Challenge Poverty Week 2021 – North Ayrshire
As part of Challenge Poverty Week 2021, we’re delighted to highlight the innovative work North Ayrshire Council and partners are focussed on to tackle poverty.
Cost of the School Day Working group
Young people have been at the heart of influencing decision-making in North Ayrshire to address the cost of the school day. Working closely with partners involved in the North Ayrshire Cost of the School Day working group, their joint proposal gained Full council approval earlier this year, securing a £500,000 commitment to fund a programme of support. The programme was launched in June, and includes:
Food: £150,000 to extend our school and community food network across all schools to support children and families;
Clothing and sustainability: £100,000 for a School and Family Participatory Budget Investment Fund for educational establishments to respond to local needs in relation to school uniforms, outdoor clothing, sports kit and recycling and reuse equipment; and
Digital inclusion: £250,000 in a Digital Families Fund to digitally include 1,000 families each year, providing access to devices and connectivity for online learning and activities, enhancing and guaranteeing sustainability of current investment in devices for home use.
Read more: https://www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk/news/Council-to-help-families-meet-Cost-of-the-School-Day.aspx
Community Benefit Wish List
On Tuesday 5th October North Ayrshire Council launched a new Community Benefit Wish List as part of Challenge Poverty Week.
Community benefits are built into the Council’s procurement processes. They are designed to bring added value to communities when the Council tenders for a service. Social, environmental and employability support can be provided by companies who have been awarded contracts over a certain amount with the Council, allowing them to give something back to the people of North Ayrshire directly.
The Community Benefit ‘wish list’ has been designed to enable community groups and the Third Sector to access the right support from Council contractors, and make the whole process around community benefits much more transparent and efficient.
Read more: northayrshire.community/wishlist
North Ayrshire Council’s Fairer Food Network expands to support community food larders
Since the start of the pandemic, North Ayrshire Council has provided 1.26 million meals to the most vulnerable residents, families, children and young people. In addition, with the help of a dedicated army of community volunteers, almost 124,000 emergency food packs have been delivered to those who have been shielding, isolating or in need of a helping hand during the pandemic.
The Council is now focusing its efforts on continuing development of its Fairer Food network to help alleviate the need for emergency food provision in our communities. They are doing this by partnering up with community groups and associations to create a dedicated network of food larders throughout our communities.
Set up in partnership with community organisations during the pandemic, there are currently ten established larders in operation throughout Irvine, Kilwinning, Three Towns and the Garnock Valley. (With four more larders due to open in Beith, Kilbirnie, Springside (Irvine) and Saltcoats over the coming months). Open to individuals, and families in need, these vital facilities work on a membership basis and provide a mini supermarket-like environment for people struggling with the expenses of their weekly shop.
Unlike a food bank which offers emergency food provision, people do not require a referral to access the community larder – providing a far more dignified approach to addressing food insecurity. Membership fees vary, however for £5 or under, members get the opportunity to access a variety of low-cost produce including fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, tinned goods and a selection of personal hygiene products. When combined as a basket shop, members are set to save in excess of £15 per visit to their local larder. Membership is open to everyone within the catchment areas and all that is needed to join a community larder is a letter to confirm your name and address. More information on each of the current food larders is detailed below, and you can also visit the Google Map link: https://tinyurl.com/dkdwwwwc to keep updated as new larders open.
| Name | Operated by | Location | Opening times | Weekly membership fee |
| Ardeer Food Larder | Ardeer Community Centre | 23 Shore Rd, Stevenston KA20 3NB | Wednesday 10am-2pm Friday 5pm-7pm |
£3.50 |
| Choices Community Shop | Fullarton Community Hub | Choices Community Shop, Fullarton Street, Irvine, KA12 8DH | Mon, Wed and Friday 10am-1pm | £3.50 for couples
£6 families |
| South Ardrossan Larder | North Ayrshire Foodbank (The Trussell Trust) | Church of The Nazarene, 150a Glasgow Street, Ardrossan, KA22 8EU | Monday 4pm-6pm Tues to Thursday 10am – 2pm Friday 4-6pm Saturday 10am-12pm |
£4.00 |
| Cranberry’s Community Larder | Pennyburn Community Association | Cranberry Moss Community Centre, Cambusdoon Place, Kilwinning, KA13 6SL | Tuesday 10am-4pm Thursday 1pm-7.30pm Friday 10am-4pm |
£3 up to family of 4 £5 larger family |
| Dalry Community Larder | Dalry Community Association | Dalry Community Centre, St Margaret Ave, Dalry KA24 4BA | Wednesday 6.30pm-8pm
Saturday 10am-12pm |
£4 |
| Tap End Larder | Hayocks Community Association | Hayocks Hall, Hyslop Road, Stevenston, KA20 4HW | Thursday 5pm-7pm | £3.50 |
| The Farm Basket | BABCA | Towerlands Community Centre, Bourtreehill, Irvine KA11 1PY | Monday 10am-1pm Wednesday 4pm-7pm Friday 2pm-5pm |
£3 for singles £4 for two people £5 for families |
| The Village Larder | West Kilbride Community Association | West Kilbride Community Centre, Corse Street, West Kilbride, KA23 9AX | Tuesday 9-12pm
Thursday 6-8pm Friday 9-12pm |
£3 or £5 for a larger family |
| Quaint Larder | Whitlees Community Association | Whitlees Community Centre, Carrick Place, Ardrossan, KA22 7DT | Wednesday 10am -4pm | £3.50 |
| The Wee Shoap | ACES Woodwynd Community Association | Woodwynd Community Centre, 50 David Gage Street, Kilwinning, KA13 7EF | Mon, Wed and Friday 10am – 3pm | £3.00 |
North Ayrshire Child Poverty Action Plan Report
The Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017 places a duty on local authorities and regional health boards in Scotland to produce annual Local Child Poverty Action Reports (LCPARs) describing ongoing and planned action to tackle child poverty at local level. Download the latest North Ayrshire Council Child Poverty Action Plan Report here – http://northayrshire.community/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/NAC_Child_Poverty_2020-21-accessible.pdf
