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

Our project will pay for an experienced Community Garden Project Worker who will

Develop the project with the support of users and volunteers, Develop a seasonal food growing strategy for the space, Organise the allocation of raised beds , Provide ongoing support to all users , Liaise with local schools/nurseries and other local groups within the community to encourage wider engagement with the project, Organise weekly onsite tasks including maintenance and upkeep, Encourage and support the development of an allotments/growing spaces committee, Research further funding opportunities to support material/resource costs and long-term sustainability of the project

We believe our project will support the local community by

Providing the opportunity and resources for local people to grow their own fruit and vegetables, Providing local school children with basic gardening knowledge, highlighting the importance of healthy eating and increasing awareness of ‘where food comes from’, The users and participants will be able to supplement their family’s diets with food produced in the community growing space, Encouraging ownership and personal responsibility , Fostering collaboration and the benefits and positivity of working together, Providing a safe and inclusive space for people to meet and socialise – therefore reducing social isolation, Promoting intergenerational engagement through allotments/growing space users being supported to deliver gardening/growing sessions with local school children, Improving the physical and mental wellbeing of those involved

Breakdown of costs

£2,400 - Cost of Community Garden Project Worker to manage project/£20 per hour x 8 hours per week x 20 weeks

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 will use Grant money to purchase

Food vouchers £500

Running Costs - GoDaddy for email and website  £378 anually

Fuel to go round Local Authority to deliver Vouchers and attend meetings £150

Stationary to cover ink, labels, envelopes, paper etc. £300

Group Laptop to continue our Project £622

Power to run computer, printer etc. £200

Phone Costs £100

The Phoenix provides a range of activities, groups and opportunities for residents of Dumbarton West.  At the heart of The Phoenix is a community cafe offering a free to access lunch three days a week and a community breakfast once a week.  It also provides holiday hunger provision and a range of other groups including toddler cooking classes and numeracy classes for adults built around cooking.  We also provide volunteer opportunities for adults to develop new skills, reduce isolation, improved wellbeing, and develop their employability chances.

Our switch from a comemrcial (although heavily subsidised) model to a free to access (although many provide donations) came about 18 months ago after consultation with service users and their concerns about the cost of living crisis and the food insecurity that would bring.  Local people have also acknowledged the importance of community and peer support the cafe has brought especially for single parents and those new to the community.  Many service users have also been able to access volunteer opportunities, access adult learning classes and access other groups and activites for their families.  This has reduced isolation and improved mental wellbeing. 

With much of the kitchen installed over 6 years ago, there are elements that could do with some upgrades and improvements.  This will allow us to continue to provide the key services we offer in the community cafe.

Upgrade of ovens: £1900

Upgrade of crockery: £100

Upgrade of drinks fridge: £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.

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

£500 Food purchase

Running costs for parent and toddler group, family arts and crafts, men’s mental health, women’s walking and social group, adult ceramics and book club.

All group sessions will run for 10 to 12 weeks and hot meals will be provided for all participants.  Participation will be targeted at those most likely to experience food poverty.  (room rental, utilities, materials for classes etc.) £2000

CLYDEBANK OSPREY AMATEUR BOXING CLUB are looking to set up a dry food pantry to help the local community. This will help not only the existing club participants but also make the club welcoming to all local residents hopefully encouraging them to participate in exercise in a warm, safe comfortable enviroment.  This will lead to life long health benefits and an increased sense of community in the locals area.

Community pantry build £1200 (including food purchase)

Running costs (utilities etc)  £1300

We are applying for funding to help towards our utility costs over the colder months when our bills are at an all time high. We run a food pantry, community cafe, warm hub and laundry service to vulnerable families who are struggling in financial hardship. Our running costs have increased by 30% since last year as a result of a surge in the demand for our services.  an average of 400 families visit us on a monthly basis and it's important that our building is warm, inviting and welcoming especially during the colder months.  our heating costs are averaging £1,200 although we haven't yet had a winter period in our new premises therefore we are very worried about what kind of increase we may see.