The Gavinburn Primary Parent Council aims to strengthen ties between the school, the pupils and Old Kilpatrick community. Following discussions with the schools management team, one of our identified priorities this year is to improve the school grounds and the opportunities within.

We intend to install a variety of new playground equipment and markings to reengage the children in playground activities. Some of the markings we have chosen would also be beneficial for outdoor learning opportunities, however our main priority with this project is increasing physical activity at break times and after school clubs. This equipment and markings would also be available for the community clubs who make use of the school through LETS. This will happen on the playground behind the school building and along either side. It is our ambition to provide each age range of children a new playground experience and to increase physical activity for all. This will also help us to resocialise the children in the wake of the pandemic. 

Our plan is to add educational and fun playground activities for all children to enjoy, at present our equipment is out dated and no longer engaging enough for our currents needs within the school.  The equipment purchased will also be suitable for and used to support children with additional needs within the school.

When it will happen will be dependent on both when funding comes through and the availability of the providers but we would seek to do this at the first available school holiday period in order to ensure the works can be carried out safely and an exciting launch to the children.  

The Lennox and Argyll Battalion is a charitable unincorporated independent Organization and part of the overall Boys’ Brigade movement. Our hall on Smollett Street, Alexandria,  requires an upgrade to its kitchen. The kitchen was last upgraded about 30 years ago and now showing it’s age.Maintaining a clean and hygienic kitchen is essential for health and safety reasons. We will look to install a new double sink can help by separating food prep from dishwashing. You can use one side for washing raw produce and the other for washing dishes, reducing the risk of cross-contamination. Plus, having a designated sink for food prep can help keep our kitchen organised and efficient. We will also replace work tops and some kitchen carcasses. Our 30 old year cooker will be replaced by a  Electric Ceramic Cooker (Stainless Steel).

The project is part of a larger phased refurbishment project which started in 2018 with the replacement of an inefficient heating system with a heat pump system thanks to a Community Budgeting Phase 3 grant of £5000 and an interest free loan of £7300 from the Energy Saving Trust. The whole lighting system in the building was converted to  LED lighting at the same time.  In 2019 and 2023 the apprentice painters from the Clydebank campus of the West College painted most of the inside of the main hall and associated smaller rooms for free. In return the apprentices gained valuable experience and enhanced their skills .

St Joseph’s Parent Council is a group of parent and carers who strive to support the local school in delivering their values, vision and aims. We have supported local members of the community in various ways by accessing funds to support physical activity, decrease isolation and decreasing health inequalities in the community. 

With any funding received the parent council would like to provide equipment for any group who would like to access the school facilities out with school operating times. There is a system in place for groups to ‘let’ the school out, but this funding would ensure that groups had access to health promoting and sporting equipment. This equipment would be based in the school to remove the barrier of storage for community groups. The equipment would be accessible to the groups to use to promote health and wellbeing via physical activity and healthy eating.

This project would be advertised as an opportunity for families to access a safe space whilst being active and healthy. This would be of particular use in the winter months when access to appropriate activity space is limited. This project would start in the 2024/25 school year.