Our Cultural Community Festival will provide an occasion for residents and visitors to  come together to share and celebrate the Queens platinum anniversary through cultural activities including-

• Intergenerational Community arts and crafts workshops
• Intergenerational concert  (Music in the Square)
• Community cooking workshops (Food crosses all borders)
• A range of free family fun activities

Our Cultural Community Festival will provide a range of activities which will focus around the development of the community arts, music and community cooking and sharing activities will be delivered to a variety of groupings from pre-school to older people, family sessions, creating intergenerational activities to build community and reinforce positive experiences. Mixed art sessions including Art/Drama, Storytelling, Music and Dance to engage the idea of using personal history and experience to drive the concept of Cultural Community.

Local people will, through arts and cultural activity focused workshops be involved in designing and delivering events to celebrate and share with the wider community encouraging positive social connections, which can enhance wellbeing and alleviate loneliness. The event will offer opportunities for people to come together as we transition to a post covid period and celebrate with friends, family and the wider community.

The Community Cultural Festival will add value to other local services working in partnership with Youth Connections, Larkfield Housing Association and Larkfield Children’s Centre will encourage more effective joint initiatives. This will enable hard to reach participants to engage with the wider community reducing isolation, to making new friends and having fun. Networking with other local services to enhance arts/cultural provision and ensuring that organisations come together to support the local community whilst tackling social exclusion and poverty whilst having access to free family fun activities. The ‘WISHES Group’ who provide opportunities to older people aged over 55, Youth Connections youth advisory group and Venture out Volunteers have been directly involved in developing our proposal.

At Campbell Snowdon House we used to hold regular large garden parties during the summer months. During these we would welcome family, friends and members of the community to join our residents during a fun family friendly event. During covid we have been unable to hold such an event, even the visiting of family members has been severely restricted. On talking to our residents they have said that they would all love to start this tradition again to welcome everyone back and celebrate the (hopeful) end of covid.

Our event would be open to anyone locally who wished to come. We often found that being able to come and see Campbell Snowdon in an informal setting like this was good not only for our residents who love to see new faces but also for local people who are maybe interested in Campbell Snowdon but wouldn't normally have the opportunity to visit. We would love to also invite our local nursery friends who our resident's have greatly missed during covid.

We would invite the local nursery children who we are partnered with and have fun and family friendly events and games. Our resident's have been incredibly isolated during the past 2 years which has been detrimental to them, particularly those with dementia. An event such as this to look forward to and to help plan would be greatly beneficial for them and an exciting start back to 'normal'.

Kilmacolm & Port Glasgow Agricultural Society Ltd in collaboration with The Ark on the Clyde CIC

We are running an Educational/Heritage Area at our Annual Show at the Knapps, Kilmacolm on May 14th. This is a completely new event and if it is successful, we hope to do it again each year at the Show. This will feature animal/agricultural exhibits, heritage information/displays, environmental/community groups, and local producers/handlers - we would like our visitors to experience a wider range of animals than is normally at the show so we would like to introduce speciality farm animals and heritage breeds in the tent. We will install educational/info signage at tents, rings and pens. We will hand out educational/heritage treasure hunt maps to kids as they arrive at the show. To complement this launch, we will also install directional/health and safety signage to make the show more accessible and help guide visitors to points of interest/health and safety areas.We are running an Educational/Heritage Area at our Annual Show at the Knapps, Kilmacolm on May 14th. This is a completely new event and if it is successful, we hope to do it again each year at the Show.  

This will feature animal/agricultural exhibits, heritage information/displays, environmental/community groups, and local producers/handlers - we would like our visitors to experience a wider range of animals than is normally at the show so we would like to introduce speciality farm animals and heritage breeds in the tent. We will install educational/info signage at tents, rings and pens. We will hand out educational/heritage treasure hunt maps to kids as they arrive at the show. To complement this launch, we will also install directional/health and safety signage to make the show more accessible and help guide visitors to points of interest/health and safety areas.

We want to help our visitors learn more about the countryside, farming, plants, gardening, environment, and animal care, this in turn will educate them on the impact they have on the planet and the local environment. We also want to educate visitors about local heritage - farming, the show and the impact on the local community in the past and in the future. Given the decline of the local farming industry, we want the show to provide a vital link between the public and the agricultural industry (field-to-plate journey). We would like to establish this event as a learning experience which will encourage people to support the farming community and respect and enjoy the outdoors – this will hopefully have a positive impact on local issues such as fly tipping, anti-social behaviour, littering, dog fouling. We would particularly like to target young children so that they grow up with an understanding of their impact on their environment and how farming and the countryside shape their lives. We intend to demonstrate and give away longer lasting items such as seed bombs, planting kits, litter pickers and informative literature - this will keep the ethos alive within the community longer than just at the event.

We intend to create areas within the event for local suppliers/producers, community groups and local companies who can demonstrate, educate and facilitate the learning experiences noted above. We also want to give local producers the opportunity to sell items that are related to the experience. Our give-aways and demonstrations will hopefully create long lasting enthusiasm and initiative within the community, especially kids, for our key themes. We hope to be able to build upon this event and offer more community involvement with schools and groups using some of the people, tools and equipment we will pull together for May 2022.

We are proposing to hold a family sports festival with events that will engage all age groups, age 5+ which will take place on a weekend from 12-4pm

Events will include:

• Mini Highland Games
• Long Jump/Throw for height
• Traditional sports day races: Egg & spoon, Skipping, Adult/Child 3 legged race
• Football & Hockey
• Fun Challenges ( beat the Goalie)
• Netball and Basketball
• Fun Challenges including shooting

There will be hospitality available for participants and family spectators, commemorative medals will be issued for participation and a goody bag for all which will include information on the clubs organising the event who operate in the community using either Ravenscraig Stadium and/or Inverclyde Academy for their Training.

While the event will showcase the work of the six clubs who form Ravenscraig Community Sports Hub, it will also provide an opportunity for those who live in the area to participate in a fun filled afternoon of family activity in a safe environment.

The event will also give an opportunity for the community to use Ravenscraig Stadium which has been a feature of the area for many years and perhaps has been underused by the community.

There is no entrance fee which could prevent some families form taking part, there is also no need for any special clothing or equipment. Ravenscraig Community Sports Hub work closely with Active Schools Inverclyde and their Sports hub coordinator will be involved in the organisation. Through Active Schools, local schools will provided with flyers and it is hoped to run a competition in primary schools to design the flyer.

Clubs in the RCSH already work with organisations such as SAMH and the Inverclyde CLD Team. We are looking to invite these and hopefully other groups who have activities in the area e.g scouts. BB to set up stalls/activities which will give a wider opportunity for families to engage.

Auchmountain Halls Fun day

The fun day will be take place at the end of our 4 week play scheme, creating an opportunity to bring the whole community together. Working with other organisations in the area will help encourage as many people as possible to attend but also help plan the event.

The event will be held at Auchmountain Glen, weather permitted. If not it will be held within Auchmountain Community Centre. A Community Celebration where we will have a Children’s Entertainer, Burger Van, Face Painters & Goody Bags. This event will bring people together as the event is free of charge and open to everyone, all age groups, meeting up with old and new friends and breaking down barriers of isolation.  Connect and reunite the community and strengthen the bonds between them, this hopefully will help improve mental wellbeing and alleviate personal struggles. At the event, there will be:

• Children’s Entertainer                      
• Burger Van                                      
• Face Painter                                     
• Goody Bags
• And More........

Meliora funding would enable PBO to host a range of inclusive events throughout late Spring & Summer. This   would start with a community Spring Fair in April followed by a series of monthly ‘Community Get Togethers’ with different themes for each, with a focus on creativity, gardening and environmental activities. The ‘Community Get Togethers’ will be enhanced by being held in the surroundings of our therapeutic horticultural environment and gardens on the banks of the Clyde within Port Glasgow. Some of the activities planned for the monthly events include:

• Tai Chi in the Garden with sessions outside in the Parklea grounds (gazebos and covered areas would  be available in inclement weather to ensure the sessions can go ahead as planned)
• Therapeutic crafts such as Willow Weaving & Macrame.
• Herbalist Session – learning about the varied uses of herbs, how they grow and planting up your own herb planter to take home.
• Grow and Learn Together – we will provide a variety of educational and productive food growing activities within our fully accessible community growing area, learning a bit about how to “grow your own” and giving tips & ideas of how this can be achieved on a small scale at home.
• “One Planet Picnic” – in conjunction with Keep Scotland Beautiful and local partners. A chance for the community to come together for an inclusive cultural community picnic! This will promote locally grown and seasonal foods as well as encouraging people to think about reducing packaging and food waste.
• We will provide growing resource and activity boxes.

 All of the monthly events will have fully inclusive activities as well as the opportunity for people to come together to eat and share food experiences.  We will offer wider support and engagement to our community by having local partners and agencies present at these events i.e. Community Learning and Development, Health Improvement,  Environmental Services, Carers Centre, The Trust, etc who would provide a range of information/advice and will be able to signpost people to local services.

We would like to join the wider Inverclyde community in recognising and celebrating the end of a difficult 2 years by hosting 2 days of events in the middle of the summer of 2022. Following a consultation with staff and regular users of the hub, as well as examining survey responses from Inverclyde residents, we have decided on a Community Spirit Weekend, which will include;

• Music from DJ’s/local bands/choir.
• Food provided by our café, a BBQ organised by our staff, and snack food stalls featuring small local businesses.
• Pop up shops featuring local artists and creatives.
• A farmer’s market for local growers to sell their vegetables and fruit.
• A tour of our gardens and what we do.
• Entertainment in the form of art classes, face painting, outside yoga, group meditation, small animal interactions, competitions, exercises, film screenings, floristry demonstrations, mindful walks, painting, mascots, football, cycling, dancing, and choir singing. (This list is not exhaustive)

Our events will take place during the day, getting people out in the fresh air to get lungs and bodies moving after a long time spent indoors. Our community gardens provide an excellent space to host our activities; we are based centrally, in Greenock, and easily accessible by public transport. Our walled gardens make our space private and secure, yet are welcoming and inviting to all. Visitors can take advantage of our beautiful greenery in the 6 glasshouses and massive courtyard that we are extremely proud of. Our large halls with glass fronted walls give us the opportunity to host activities inside, and our café provides delicious, low cost, healthy snacks and beverages.  

We would like to host our event over 1 weekend (2 days) in July. This will ensure that the weather conditions are appropriate enough to hold events outdoors, and is also the ideal month to ensure the children of Inverclyde can attend, as it falls in the middle of the school holidays. We would need to coordinate with other community groups in order to agree on an exact date, but for the purposes of the application, but mid July is our goal.

Kerrs Journey & Branchton Community Centre would like to facilitate a large community fun day to serve the wider South West Inverclyde Area. This event will be held in a local high school to ensure it is in a central location.  Kerrs Journey will be in the centre of the planning stages of this event to ensure it is inclusive to all and accommodates families with Children with Additional support needs and sensory requirements. It is important for Kerrs Journey to be part of this event as we feel that many community events do not cater for many support requirements such as a quiet area, no que system , appropriate games and space.   Regular Activities will include: Inflatables, Carnival Games, Arts & Crafts , Food

This Fun Day will benefit the wider community by bringing together various groups and residents in South West Inverclyde and allowing them participate together. It will also allow groups and organisations to showcase their services.

We have partnered with several community groups and organisations to ensure we are reaching all members of the wider south west Inverclyde community. Our application is in conjunction with the following partners.

Constituted Groups                                    

• Larkfield Tenants Hall                                 
• Branchton Community Centre                   
• South West Community Council               
• St. Andrews Parent Council                     
• Aileymill Parent Council                           

Other Organisations & Groups

•  Bluebird Family Centre
•  Aileymill Nursery 
•  Lady Alice Primary 
•  Aileymill Primary
•  Aileymill Nurture Room

A series of weekend/holiday workshops. The workshops would take place at the garden at Saint Columbas High School. The school is in the process of setting up a garden and would like the local community to be involved with this. The workshops would initially include, planting sunflower seeds in pots to take home, making herb planters and learning/sharing  gardening skills.Inviting the community into the school will have a multitude of benefits for the school and  the local community. These workshops would help build a bridge between the community  and the school. The school garden is a long term project that will need the support and help of the local community. There is also strong research that shows gardening and  working outside improve peoples mental health, which has taken a knock with lockdown.  These events will give people the opportunity to talk and share experiences and skills in an  outdoor setting. It is envisaged that the event will give attendees the skills to look after their own gardens and to be involved in the Siant Columbas' Garden in the coming years.  Giving people the opportunity to learn new gardening skills, be involved in a nurturing an caring project and learn more about the school fits the criteria of the Meloria events perfectly.

The event will be open to all members of the local community, with no barriers to taking part.  People of all ages and abilities will be encouraged to participate.  The workshops will be outside allowing people who are nervous about working in groups  indoors the opportunity to be involved. It is hoped that the event will initiate partnerships with the school and its neighbours, that will continue for many years as the school garden grows.

The Kilmacolm Community Council would like to hold a Jubilee village fete event, the remit being a family friendly engaging and inclusive event for all of the community. Running alongside the fete we plan to have a week long community art trail displaying artworks created by various community groups using recycled materials around the village, along with heritage photos of the village from days gone by displayed in the windows of local businesses. The fete would take place on one day over the Queens Jubilee weekend, held in Birkmyre park we would provide toilets and marquees to ensure ease of participation no matter what the weather. There will be a range of traditional games and stalls, children's entertainment including face painting and crafts along with a fancy dress parade for young people dressed as Kings and Queens. There would be a barbeque and space to encourage families to picnic at the event. We also plan to invite local groups to preform such as School Choirs, Pipe Bands and local dance and drama groups. The day will be organised by the Kilmacolm Community Council but involve participation from other local youth organisations such as schools, The Scouts and The Girl Guides. The art trail will follow a similar format to a previous spring art trail organised by the Kilmacolm Community Council, we provide a wooden board and a theme to local groups, for this event the theme will be related to decades in Britain/Scotland the groups then decorate the board with recycled materials and we coordinate the display in public areas throughout the village providing a map for people to follow. The art trail will remain up for around 1 week before being removed and distributed back to the groups or donated for display at suitable locations. Along side this we will be encouraging members of the community to submit historic images of the village which will be reproduced in large format and displayed in local premises.

Following Covid there has been limited opportunities for community led events, the Kilmacolm Community Council are confident that the fete will provide a family friendly event which will act as an opportunity for all parts of the community to participate and socialise. We believe it will attract those living in the village of Kilmacolm, as well as their family, friends and those from surrounding communities. We have sought to include activities which are suitable for the widest demographic in a central location in Kilmacolm and will promote the event on a variety of channels including social media, printed press and local posters to ensure wide coverage. It will give the opportunity for other village groups particularly those which are youth based such as schools, The Guides and Scouts to participate positively and interact with the wider community in a fun and proactive way.