Golden Friendships is a community-focused charity supporting youngsters, people with additional support needs, disabled people and the elderly. We bring everyone together at the Golden Friendships Community Hall in Dalmuir to reduce loneliness, reduce isolation and improve social inclusion and wellbeing. We operate out of the Golden Freindships Hall in Dalmuir, where we run a number of events and services. Our main aim is to look after the more vulnerable in our society through group activities, entertainment and social settings like lunch clubs. We regularly talk to our members to find out how they are and what they need. One of our focuses is tackling loneliness in the community. We are providing activities to try and help peoples mental health such as our weekly walking group, we have a plot in Dalmuir for gardening projects, we have regular bus outing and activity trips.

We wish to use the Community Grants to refurbish our stock room as it has not been touched since we bought the building. The floor is uneven and needs to be redone. All old wiring needs ripped out and secure shelving and storage space needs to be put in. The ceiling has to be replaced and new lighting required. It is a large space that runs off our café bar and is used regularly. 

As we only have one Toilet Block at the Vale of Leven Football Club which doesn't have disabled access, a new disabled toilet will help us include disabled members, their familiy and the wider community who cannot currently attend events due to the lack of proper toilet facilities.

This project will help maintain their dignity, and allows the Football Club to be more inclusive for our community. We are also aiming to reach out to local care homes to allow their residents to come to The Millburn (our grounds) on match days. We want them to be able to watch the game, enjoy a free pie and bovril and feel part of their local community. 

The Old Kilpatrick Community Council wants to engage the services of Community Links Scotland to support the preparation of a Community-led Local Place Plan.  The plan will be developed over the course of 6 months and will seek to identify the community’s aspirations and priorities as well as projects and developments which will form a community action plan.  The action plan will lead to real changes in the locations that the community identify as required and real investment in the area.

Through robust community engagement and activity, everyone in the Village will have an opportunity to contribute their ideas to the Place Plan.  The Community Council already has good relationships with community organisations such as scouts, the churches and the local schools and these relationships and others will be utilised to ensure the plan represents as many views as is possible.