Action Old Kilpatrick has worked in partnership with West Dunbartonshire Councils Greenspace Team for a number of years which has included the use of a large greenhouse situated in Old Dalnottar Cemetary. This has allowed for the group to grow a variety of plants from seed and distribute throughout the flower beds in the village. We have successfully grown vegetables for the community including a herb bed.

However, the greenhouse has not been utilised to its full potential due to the demands required of water and volunteer hours.

The installation of a watering system will allow AOK to grow more vegetable and herbs for the benefit of the community. We have two established food banks servicing the area and a housing complex and having a greater amount of food available will help us directly respond to a growing need for fresh, accessible, free food within the community. 

The Total Cost is £491.52

Water Butt  x3  £123

Soaker Hose x4 £104

Timer Hose  £62.82

Standard Hose £17,54

Connector Kit x4 £34.16

Seeds/plants/ compost £150

We need to purchase a cooker and cooking utensils, teaching equipment, food, paying utilities and distributing the hot meals to the relevant people. This will involve the beavers (6-8 year olds), Cubs (8-10 year olds) and Scouts (10-14 year old).

beavers will be instructed on how to make basic sandwiches, cubs how to utilise basic equipment such as microwaves and scouts full blowing meals on the cooker. This will be done by looking at menus, getting the appropriate food , ie shopping and then how to prepare the food by chopping and carving food for cooking, then actually cooking the food. We will be advising the young people to time the cooking so that the food will be finished at the same time . We will inform the young people of issues with allergies and as the community is wide and have different cultures we will inform them of the differing types of food that is made through out the world and have respect for these communities,.

we will be distributed to local care homes, distribution to older and disabled people via relavent charities such as Clyde Shopmobility and relevant older people and disabled charities within the town. We will look at people who are isolated in their house and try to engage with them. As the coronavirus virus has lead to more and more people to have mental health issues we will try and engage with this community to ensure vthey can get warm food

This project will benefit the young people within  6th Clydebank  Scouts and endeavour the Scouts to have a good presence within the community.

We will then distribute the food appropriately 

cooker 900

food 500

utilities 900

distribution 200

We grow our organic crops, in an off grid environment & share them free around our community.  Since our earliest days, we have had the aim to be able to offer a social cooking oportunity where we sow, grow, harvest & cook our own vegetables on site. We have gained the necessary skills over the last few years & are now ready to expand & to do this we need a power source. The most economic way to do this is to install a generator with electric hook up & we need your help to establish this system.  This would open up the opportunity for a wider community involvement bringing home the ease & value of simple , on the spot, crop growing techniques from plot to the pot.   No lingering transport miles/expense/time involvement-we can access our own fresh, healthy produce, full of the best of nutritional values, on our doorstep. Plus the added bonus of sharing, caring and growing in our understanding of each other as we grow through each season.  Creating this warm welcome space will provide much needed respite & shelter  from this ongoing, harsh climate of food & fuel poverty that deeply prevails within our community.

We are requesting funding to help with the cost of a sessional gardener to provide training/ support to our volunteers and plot holders.

In addition to food growing we run a twice weekly wellbeing in nature group, aimed at using greenspace and nature to reduce isolation, encourage people to spend time outdoors and experience the benefits of improved mental health and wellbeing as a result. Attendees can also take part in food growing activities if they wish.

The full cost of establishing the community plots will be in the region of £12,000 to £15,000, we have funding, and offers of in-kind support in place to cover this work.

To help people gain the skills to be successful at food growing, and support our plot holders and volunteers we wish to have a sessional community gardener on site for 3 to 4 hours a week for 30 weeks. Their role will be to plan and deliver workshops / sessions on growing fruit and veg.

Hourly rate for sessional gardener £20 per hour.

Breakdown of costs:

4x£20 = £80 per week     30 weeks @ £80 =£2400

£100 towards cost of  seeds for plot holders or to cover volunteer travel expenses if travelling by public transport for volunteer sessions.

We are applying for £2,500 as we don't get any other support  from other agencies

We provide support signposting advice in collaboration with CAB who attend in person bi weekly and also offer support via referrals and phone numbers. We encourage carers to come in and not worry about their heating costs, we want to reduce isolation and we also provide support to over 110 kinship families within West Dunbartonshire 

We will open daily through Winter from 10am till 1.30 to facilitate this for families . 

£500 will be used for food 

The remainder will be spent on continuing support to both our weekly service. This will help with both volunteer and running costs 

We also require a soup urn and extra bowls dishes. 

Equipment Costs:

• Cooker Hood Replacement: Our current cooker hood is no longer able to withstand the high temperatures generated during our weekly soup preparation. It has sustained significant damage and requires replacement. We anticipate a cost of £800-£1000 for a suitable replacement.
• Industrial Dishwasher: To efficiently handle the volume of dishes and cutlery used in the soup kitchen we need to replace our existing dishwasher with an industrial model. This upgrade is crucial to maintain hygiene and improve kitchen workflow. The estimated cost for an industrial dishwasher is £1,250.
• Kitchen Utensils: We are planing to invest £200-£250 in essential kitchen utensils. This will include items such as durable pots and pans, a high-quality toaster, and a microwave. These upgrades will enable us to prepare and serve meals more efficiently.

Our project aims to provide additional support to individuals and families in the local community by offering an additional breakfast session and afternoon soup and toasty session.  The initiative is designed to address food and fuel insecurity while also promoting mental wellbeing and offering a space for people to connect with others in their community.  

Key Objectives 

1 - provide access to free meals - additional breakfast session and a new afternoon session providing soup and toasties, available to all within the community

2 - reducing social isolation - encouraging social interaction and reducing isolation by giving people space to connect with others 

3 - combat food and fuel insecurity - ensuring that no one goes without food and the warmth they need throughout the day

4 - supporting wellbeing - offering a safe welcoming environment for individuals and families to socialise and feel supported 

5 - collaborate with local services - partnering with other local organisations to offer additional support, resources and information on services that could benefit individuals and families 

Cost Breakdown

Food - £500

Sessional Staff/Volunteer Costs (including training) - £1600

Catering Equipment - £400

Lomond Community Pantry started in October 2024 providing food provision for anyone in need living in the G83 postcode.  Anyone in the community can register as members and receive 10 items of consumables for £3 each week, without having to prove that they are in food poverty, thus reducing the stigma of being in need of welfare support.  We are open on Thursdays from 4pm-8pm, and Fridays 10am-4pm and have 92 members registered,  over 25 volunteers helping with the running of the Pantry.  We have repurposed the old BB hall in Jamestown as the Pantry and are grateful to West Dumbarton Council, Lomond Parish Church, Haldane Tenants and Residents Association and several local companies/groups for support in refurbishing the hall and establishing the food supply. Registration as an SCIO  (053796) was received in November 2024 allowing us to open a charitable bank account on 3rd January 2025, during 2024 our finances were managed as a restricted fund by Lomond Parish Church.  

Our projection for running costs for 2025 is £16000, covering food provision (£9k), electricity (heating), insurance, rental (£5k), sundries (£2k). We will receive a revenue grant of  £3000 from WDC Cost of Living Welfare fund, and food donations from various groups in  the Vale of Leven Area, but we will require additional grant funding to sustain the Pantry, so a contribution of £450 for food provision and £500 towards heating costs would be appreciated.  We need to instal a compliant fire exit which  will cost £630 (hopefully fitted by volunteers).  While the WDC Community Payback team were installing level access to the Pantry, they had to remove the security gates and we need to replace these at a cost of £900 since the old ones were a H&S risk.    The intention is that ownership of the building will be transferred from Lomond Parish Church to Lomond Community Pantry during 2025, and we have permission from the Church to carry out the changes to the fabric of the building.

Such is the demand,  the Trustee Board are reviewing the opening hours to extend coverage to the beginning of the week.  We have made arrangements with local care workers to pick up supplies on behalf of members living  in local sheltered housing, and have provided emergency food supplies for West Dumbarton Woman's refuge. We've also had support from Balloch School Campus and made sure that all schools in G83 postcode know of our existance and can pass information to parents who may be in need.  Over the winter we have been providing a hot drink/ soup and biscuits to members, have a book library, and  a limited  school uniform bank.  

We are applying for £500 to purchase food for our community pantry which is currently supporting up to 150 people/families every week. Our drop in cafe offers a free two course hot meal cooked fresh on our premises.  Over the winter we are a warm hub for families who are struggling to heat their homes and also feed their children.  We provide vochers for warm clothing along with gas and electricity support for vulnerable adults and families.  The additional £2000 will enable us to support more families within West Dunbartonshire and continue to provide a warm safe place for our clients.

We are a locally run charity who deliver a mobility scooter, manual and powered wheelchair service to residents of the West Dunbartonshire and surrounding areas. By allowing individuals with mobility issues to get in and around the shopping centre, to shop, meet up with friends, or just go for a coffee. allowing individuals to feel part of their community.

We deliver a drop off and pick up service of the scooters and wheelchairs whereby our members can call the shop when they have arrived at the shopping centre and with the help of our staff/volunteers, we will deliver the equipment requested. The service is situated within the shopping centre the staff/volunteers can meet you at the car parks, bus stop, train station or taxi ranks.

We would like to apply for £1000 to get our service users who are aged  65 and over and suffer with food insecuriy in West Dunbartonshire, the help with food vouchers from Farmfoods. This will allow our service users to buy sufficient food for themselves as we know a lot of them are struggling with the cost of living crisis. We would also like £500 to go towards admin costs.

£500 for Food Vouchers 

£500 for Admin Costs