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Investment projects with scope: Coastal Communities Fund 2024/25

Total budget £45,000

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Keeping Ayr North’s Community Hall Fit for the Future

2025-09-09  •  No comments  •  Ayr Sea Cadets & Royal Marines Cadets  •  Coastal Communities Fund 2024/25

We will use the funding to continue our volunteer-led refurbishment of the Ayr Sea Cadets’ hall, carrying out essential repairs and improvements, and to purchase a scaffold tower to safely maintain ceilings, lighting, and fixtures, ensuring the hall remains safe, accessible, and sustainable for cadets, local groups, and the wider community.

£3,700

Ballantrae Resilience Group

2025-08-28  •  No comments  •  Sharon Adams  •  Coastal Communities Fund 2024/25

During the storms in January 2025, we faced serious challenges – roads were closed, power was lost, phone networks were down, and many were left isolated. But amidst the hardship, something powerful emerged: our community came together. We are in the process of establishing Ballantrae Community Resilience Group – a group of local volunteers and support networks ready to assist during times of crisis. The money would purchase equipment such as flasks, wind-up/solar torches, and radios for those who may be unable to attend a centre. Power banks as many of our residents are elderly and rely on telephones to keep in touch with family and friends. Also, portable generators to help where needed. 

£3,237
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Maybole charity shop

2025-09-10  •  No comments  •  maybole charity shop  •  Coastal Communities Fund 2024/25

Up grade shelving 

Hoover 

Door mats 

 

And have a gazebo

For use of the groups who use the shop 

£979
The Iris

The Iris Community Meeting Room

2025-09-11  •  No comments  •  The Iris  •  Coastal Communities Fund 2024/25

We are devloping the former Darlington church, a B listed building, in the heart of Ayr North to create a community hub, a creative learning centre and an accessible community cinema and theatre so that people living locally can engage in creative learning at a reduced cost or for free. This will build confidence in the community and support self esteem amongst people living there who want to learn new creative skills.

We are seeking capital funding to support the development of the space to create an accessible place where people can come together, learn and share. To develop this space we are looking for funding for building work, a new window, flooring, a staff toilet and a joinery work to create desks and shelves for a creative community library, and chairs for groups to sit on.

Funding will allow us to build a room in the former Vestry of a building that has lain derelict for 17 years and complement the development of our community studio so that people can access groups that align with local priorities and make Ayr North a more accessible place to live.

The building sits in an area of high deprivation and many people live in poverty, and are marginalised, have disabilities, face addiction issues and social isolation. Many young people living here are Young Carers and are at risk of entering the criminal justice system. Having a space that they can use to learn means that diversionary activities like film education, film making workshops and creative activities can empower them and lead them to more positive destinations.

By having a space to meet and learn, people living locally can have the opportunity to create valuable work in a space that they can take ownership of and we have a sucessful track record of award winning work created by Young People living here. Having a space for them to learn in will give them the opportunity to meet more regulalry and take pride in their place and work. People can become familiar with the space and have opportunites to volunteer at events taking place in the adjoining studio, creating employability opportunities and supporting Young People to feel empowered. Older people can engage in volunteering opportunites, meet new people, and feel less socially isolated.

We have already received in kind support from the community payback team who have cleared the room out and made it accessible and funding would allow us to develop the space into a useable, functioning space that serves and inspires people living locally. We have received many donations of plays, books and film education texts so buidling a small library space will make it more user friendly and people can access specialist books for creative learning. We have applied for funding for laptops and digital learning equipment and have recently recieved funding for new filmmaking equipment that can be used by people who want to learn and create. We have received funding to develop our community studio that will be open to the public and host events and workshops and by having a dedicated space for learning and meeting, people living locally can engage, volunteer and find the confidence to host their own events and screenings in the adjoining studio

£3,950
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Senior Primary Schools (P7) Careers Fair

2025-09-01  •  No comments  •  RotaryAyr  •  Coastal Communities Fund 2024/25

P7 pupils from 9 schools, prioritising those with a catchment area serving the most deprived and poorest areas of Ayr, will be transported to Ayr town Hall where representatives of between 30 and 35 widely different careers have been invited for the day. The reps have been selected as they are known to be enthusiastic about the work they do, are great communicators, and in the majority of cases, have asked to return after previously been involved in the Project over the last 2 years.

The Career stalls are designed to be highly interactive and "Hands-0n"; we are not telling the pupils what grades they need and what college of course they need to aim for (this is done at Secondary school by careers teachers); we want to inspire them, encourage them to think beyond what they think they might end up doing when they leave school. We believe this will motivate them as they start secondary school in a few months after the event.All the Careers reps give up a day, all in their own time, some self employed. Rotarians are on hand to help the teachers supervise the children on the day.

Funding is used for Hire of the Venue (Ayr Town Hall - £250), Hire of the buses to transport the pupils (£850), and a light sandwich lunch and refreshments for the 60 to 70 Careers Reps who will be attending (£300 which Rotary will Fund)

£800
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Vics In The Community - Purchase of essential items and resources

2025-09-10  •  No comments  •  Vicsinthecom1  •  Coastal Communities Fund 2024/25

Vics In The Community is a registered charity based in North Ayr. The charity was established to create oopportunities for people to particiapte in health and wellbeing activities including football while trying to address key barriers and challenges with the community.

North Ayr is recognised as the most deprived community in South Ayrshire and in the top 5% in Scotland. Outcome in North Ayr including unemployment, crime, addiction, life expectency are alll below the local authorty and naional average. 

Since taking over the lease of New Voluntary Park, Vics have been working over the past two years to redevelop the derelict pavilion to bring it back to community ownership. Approx £675,000 has been invested in capital costs and th hub is ready to open. We are seeking essential equipment and resources such as kitchen utenciles, cutlery, glasses and cleaning equipment (Hoover) to help with the opening and running for the community hub. 

These vital items will allow us to opne the hub and host events, functions and accomodate of group work sessions in the Hub.

£1,000
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Ayr & Prestwick Men's Shed

2025-09-03  •  No comments  •  Ayr & Prestwick Men's Shed  •  Coastal Communities Fund 2024/25

The fund would be utilised to purchase equipment

£838
Dundonald Castle Community Hub

Dundonald Community Hub Evening Groups Project

2025-09-10  •  No comments  •  FriendsofDundonaldCastle  •  Coastal Communities Fund 2024/25

Following extensive community consultation, we plan to deliver three evening groups at Dundonald Castle Hub: a Silent Book Club, Dundonald Historical & Archive Group, and a Creative Writing Group. Funding will be used towards staffing and utilities to help our charity open the Hub in the evenings, and to ensure the ongoing sustainability of these groups. This will support us in providing free, accessible activities for people of all ages with daytime commitments (carer, parental and employment amongst others), while tackling loneliness and social isolation over the autumn and winter months in our rural area.

 

£3,408

Carrick Walking Football

2025-09-10  •  No comments  •  Jim Paterson  •  Coastal Communities Fund 2024/25

We plan to use the money if sucessful to replenish our kit with new balls and goalkeeper gloves. 

£493
South Parish Church

The South (Girvan)

2025-09-09  •  No comments  •  The South Parish Church Community Purchase Group  •  Coastal Communities Fund 2024/25

We seek funding for initial development costs for The South, including community consultation costs and early concept meetings with consultants.

We are currently looking into purchasing the South Parish Church in Girvan to be used as a multi-purpose community venue for performances etc. of up to 450 people, and as a function space for up to 180 people. No such venue has existed in Girvan since the Beach Pavillion was demolished 15 years ago and as such, there is an identifiable need in the community.

We also aim to convert the church hall into a modern bunkhouse for walkers, cyclists, and for people attending functions or events at the venue. Recent Surveys by GoGirvan have highlighted the need for accommodation, and it will also increase the financial viability of the project. In addition, we are exploring the option of incorporating a commercial kitchen into the complex which could be used both by the venue and other community groups in partnership.

We have successfully delivered the first in a series of public engagement exercises to better understand the needs and wants of the community, and to ascertain their support for the project. Our next steps are to engage consultants to help us develop the project to RIBA 0-2, including options appraisal, feasibility study and concept designs.  We are looking for funding to help us do both these things.

£1,000