The money will allow us to purchase 4 paddle boards, that can be used by young people and local youth clubs etc.  having additional paddle boards will also help in developing the equipment we have for the new Water Sports facility.

The residents of Morrison Gardens Sheltered Housing complex would like to improve the communal patio area by purchasing patio furniture and planters to create a more welcoming and accessible outdoor environment. Residents will be able to come together to relax, connect with others, and enjoy time outdoors. The planters will make the space more attractive and will offer opportunities for light gardening activities, which will support physical activity. Overall, this meaningful improvement will enhance the quality of life for the residents. 

The Village Hall in Loans is the heart of our community and a real asset to the village. By purchasing new tables, which will be used by a variety of community groups, we can offer a lovely venue with safe, clean and easy to use resources for let.  The tables are easy to store, easy to clean and light enough for our users to handle.  New tables would enable groups such as adult education activities, birthday parties, village fundaisers etc. to sit around safe tables which are fit for purpose.  By letting the hall out to groups and for events, we can generate an income and ensure this wonderful hall remains a viable asset to our community.  

We would also like to purchase paint and re-paint all the woodwork within the main hall.  This would help to brighten the hall up and make it more attractive when letting out. 

We would like 10 tables at a cost of £144 each = £1440

Purchase paint and labour - £560

We have a cabin which we would be looking to furnish with the equipment required to be a fully functioning Clubhouse. At the moment this is a shell and would require to be fully fitted out to be functional. The Clubhouse will be used for providing refreshments to the local community who come to watch our games, games are well attended. It is our intention to try and enhance the development of the club and provide further activities at the park, hopefully using the Clubhouse as a meeting and social space for players and the wider community. 

We would require:

- a kitchen/ store set up including worktops, oven, fridge-freezer, microwave, washing machine/ tumble drier, cutlery

- a social area set up - tables & chairs

- full plumbing and wiring

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.

£2000 will pay for 10 refurbished bikes, to be supplied by our CGX Cycle Works as capital assets costing £200 each to be donated free of charge to individuals.  CGX Cycle Works has recently completed two successive years producing 400 refurbished bikes to issue free of charge to young people across South Ayrshire.  The Cycling Scotland recognised cost of a refurbished bike exceeds £250, with the additional costs of storing and distributing them to recipients exceeding that again, all being regarded as elements of the total capital cost to achieve the transfer of ownership of the capital asset.  During distribution of the bikes to children, many of the parents asked about the availability of free bikes so they could go on rides with their children.  We hope to meet this identified need.

£2000 will pay for 10 refurbished bikes, to be supplied by our CGX Cycle Works as capital assets costing £200 each to be donated free of charge to individuals.  CGX Cycle Works has recently completed two successive years producing 400 refurbished bikes to issue free of charge to young people across South Ayrshire.  The Cycling Scotland recognised cost of a refurbished bike exceeds £250, with the additional costs of storing and distributing them to recipients further exceeding that, all being regarded as elements of the total capital cost to achieve the transfer of ownership of the capital asset.  During distribution of the bikes to children, many of the parents asked about the availability of free bikes so they could go on rides with their children.  We hope to meet this identified need.

Over the past year, we’ve recorded a rise in Ayr North referrals for young carers, many are supporting a parent or guardian with chronic mental health condition, which often takes a heavy toll on their own emotional wellbeing. To address this, we’d use this funding to assemble 10 mobile “Mental Wellbeing Backpacks,” each containing:

• Guided Journals: Structured prompts to help carers process stress and reflect on positive experiences.

• Mindfulness Colouring Books & Premium Pencils: A proven tool for lowering anxiety and promoting focused relaxation.

• Mindfulness Card Decks: Simple, one step exercises for breathing, grounding or gratitude—easy to use anywhere.

• Stress Relief Fidgets (spinners, squeeze balls): Portable sensory tools to diffuse tension in moments of overwhelm.

• Headphones Pre-loaded with Guided Meditations & Relaxing Soundscapes: Instant, private access to mental-health resources, even without Wi-Fi.

Young carers (aged 10–18) can borrow a backpack for up to one week, giving them discreet, portable access to self care tools whenever and wherever they need a moment of calm be that at home after school, in the school library between lessons.

• Emotional impact: Young carers of parents with mental-illness are twice as likely to experience anxiety and depression compared with their peers.

• Barriers to support: Young carers can often lack private space or time to access traditional services; mobile kits may help overcome both by bringing resources directly to them.

• Equity of access: Backpacks can circulate through schools, youth centres and community events ensuring young carers alike can borrow them at their convenience.