To purchase the former Troon Old Parish Church and Halls from the Church of Scotland on behalf of the community.

To turn the former buildings into a safe vibrant space for all the community of KA10 and visitors.

Provide a venue for civil weddings, music, drama, theatre, and pop-up cinema within the former sanctuary.  Use the halls for access by all types of organisations and groups to provide health and well-being activities such as yoga, marital arts, dancing, well-being events, and other activities such as arts and crafts.

Create a community garden to provide vegetables and herbs for the community and hopefully encourage intergenerational working together.

We intend to commission a local tradesperson to construct a built-in storage cupboard in the upper room of McCandlish Hall. Funding from this grant will cover the cost of both materials and labour. Like many village halls, McCandlish Hall has faced ongoing challenges with storage, leading to equipment being left out between sessions. This new cupboard will provide a secure space for items belonging to regular community groups such as the craft group, Lego Club, and Badminton Club. It will help keep the area tidy, safe, and more welcoming for all hall users.

By improving organisation and freeing up space, the cupboard will make the hall more attractive for existing and future community groups.

Ultimately, this investment will have a lasting impact—enabling McCandlish Hall to remain a vibrant, multi-use venue that supports local participation and wellbeing across the community.

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 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)

This funding will allow us to deliver free monthly First Aid courses (adult, youth & family sessions) within Ayr South, led by a qualified instructor that we have secured to significantly reduce costs in comparison to hiring independent training providers. This funding will allow for the purchase of the equipment needed to run the courses. Each session (up to 12 participants) features hands on practice with manikins, AED simulators and realistic scenarios. The funding will allow the supply all consumable training equipment, CPR manikins, first-aid kits, protective PPE and we will invite partner charities to join free of charge, boosting inter-agency referrals and carer resilience.

Demonstrated Need & Local Impact: Our last Carers First Aid course was oversubscribed (16 places, 8-person waitlist),demonstrating strong local demand. Unpaid carers tell us they can lack emergency response confidence: first-aid skills reduce anxiety and prevent crisis escalation.Monthly training makes life saving skills accessible to carers in our area, plus family members. Partner charities (local dementia support, mental-health services) will rotate free places, enhancing referral pathways and shared learning.

We plan to use the funding to support the Maybole Food Pantry by purchasing essential distribution materials, including vacuum packaging, kraft paper bags, and labels. These resources will allow us to safely and effectively package a variety of surplus and donated food items, helping us maintain hygiene standards and improve the overall presentation and durability of the food parcels we provide. The funding will ensure that we can continue to meet the growing demand for food support in the local area, reduce food waste, and deliver a dignified and reliable service to individuals and families facing food insecurity due to the rising cost of living.

We will design, have printed and install four high impact pop-up banners that we will rotate around community hubs across Prestwick, Monkton and Dundonald (Businesses, libraries, GP surgeries, Dentists).  

Each will feature:

• Bold headline such as “Unpaid Carer? Get Local Support in... (Prestwick x2/Dundonald/Monkton) Now”  
• Live QR code linking directly to the 24/7 Bridget carer support platform and direct registration.
• Local branding: Carers Gateway Group logo and colour palette as well as Prestwick & Villages LPP
• Concise prompt: “Scan for immediate advice, support, digital training and workshops”

By rotating these banners around high footfall points, we’ll help normalise carer identity, drive early self-referral and steer carers straight to round the clock help before challenges escalate. 

What is Bridget?: It is a cutting edge online self help service, that harnesses AI to help carers of all ages. It’s specifically designed to provide personalised localised support and information to help people care loved ones and themselves. Carers can quickly select the topics that affect them and it instantly build them a custom carer support plan with advice, health tips and information about local events and services. It registers the Carer with the Gateway in touch through email and text, offering more help where you need it. We’ll also check in regularly to see how you’re doing and offer extra support when necessary. Carers can access everything anytime, day or night and if they choose to register they can save their plan and pick up where they left off next time.

Need: Economic value of unpaid care: The UK’s 6.4 million unpaid carers save the public purse an estimated £119 billion every year more than the entire NHS budget. Based on demographic proportions, we estimate there are 1,200 unpaid carers in Prestwick & villages. Without increasing easy, visible, public prompts many Carers may only seek help once in crisis. Our “Get Local Support Now” banners, with live QR links to Bridget, will help normalise “carer” as an identity, lower access barriers and drive early referrals, reducing later resource heavy emergency interventions.

The objective is to create, and then manage, an inclusive community project which will create a stunning art installation within the old railway tunnel at the Brig O’ Doon, Alloway, Ayr. Our objectives include the advancement of education (community involvement in the creation of art-works and heritage films on active-travel paths); community development by engaging people of all ages; school-pupils; students; youth and older groups and other interested individuals in the creative process; the advancement of the arts, heritage and culture by engaging people’s interest in art and developing their artistic abilities; and for this particular project – bringing to life through art Ayrshire’s culture, heritage and social history, and improving the conditions of life through the creation of a multi-purpose community venue. The tunnel has been cleaned of the offending graffiti and the mural is being installed in four separate stages as funding is raised. As of April 2025 the first three stages have been completed and the mural hung with the involvement of several schools, colleges and community groups working with Thriving Communities on an outreach basis. In addition, young people are making short films which visitors to the mural can access via QR codes to see and hear the real stories being depicted on the mural.We are now seeking funding for the final stage of the mural which will include the further involvement of local schools and community groups. 

We are applying for £2,000 towards the costs of materials, primarily the plywood boards on which the artwork is painted, to allow us to complete final stage of the project.

We are creating a community-focused workspace on Newmarket Street. The funding will help us purchase furniture, lighting, and fixtures to make the space welcoming and ready for workshops, meetings, and events. It will support local enterprise, adult learning, and community development.