Our ambition is to grow community participation in club swimming to 200+ which represents 1.3% of West Dunbartonshire’s child population.

This application is to support the training of our parent volunteers. This will lead to a reduction of costs and support growth of club swimming in our community

Increasing participation in club swimming can improve the quality of life of individuals and our community. It 100% promotes social inclusion as it improves health, & raises individual self-esteem and confidence that will generally widen the horizons of West Dunbartonshire’s young people.

In conjunction with other factors, swimming has the potential to contribute positively to society in general, such as reduce the risk of ill-health: physical & mental. The skills obtained by joining our swim club can help develop our young people’s independence and self-sufficiency. Our swim club activities also provide a social space where children can interact. This, in turn, decreases the risk of social isolation. We know that being active brings about positive changes beyond participation and can impact positively on young people in our community - being better connected and socially cohesive. WDASC uses swimming as a tool, to address wider individual and community needs such as social isolation and loneliness. The power of swimming and physical activity has the potential to bring about positive, often interrelated changes and its impact cannot be underestimated within our communities.

We know being active has a positive impact on mental health, including: improving mood, increasing self-esteem, lowers the risk of depression, improves sleep and reduces stress. Swimming has helped to reduce the symptoms of anxiety or depression for 1.4 million adults in Britain. Almost half a million British adults with mental health problems have stated swimming has helped to reduce the number of visits to a medical professional regarding their mental health.

The average training time of our young swimmers is approx. 3 hours of physical activity per week. The health benefits of swimming are ell known. The NHS recommend a minimum of 60 mins vigorous physical activity per week for our young people. Sadly, outside of football, gymnastics & dance schools, there are limitations for children in West Dunbartonshire to participate in such activity. It is our clubs goal to reach to as many of our young people as possible. It’s one of the few activities that attract both boys & girls

Total cost: £2750. Amount applied for is £2,500 with the remainder to be covered by club fund raising.

Tutoring course run by Scottish Swimming is £1,250. 3 x Parents trained to Level 2 accreditation is £500 x 3

Foodshare is an independent registered charity which was started in March 2013 in order to help people experiencing food poverty. We started off doing emergency food provision covering all of West Dunbartonshire, this was suppoesed to be temporary but since then the need for the service has increased and our numbers for support are rising every year. we provide this support by home delivery as we find this is more dignified for people and we are able to reach more elderly and housebound people. Along with food support, the charity has since developed other much needed projects including a School Uniform Bank where we provide a new school uniform for kids going back to school and also run this throughout the year, Fuel Bank where we offer we offer emergency top ups for pre payment meters, School Holiday Brunch Bags where we provide breakfast and lunches each day the schools are off, A Christmas Toybank and a Babybank. We work closely with other local organisations to reach as many people in need in our community. The high cost of basic necessities is placing significant burden on low income families. Recently we have seen an increase in need amongst low income working families. We would use £500 for food and £2000 towards operating costs including, Rent Unit 21, Utilities, Fuel costs for deliveries.

Last year we received funding for concrete raised beds. Following on from this to progress, we need a fresh supply of  2 tons of organic compost and 1 ton of organic Rocket Gro soil improver. We also need to treat the cast iron benches, and the shed. For ongoing harvests and events we need seeds and pots for people to trake away. Outreach visits to take groups into established community gardens to deliver educational workshops, e.g. Bellsmyre & Levengrove Park, along with the transportation of materials to events - promoting food production to supplement peoples weekly food needs and empowering residents to grow organically. We also require suitable all-weather clothing and equipment for volunteers and hot drinks and food for them while they attend the garden.

The garden also offers a safe space for residents to access for a hot beverage and something to eat, addressing social isolation and promoting engagment through learning and activity.

Compost 2 x £190 = £380

Soil Improver 1 x £115

Benches and shed treatment - £200

Minibus hire and associated costs - £500

Food hygiene training 2 volunteers - £300

Outdoor stoves, fuel, mugs, folding chairs - 105

Waterproofs and protective clothing for volunteers - £600 

Access to tea, coffee, sandwiches for volunteers thoughout the year - £300

Total - £2500

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 £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. 

To bring beavers  ( agees 6-8) a level of knowledge what foods are good and bad and to give the theskills to make simple snacks such as sandwiches, explaining the dangers of dangers such as knives that may harm themselves and certain food items that may cause ill health.

For Cubs ( 8-10) we need to explain more complicated cooking such as micro wave and simple meals on cookers and ovens, including budgeting skills .

Scouts (10-14) will need tutoring to build up skills to make 3  course meals explaining hobw to measure quantities, budgeting skills and timing skills to ensure everything comes together. They will need to learn how to cook for themselves and to prepare food for groups and guests to get proportions right and to learn about all the different costituents of foods such as pulses, carbohydrates etc

Costs

cooker/oven  £1500

knives, pots and pans £500

food £500

To properly conduct this we will need to by a substantial cooker and oven, gbood kitchen knives and good cooking pots and pans.   

Training sessions to explain all about food . Th e bad and good elements of cooking, how to make lists after looking at recipes, shopping for items, ensuring best price and dixcounts, how to store items , prepare food for cooking, actually making the meals and serving the meal.   

Best practice at end of m eal , how to tidy up , wash, clean and ensuring everything is spotless as germs and animals, plus insects may thrive on the waste and dirty food that may be left in cooking and dining areas.

The grant will be promoted and hopefully encourage more recruitment to ensure the well being of young people within the community. The scouting group brings all ethnic religious and differing sectors together to harmonise the community and to bring everyone together.

From encouraging the young people to work together it will bring unity and community spirit so that the young people will help each other 

This project will lead in ensuring better diets, less health issues and a better quality of life off the young people within the family setting and social networking arena

Costs

Cooker / Oven £1500

pots. / pans / cooking aids £500

food £500

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.

Our project is to help anyone struggling with food poverty to be able to come in to Golden Friendships club and access either free freshly cooked meals or subsidised freshly coopked meals. We have projects ongoing throught the years that tackle social isolation where we bring people together with freshly cooked meals and some entertainment. We also host afternoons for families each month where we provide hot and cold drinks with hot and cold snacks. At the moment we are doing free freshly cooked meals October to end of March to help with the cost of living crisis.

What we would like to apply for funding for is new refrigeration. We are currently using domestic fridges and freezers and have been advised we should be using commercial items. 

The total cost of what we need is laid out below.  If we secured £2500 from Community Budgeting, this would go towards the total fund cost.

3 x Fridge Foster Xtra 600l @1,803.75  Refrigeration  £5411.85

2 x Freezer Foster Xtra 600l @1803.75  Freezers        £3607.90

1 x Chest freezer 504l                             Freezer          £1679.98

1 x Hot plate Warmer                              Plate Warmer  £768.00

                                                              TOTAL COST    £ 11467.73

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

The HUB will be committed to creating an inclusive, welcoming space for young adults aged 16 and above. Our mission is to foster personal growth, build strong social connections, and provide a platform for members to explore their interests and passions. We aim to accomplish this by offering a range of programs, including food budgeting, meal planning and sharing meals. Our senior youth group Ur-Turn prepares a meal each week to sit and share, and these moments are beneficial to all who attend. To continue this tradition and extend its benefits, we are introducing an additional evening session for the young adult in our community. 

We will provide guidance, support, and referrals to other organisations, addressing food poverty and dietary issues with the collaboration of outside agencies. By partnering with other organisations, we aim to offer the best support and guidance pathways to enhance the future confidence and wellbeing of our young adults. We are dedicated to establishing a safe, vibrant, and inclusive environment where individuals can connect, learn, and grow together. By offering a supportive and engaging atmosphere, we encourage personal development, community involvement, and the pursuit of shared goals. Our objective is to empower individuals through education, life skills, and active participation. All of our sessions will endeavour to improve their wellbeing, whilst focusing on preventive measures and raise awareness on issue-based topics such as substance misuse.

Cost Breakdown : 

Shared Meals programme = £500, Evening Sessions cost = £700, Administrative Costs = £300, Staffing and Facilitator Costs = £500, Utilities = £500.