Our Social Group brings together autistic people (aged 18-35) from across West Dunbartonshire. The group reduces social isolation among autistic people living locally, and supports them to become more active in the community. Our Social Group is run by a specialist support worker and 3 volunteers. The grant would cover the costs of the staff involved, plus a range of social group activities. This will benefit up to 15 autistic people aged between 18 – 35 years who live in West Dunbartonshire.

The WW2 Dunkirk little ship, the Skylark IX’s story of hope and resilience is what inspires all of our Community Engagement activity, alongside the people we work with. Weekly, five adults in recovery and one retired community member participate in our boatbuilding programme based in the Denny Tank Museum, Dumbarton.  We also have 14 members of the community who engage weekly in our textile group based in the Lennox Evangelical Church. Over the past few years we have continued to engage with young people in schools and local community centres, as well as running our own youth sessions outside, locally, all around West Dunbartonshire.  Our regular Community Engagement activities helps to reduce social isolation, and creates opportunities for skills building in a meaningful, inclusive, therapeutic and collaborative way, developing our Skylark IX Crew Culture, which makes everyone involved feel a part of something for their collective or individual goals and aspirations.   We intend to have Skylark IX Rowing School Summer sessions running twice weekly for 6 weeks through July and August 2023, specifically targeting young people ranging from ages 12-25. These sessions will be based out at Balloch on Loch Lomond and the River Leven at our base by the Maid of the Loch. We will utilise funding to bring in support and expertise from partnering organisations such as Royal West Amateur Rowing Club, alongside our own team of trained volunteers from our current programmes/rowing school members and employ a sessional youth worker to support the logistics and operational support of the project engaging with the young people too.  We will purchase any necessary extra water safety equipment (i.e. life jackets) and buy materials for our boatbuilders to produce smaller oars. We will also utilise a bit of contingency for any other potential amendments to our wooden boats or adjustments that may need to be resolved in the workshop, to ensure our boats are fully accessible for any young person wishing to be participate. This will be a free activity for young people, where they will be supported with safe travel where required, to and from our sessions, and we will help tackle holiday hunger by providing ample amounts of healthy breakfasts, lunches, water and snacks for all involved.  We will also purchase Crew T-shirts and beanies to gift to the young people involved, to evoke further becoming part of "The Skylark IX Crew".

We are a community group based in Braehead, Bonhill. We currently have 25 members and are open to volunteers from other groups, schools and nurseries to join. We are applying for funding to make improvements to the community seating Area, Create Light, Physical Activity to garden users and improve shelter areas.

We are a non-profit Community Project run by 3 members and our Project We run this Project from home and have no overheads.  We apply for Grants and accept donations to help families in need. Every penny donated is used to help families in Clydebank facing food insecurities. We work closely with all Head Teachers of the 17 Schools and also 3 Nurseies within the area.  We also liase with the Support Team from Working4U who also identify families that are in need outwith the school system.  We apply for numerous Grants and ask  locally for donations.  We are trying to give vouchers out as often as we can and at present we give out vouchers before most school breaks.  We also provide extra vouchers to schools so that they can purchase breakfast bars or snacks for children who would otherwise go without. We will buy 167 £30 Aldi Vouchers.  this will benefit families who live in Clydebank area.

Ben View Resource Centre is a charity based in Dumbarton. A weekly group for young people aged 8-15, providing a variety of sports and physical exercise. We will also be educating young people on the importance of physical movement for mental health. We will be offering a variety in the hope that each young person finds a sport which they enjoy and will continue out with the group. 

We are a social enterprise engaging people in West Dunbartonshire with the arts. We are passionate about breaking down barriers, or perceived barriers, to participation. We work in areas of deprivation and with people with additional support needs. We will run a number of trips for young people aged 3-25 to see professional theatre/performance. Young people aged 3-25 from throughout West Dunbartonshire will benefit from the project. Our aim is to have 100 people attend the theatre as a part of this project. 

Bags Full of Love is a charity operating in West Dunbartonshire for children in Foster & kinship care. We provide children coming in to care with a backpack filled with new essential items and clothing so that the carer does not have to rush out shopping and can spend quality time getting to know the child in their care, this also gives the child a chance to settle in their new home and have new items just for them which gives comfort on probably the worst day of their lives. The money will be used for buying stock for our bags and for as each bag costs between £70-£100 depending on the childs age.  Last year we distributed 45 bags to children in West Dunbartonshire.

FireCloud was started by a few young ‘Bankies’ in 2007. 16 years on, we work with 500 people annually from Whitecrook, Drumry, Linnvale, Parkhall, Hardgate, Faifley, Dalmuir, Old Kilpatrick, and Duntocher (and another 2500 people across Glasgow). We are based in Our Holy Redeemer Church House, Clydebank. We will use the money to employ a sessional youth development worker to help grow our current youth work into a sustainable ‘academy’ style programme for teens (11-18).  11-18 year olds in Clydebank and the surrounding areas will benefit from this funding as will the families of the teen participants, the adult volunteers who help deliver the programme and the wider community. If our young people are given a chance to be a force for good in our community then the ripples of that goodness will affect the whole community.

We are a Shopmobility centre, based in Clyde Shopping Centre.  We offer provision to people who may require assistance to get out and about, especially in the shopping centre. We are aware of the social isolation and want to start up a Boccia group which is suitable for people of all abilities and ages.  We also want to encourage young people to come along.  Boccia is a paralympic sport and we would look to join Disability Sports Scotland to get support from them.

The group is based in Concord CE Centre and has approx. 70-80 members. The group is based in Concord CE Centre and has approx. 70-80 members. The money will be used for the running of the group. Volunteer training, food for the pantry, expenses, activities, uniforms and team building activities.