At Carrick Rugby we are committed to promoting health & wellbeing through the sport of rugby in the Carrick area. Carrick Rugby is based in the communities of Girvan & Maybole & is committed to offering everyone the chance to take part in healthy activity, improve their social connections, improve their life chances & support their mental & physical health. We are immensely proud of our success in keeping young people engaged in both playing & coaching younger members & in helping to develop their careers in sport & in many other areas.

The direct beneficiaries are the young people and adults (male and female) participating in a fantastic team sport that develops confidence, discipline, health, social & general wellbeing. On a far wider scale the families also become involved & the sense of community that is built around the club has an impact far beyond the pitch, helping to break down barriers & build social cohesion.  We work with partners from the community and have built strong links with Active Schools, Girvan Youth Trust, VASA, Scottish Rugby, Girvan and Carrick Academies and Thriving Communities.

• Active Schools

“Carrick Rugby Club do amazing work in supporting their local communities, & our own Thriving Communities service, through the provision of programmes designed to reduce social isolation, improve mental health & wellbeing, & build community resilience. They support the development of young people & adults with skills for life improving employability & life chances, reducing poverty & increasing ambition & aspirations. We are proud to work in partnership with Carrick Rugby Club who are invested in improving the communities across North & South Carrick.”

The money will be used to purchase small equipment in a variety of sizes to provide opportunities for rugby at all levels. The equipment will be used for community based sport including Friday Night Diversionary Rugby, community fun days, tartan touch style rugby during the summer break, holiday camps etc. along with general training and playing.  

Pickleball:

Pickleball is a fun sport that combines elements of badminton, tennis and table tennis.  Played mainly indoors in Scotland on a badminton-sized court and a modified tennis net.  Two or four players use solid paddles made of composite materials to hit a plastic lattice ball.  Pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in the UK.

We are looking to expand Pickleball at Prestwick Tennis Centre through giving access to the sport at an affordable price to the wider community irrespective of age and ability. Pickleball is easy to play and provides a good level of physical activity for those participating.

The club requires to invest in new equipment to enable us to achieve this increase in participation of the sport.  Pickleball is played on the existing indoor tennis court surface, but we need to invest in pickleball equipment as follows to provide a further four pickleball courts available to players.  The cost of this equipment is estimated as follows:

4 pickleball nets (£120 each) - £480

16 Pickleball paddles (£20 each) - £320

24 Pickleballs (£2 each) - £48

4 Sets of Pickleball Lines (£30 each) - £120

This will enable us to provide 2 Pickleball sessions per week – one targeted at secondary school pupils and one for adult beginners.  With four courts we can deliver to a class size of up to 16 participants.

Learning Disability Tennis Programme:

The club also requires additional equipment to continue to develop its LD tennis programme.  At the present time, we offer weekly sessions to Southcraig school as well as further adult and junior LD classes.

The equipment required is as follows:

4 mini tennis nets (£130 each) - £520

Cones and Targets - £70

12 dozen “red” tennis ball s£130

12 Tennis Rackets (£25 each) - £300

We are applying for a grant of £2000 to meet the cost of this equipment for both our Pickleball and LD tennis activities at our club.

We would like to offer a free 'BSL Cafe' for people to learn and also practice and use their sign language skills. We're applying for funding to buy a computer with the ability to record and show BSL videos, thus allowing learners to practise their skill and record evidence of their abilties if desired. The computer has camera, microphone and suitable sized screen.  We would also require a printer, paper and ink to provide training materials for all learners that they could take away to practice at home.

I already offer BSL classes so this would be open before, during and after classes in the Loans Village Hall. As part of the cafe, we also like to provide some refreshments, therefore purchasing a hot water urn for tea and coffee facilities aswell as mugs and spoons. The money will be used to start this up.

£500 – Computer with ability to show/record sign language videos

£200 – Printer, ink and paper

£100 – Hot water urn

£100 – Initial set up for café (mugs, spoons, tea, coffee, etc)

Ayr Sea Cadets is seeking to acquire new paddle sports equipment to significantly increase our capacity to take more cadets afloat regularly and sustainably for many years to come. The proposed equipment includes a new trailer, a fleet of kayaks, essential safety gear, and a large “mammoth” stand-up paddleboard. This specialist paddleboard is ideal for confidence-building and teamwork exercises, helping our young people develop vital life skills such as communication, leadership, and resilience through fun, engaging water-based activities.

As part of our new initiative to deliver paddle sports within Ayr Harbour, we are also working in partnership with Ayr Yacht and Cruising Club to install a new, purpose-built ladder on the pontoons. This will ensure the safe and easy recovery of anyone entering the water during our sessions, enhancing the safety and accessibility of our boating activities. This collaboration not only improves safety standards but also strengthens local ties and promotes wider community involvement in youth development through maritime activities.

We plan to revitalise Prestwick Community Hall to create a more welcoming, accessible, and versatile space for local residents of all ages. The funding will be used to purchase essential decorating materials (such as matt and gloss paint, brushes, sealant, and fillers), timber for minor repairs, and laminate flooring to improve our upstairs meeting room.

A key part of the project is the installation of heavy, full-length blackout curtains around the main hall. These will dramatically improve the sound quality during live music events and performances by reducing echo and enhancing acoustics. The curtains will also enable us to host daytime shows, film screenings, and community events that require light control.

These upgrades will allow us to expand our programme of activities and attract a broader range of users — from Pensioners, youth groups and adult learners to music performers, social clubs, and family-friendly events. This funding will help us transform the hall into a vibrant, inclusive hub at the heart of Prestwick's community life.