Social Benefits Wishlist

Old Kilpatrick Food Parcels aims to alleviate food poverty and reduce social isolation in our community. We are a registered charity who started up during Covid as a result of families experiencing financial hardship. We were feeding 50 families per month in 2020 and our recent annual accounts show that we are now feeding an average of 400 families per month. Our resources are stretched beyond their limit and we desperately need help to enable us to continue to provide essential food, toiletries and baby items to vulnerable families 
Currently looking for:

1. Loft insulation
2. Loft ladder
3. Web design
4. Vinyl flooring

Wish list for both Nairn Street and Shaftesbury Street Sheltered Complex would be:

• Funds to provide a fitness trainer 2 sessions a week for chair exercise classes.
• Funds to provide 6 social events indoors and outdoors in the wider community to include bus hires.

Faifley Art Group has 28 active members and has been running since 1988. We focus on developing visual arts skills and reducing social isolation, especially among our mostly elderly members—many of whom live alone or have health issues.

We’re planning a group outing to the McLaurin Gallery at Rozelle Gardens in Ayr, including a light lunch:

Coach hire: £400
Lunch for 20 members: £200
Total cost: £600
Social outings like this are vital for keeping members engaged and connected. We kindly request a £600 donation to help make this event possible.

We provide weekly subsidised meals for up to 160 people every Wednesday. During the winter months, we also run a “Heating and Eating” programme, offering a freshly cooked two-course meal every Tuesday evening in a warm, welcoming, and friendly environment.

Our aim is to support anyone struggling with the rising cost of living. Our building is fully inclusive, accommodating all disabilities, and we actively work to combat loneliness within our community. To continue delivering these vital services, we urgently need to upgrade our refrigeration units. We are currently using domestic appliances, but commercial-grade fridges and freezers—costing £1,900 each—are required to meet demand.

Any donation, no matter the size, will help us reach our goal and would be deeply appreciated.

We urgently require repairs to two areas of our workspace, and any support with either issue would be greatly appreciated.

1. Flooring Upgrade at Leven Valley Enterprise Centre
We would like to replace the current carpet tiles in one area of our unit with linoleum. The space is approximately 2m x 6m and houses several fridges. Due to frequent spillages, the existing surface is no longer suitable. With budgets being tight, any assistance with this upgrade would mean a great deal to us.

2. Drainage Repair Outside Fire Doors at Leven Valley Enterprise Centre
The drain just outside our fire doors has collapsed, causing significant flooding and puddles during rainfall. On several occasions, water has seeped through the fire doors into the unit. This entrance is also used for moving deliveries, and unfortunately, many of our volunteers end up with wet feet. Repairing this issue is essential for both safety and accessibility.

Duntocher Village Hall is opening as a warm hub in autumn/ winter 2025. We are hoping to be able to provide the local community with a warm welcome and something warm to eat.

We would love it if the following items could be donated or the cash equivalent of £500. - 10 litre soup kettle x2, 30 litre water boiler, 50 stacking soup bowls and food supplies to get us started.

Anyone who needs somewhere warm to go and needs something to eat. Our hope is that by opening as a warm hub our community will have a regular place to meet and those who may be feeling lonely or isolated will have a safe and welcoming space to go. to.

Food, Goods (shower gel, deodorants etc.), Sport equipment, Gardening equipment, Gaming equipment (darts board, pool table, any indoor games/equipment)and Gym/Fitness equipment. The requested goods/equipment would go towards the mental and physical wellbeing of the residents of The Ashton View Project. The use of the requested goods/equipment will be a part of our Harm Reduction approach to the support we provide at the service. Whether our residents are living with addiction, mental or physical health issues, the requested goods/equipment will greatly benefit our residents, as a distraction from substance use (if applicable), combat social isolation and promote a more healthy lifestyle.

We are looking for support to purchase some new kit and equipment for our Street League academies including footballs, nets, rackets, sports bibs. Our young people aged 16-24 who take part in our 10 week academies to support them into a positive destination whether that is training, education or employment.

Thrive, Personal Development Programme, is looking for a donation to enhance their curriculum with a trip for 20 young people. These trips challenge young people to get outside their comfort zone by trying new activities and travelling to new places whilst interacting with new people. Many of the Thrive young people haven't had the opportunity to leave their West Dunbartonshire area and need extra curricular activities to broaden their horizons. We would use the money for activities such as climbing, bowling, water sports, go karts etc. We are hoping for approximately £300-£600 donation e.g. paddle boarding is £30 per hour for 20 young people which equates to £600.

We want to make a green space in the grounds of our Boys Brigade Community Hall in Smollett Street, Alexandria. G83 0DS. Our boys and girls as well the other hall users would benefit from healthy outdoor activities in a play area. 

We also would like help to continue the refurbishment of our Boys Brigade Community Hall in Smollett Street, Alexandria. We want to replace the guttering and the fascia/soffits boards on the building. Over the years the weather has caused much deterioration. A well maintained community hall is a great benefit to our boys and girls as well as the others hall users. Everyone enjoys a safe and warm environment to participate in their chosen activity. We continue to refurbish, In order the up keep standards

Time For Tully is a registered Association who benefits the young people of Tullichewan and their families Our organisation is looking to increase sports and recreational equipment in the estate and give disadvantaged children the opportunity to take part in services and activities currently unavailable to them. 

Currently Time For Tully does not have premises in the area of Tullichewan, Alexandria.   We would like to add a space to the area, where we can store sports equipment and ideally have some office space and to hold meetings and eventually events, a base and somewhere to call home for us.  We would be so so grateful if we could have a 2nd hand, in not too bad condition large modular classroom/Portakabin that we can put our stamp on.  As a grassroots organisation, having a base would mean the world to us and to the children and families of Tullichewan.

Also looking for donations for the following

• Sports related equipment

Men's Shed Clydebank is about helping all men at different stages of their lives by making available opportunities to join with other men in creating meaningful, enjoyable mutually agreed activities and projects along with the companionship and support of each other… in a 'SHED' environment. We currently have 180 registered members, and work with a number of other local community groups including local schools and nurseries. Cash donations are a great help to allow us to support other community groups and individuals. Material donations are welcome too as they help us to offset the costs of the construction we undertake on behalf of the community.

Tullochan supports the West Dunbartonshire Community - providing employability, training, qualifications and mental health & wellbeing support to those aged 5-25 and 25+ through a variety of projects. Tullochan Training Academy is our main hub for engagement, with programmes such as Timber Transitions (practical woodwork and numeracy project), Furniture Fix (upcycling project), Gardening & Landscaping (community projects providing basic garden maintenance), Personal Development (mental health, wellbeing and life skills) and Employability (CV Cover Letter writing, job searching/applications, interview prep/mock interviews) on offer. Our programmes are available to those who need extra support in finding sustainable education, employment or training and are tailored to meet each individual need.   

Currently looking or the following: Gardening & Landscaping

• soil, plants/bulbs, planter bags
• equipment (gloves, knee pads etc)
• seeds (fruit and vegetables)

Timber Transitions

• wood (for bird boxes, planter boxes, raised beds)
• equipment (saws, tool belts, screws etc)

Furniture Fix

• Varnish, furniture paint, sanding materials
• Old furniture (wooden)

We support local young people aged 12-26 who are affected by parental alcohol or drug use.

For the past 7 years we have been hiring venues to see young people or taking them for drives in our car. We are very lucky to have secured amazing premises where we are creating a safe hub for the 96 young people we work with in West Dunbartonshire. Young people will be able to come along and receive breakfast, lunch and dinner with staff on hand to have a chat if they are worried about something at home. We have a games room where they can have fun with staff and their peers, a room for facilitated group activities, a one to one and large dinning room for eating.

The local community have been amazing donating beautiful furniture and games. It is looking inviting for young people to come in and feel at home.  If anyone would be able to help us fund, flooring & fitting for our hall and dinning room and blinds for our main group room and one to one room. We would be eternally grateful.

Currently looking for donations to allow us to buy produce for the food pantry.

Knowetop is a community horticulture and wildlife project on 15 acres of ground in Dumbarton. We offer weekly volunteering sessions, work with local schools and run a community events and activity programme, as well as providing locally grown fruit and vegetables to community members, and community cafes in the area.

We are looking for donations of goods and materials (or money to buy goods and materials) for the following;

• timber for building raised beds in our community growing space
• slabs/ sand for laying paths and hard standing for a shed in our community growing space
• compost for using on our no-dig beds in our market garden and for filling raised beds in the community growing space (material must be compliant with BS3882:2015 and BS8601:2013)
• metal benches for seating on the wider site
• water butts/ IBCs and guttering so we can harvest rainwater
• assistance with getting electricity and water connected to our portacabin
• microwave for our portacabin
• kitchen cabinets for our portacabin

Donations of vouchers to support local community project.

Request for vouchers for local shops to supplement school uniform availability to vulnerable families and those presenting in crisis. This would include purchases of winter jackets/shoes etc.

Working4U, Child Poverty Team operate within the schools in the WDC area. They assist parents and guardians who find themselves on the edge of crisis, often financially, due to a wide range of circumstances. School clothing has a significant impact on household finances, thresholds for School Clothing Grants are low and often exclude those on low income. Families in crisis can often result in children having to stay with other relatives, or moving home at short notice reducing their access to school uniforms and in need of emergency clothing. Emergency clothing can range from basic uniform supplies including shoes, jackets, and appropriate PE clothing. A bank of vouchers for local shops would be a welcome addition to any package offered to parents during times of crisis.

Match kit sponsorship or support in obtaining new training equipment, training kit, tracksuits, footballs and assistance to pay let fees and ongoing bills.

The people who will benefit this the most will be the group of 20 boys who train and play week in week out with Dumbarton United 2009. The kids are all currently 14/15years old and for some this is their only means of social interaction outside of school. It is also for some the only fitness activity they have.

With access to the benefits the boys will be able to reap the rewards of new kit and new training aids. In the current financial climate this will help elevate some of the hardship some parents in our group struggle with in accessing football. This kind benefit will also assist in keeping the monthly cost to parents to a minimum.

Donations to Clifftop Projects would support transport for local young people in West Dunbartonshire to attend theatre and performance events across Scotland. It could also pay for a performance company to come to Dumbarton with a show.

Provision of labour, money or materials to support local community projects.

Help needed for:

• Building a wooden fence around work area
• Painting wooden beds & pergolas
• Landscaping features (manual labour)
• Planting out (veg/trees/flowers)
• Grass cutting
• Weeding

Donations of household Cleaning wipes, toilet roll, hand sanitiser, plaster gloves, bin liners (small & large), gardening gloves (adult & kids), larger plant pots (40-60cm), garden trowels & forks, long handled steel weeding brush, work safety boots UK size 8&9, padlock & keys, copy paper & printer's ink for Epsom copier.

We are currently needing our shutter fixed but we are also looking to improve our toilet facilities at the club and could do with help for the following jobs:

• Wet Wall or similar product to be put up in girls/boys toilets
• New cubicle doors to be hung/painted
• Toilet seats/handles replaced

We also have a leak in our roof which has been repaired on a number of occasions but we are still getting water in – if anyone could look at that then it would be appreciated.

Finally, the gutters regularly fill with leaves/moss from the trees on the railway – so these need cleared a lot so any help with that would also be great.

We run social walks in the area and we have become aware that not everyone has waterproof jackets suitable for walking. To prevent people's own jacket being soaked (and possibly there only one) we want to be able to offer a loan of a breathable waterproof jacket whilst out with us. The type of thing we are interested in would be: a mix of breathable waterproof jackets with hoods (small & medium and possibly a large.) We can have up to 10 on our walks so we would like to build up to that.

An iPhone 8 (refurbished is fine) so that our volunteer has a mobile phone when out on social walks (we would cover the sim card).

We support local young people aged 12-26 who are affected by parental alcohol or drug use.

Many of our young people don't get much for their birthday or Christmas so we endeavor to get them all a gift personal to them, this is becoming harder as the number of the young people we support is growing.

Money to buy each young person a birthday and Christmas present personal to them.

An emergency fund to buy items like school uniform item, phone charger etc.
We are always looking for a room for 1-2-1 support work, small group work or a base for our two members of staff . If any local businesses have a room we could use, we would be very grateful.

We are an emergency foodbank currently feeding over 200 families per week in West Dunbartonshire who are both working and unemployed but equally struggling financially.