • increased participation levels for different groups • impacted positively on teams/participants affinity and association with Ardrossan and Winton • Impacts on participants physical and mental health and wellbeing Beyond this at the end of Year 3 we would anticipate commissioning a wider, independent community survey to establish: • residents perceptions of the facility; • how well it has been received by local people; • the contribution it has made in terms of terms of increasing opportunities for participation in football and wider physical activities and in delivering health benefits; • and whether it has impacted on overall quality of life and pride in the community.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND **** LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND NORTH COAST & CUMBRAES 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: Louise Riddex Locality Officer (Kilwinning & North Coast) Economy and Communities Community Development Team St John's Primary School Morrison Avenue Stevenston KA20 4HH Email: lriddex@north-ayrshire.gov.uk Tel: 01294475913 Mob: 07980964858 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 NORTH COAST & CUMBRAES LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP 1. Details of your organisation Name of Organisation West Kilbride Community Sports Club (WKCSC) and Friends of Kirktonhall Glen (FOKG) Postal Address for Correspondence Click or tap here to enter text. Name of Contact Person Kay Hall Position in Organisation Secretary of FOKG Telephone Number Click or tap here to enter text. 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. WKCSC is a SCIO Established in 2013 the Club has undertaken two main projects so far in Kirktonhall Glen in pursuit of its aim of improving sports facilities in West Kilbride. These have been a) upgrading of the formerly redundant tennis courts and b) the comprehensive refurbishment of a previously dilapidated sports pavilion. Both projects were completed within budget and to a very high standard. The tennis courts are now operated by the relaunched tennis club which has subsequently become one of the largest and most successful in Ayrshire with a membership of around 200 and an extensive coaching programme for young people. The new sports pavilion has been shared between the tennis club and West Kilbride Amateurs football club providing excellent facilities for both. FOKG is the properly constituted sub-committee of West Kilbride Community Council
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND NORTH COAST & CUMBRAES LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP Established in April 2021 the group offers a opportunity for all those with an interest in the future of Kirktonhall Glen to take part in discussions about the Glen and how it may be developed and maintained. The group includes representatives from the Community Council, Sports Club, Environmental Group of WK Initiative, children’s groups such as Woodland Wakeup, the Bee Keepers & the Civic Society. We are also well supported by Local Councillor interest.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND NORTH COAST & CUMBRAES 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. FUNDING CONSULTANT We are seeking funding to employ a Funding Consultant to scope the availability of funding for two projects and to complete applications on our behalf. We have already identified a consultant known to North Ayrshire Council who has agreed to research availability for the following:- 1) The potential to raise £800k for the development of a synthetic pitch on the currently derelict blaes area of the Glen. We have already been accepted to submit an application for up to £250k to the Community Ownership Fund COF. 2) To identify funding to cover a further 30% of funds needed to complete the upgrading of two pathways in the Glen. The initial 70% is being provided by Pathways For All, the Ian Findlay Fund. Both these projects will be of benefit to an increasing number and wide range of people in our town. 1) The synthetic pitch will provide a multi sports area which will be available for a range of activities. It is of particular interest to our very active Football Club which provides access to teams from early primary upwards and is keen to promote girls’ football. KA Leisure may also be encouraged to provide activities during school holidays when we have a synthetic pitch as their coaching is currently not available to our children. 2) Both pathways are a H&S risk. The section from Orchard Street to the Pavilion will be the main access during darker nights and requires lighting. There is also a gradient problem at the bridge. The pathway from the Catlinn Garden to the pavilion is full of trip hazards with uneven surfaces and steep gradients. All these issues will be addressed by this development.Eventually the extended and upgraded pathways will provide a safe surface for walkers, families with small children and wheelchair users. Resilient and safe pathways will be
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND NORTH COAST & CUMBRAES LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP constructed for access to the sports area of the Glen which currently offers football and tennis. WKCSC and FOKG are working in partnership to carry out this work. Once the initial scoping for potential funding has been completed we will be in a position to revisit our ambitious plans and consider all options. We are fairly confident about raising the 30% needed to complete the pathways funding but realise the synthetic pitch fundraising is challenging
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND NORTH COAST & CUMBRAES LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP 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. Improving access to financial services 2. Increasing social inclusion 3. Improving mental wellbeing 4. Supporting skills and work opportunities West Kilbride is one of the only communities in North Ayrshire which does not have a synthetic pitch. We aim to provide a multi sports synthetic area in the centre of our town with upgraded pathways in order to be able to offer easy access to the area. These projects will address North Ayrshire priorities in the following ways. • Wellbeing • Work • World Our ambition is to offer healthy activities within our township. Currently most of our sports activities involve the regular ferrying of children and young people to sports grounds elsewhere. There is obviously significant expense and wasted time in doing this as well as involving the use of carbon fuels. Locally provided facilities will provide easy access for a wide demographic of our population in a safe environment. The projects continue to involve a considerable number of volunteers - planning. managing, developing and maintaining services and activities. Our committees are well run and active. Our seven coaches should be particularly praised for their voluntary commitment. Sports and healthy activities cross all social boundaries. West Kilbride is no different. Football is one of the most popular sports in our town and our tennis club is one of the most successful in Ayrshire. Unfortunately, our football facilities are inadequate and do not service the needs of our community. Neither is there a facility for our netball players and Keep Fit groups who are also seeking a local all-weather practice area. This multi-use, all weather facility will open up opportunities for children, young people and adults.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND NORTH COAST & CUMBRAES LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP These two projects are intended to address the need for well-maintained access and a multi sports provision.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND NORTH COAST & CUMBRAES 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. PATHWAYS – a questionnaire was circulated to community groups and was published online. 130 people responded positively SYNTHETIC PITCH – in an earlier consultation 42 people responded with most stating they would wish for the derelict red blaes area to be upgraded to a synthetic multisport area. The need for fencing around the synthetic pitch was highlighted because of dog fouling and Kilwinning Sports Club was held up as a model of excellence (we have taken advice from Kilwinning). In both consultations the questionnaire was posted online. The offer of email comment was offered, and posters were circulated for the synthetic pitch.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND NORTH COAST & CUMBRAES LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP 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 North Coast? Please include the number of volunteering opportunities and employment opportunities • If there are any staff requirements, please outline your HR plans The finances will be managed by West Kilbride Community Sports Club The Funding Consultant will be managed by a voluntary committee including John Wilson WKCSC, David Hutchison FOKG and Kay Hall FOKG The ensuing projects will be managed by a voluntary committee involving West Kilbride Community Sports Club, West Kilbride Football Club and Friends of Kirktonhall Glen.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND NORTH COAST & CUMBRAES LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP 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 (£) 6750 Please give a breakdown of cost and recent quotations where appropriate. Funding for 15 days of consultancy at £450 per day.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND NORTH COAST & CUMBRAES LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP 8. Monitoring and evaluation process Please include detail on the monitoring and evaluation processes planned or in place. This is a short-term project. The consultant will meet regularly with Kay Hall who will report progress to the others. Issues may be raised in this way whilst ensuring a single line of communication. Evaluation is straight forward as potential funders will be listed and the committee will analyse the potential to complete the projects and will also consider variations for the next steps.