There are 6 projects seeking funding in Bo'ness and Blackness, as well as 4 Falkirk-wide projects.

  1. Table of contents

Place-Based Capital Projects

Bo'ness Children's Fair Festival

Marquee and seating for Douglas Park.

Amount requested: £18,070.79

Bo'ness Fair is the biggest festival of its kind in the UK. It brings the Bo'ness Community together; bringing visitors into the area and the ability for our ex-pats from all over the world to watch the ceremony via our IT links.

We want to make 2024 a more sustainable Fair by purchasing a Marquee for the Douglas Park. Giving us the opportunity to facilitate more Community events. To eradicate the chance of cancelling the Revels due to the inclement weather like this year.

Seating costs us each year for the Revels in Douglas park. We would like to purchase stacking chairs plus a trolley which will be easily moved and stored.

The Newtown Park Association Ltd

Toilets refurbishment.

Amount requested: £28,431

With our increase in users which include a number of girls football teams, ladies teams and the Scotland National Cerebral Palsy football team, we need to improve the level and standard of accessible and ladies toilet provision at Newtown Park.

Barony Players (Falkirk-wide project)

Raising the Roof on The Barony Theatre.

Amount requested: £51,012.22

The Barony Theatre is a unique community theatre venue in Bo'ness; open and accessible to all in the Falkirk Council area and beyond. It is home to our adult company of Players, our Youth Theatre, and the Secret Cinema. We also attract touring professional theatre companies, host ghost hunting groups, hire out the theatre to other professional or community groups, hold Open Days and participate in the Hippfest Silent Film Festival.

In order to continue and expand our programme of community involvement, we need a building which is wind and watertight to protect the Victorian interior and technical equipment and provide a comfortable environment for all our users.

We will use the grant to replace 2 sections of the roof which are beyond repair and causing damage to the interior. We anticipate the work will take 6 months and be completed for our 70th Anniversary celebrations in June 2024.

Falkirk Football Community Foundation (Falkirk-wide project)

Electric van.

Amount requested: £43,348.99

Falkirk Football Community Foundation's vision is to be a leading provider of sport, health, education, and employability activities to children, young people, and adults in our community.

The Falkirk Foundation works with local and national partners to provide innovative initiatives that engage people across all age groups and backgrounds. We are extremely proud of our partner relationships that are the heartbeat of the community.

The community's wellbeing is integral to our work and tackling deep-rooted issues is of utmost importance.

We hope to purchase an electric van to deliver our projects in different locations in the Falkirk Community. These projects range from football delivery, employability, mental health and first aid. The vehicle will be used to help with our winter campaign where we deliver food hampers, warm clothing and toys to those that need them over the winter.

The purchase will help in the Foundations goal of becoming carbon neutral.

Falkirk Fury Basketball (Falkirk-wide project)

Transport assistance to basketball programme.

Amount requested: £50,720

Falkirk Fury Basketball Club works in schools and organisation all across the Falkirk Council area. Having our own minibus will reduce the number of parents and players cars on the road, thus helping cut carbon emissions.

It will also allow the club to deliver sessions more easily, transport players/coaches to games and assist schools and organisations where transport is an issue. We would use the bus to transport our players - 16 teams - to games which are played all over Scotland. Many of our players do not have transport and a minibus would be of tremendous benefit in solving these issues.

Falkirk Junior Bike Club (Falkirk-wide project)

Public Access Defibrillators at cycling hubs.

Amount requested: £6,920

Early access to a defibrillator can vastly improve the chance of survival. As a club, we coach in many locations in Falkirk that are currently some distance from a defibrillator, and we are conscious that if someone was to suffer a cardiac arrest it could take some time to get access to a defib. Each of these locations is also used by many other groups who promote sport and physical activity, as well as many other members of the community, so this project has the potential to offer life saving support for many.

We would like to make these accessible in 3 different locations:

  • Callendar Park
  • Callendar Estate Activity Centre Camp
  • Zetland Park

And a 4th one to ensure we have a portable one for any events and community sessions we run. We would appreciate if you could see the impact this will create and a safer community for all.

Friends of Forth Valley First Responders (Falkirk-wide project)

Installation of Public Access Defibrillators (PADs).

Amount requested: £32,290

The project would look to place Public Access Defibrillators across the Falkirk Council area.

Fourteen sites have been identified with a further four requiring new cabinets. A contingency would be included as with previous installations, extra ones came forward but could not be accommodated.

Every year the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) responds to around 200 people in Falkirk who have a sudden, unexpected out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Only 10% of these people survive.

Survival would be greatly increased if PADs were used. In the event of an OHCA within range of a PAD, the public would be directed to it by Ambulance Control after calling 999. They would also be given instructions to enable them to use the PAD prior to arrival of the Emergency Services.

We would also offer the community sessions to learn CPR and how to use of a PAD.


Small Grants

Bo'ness Car4U

Bo'ness Car4U offers a free transport service to those who are diagnosed with cancer and need to travel for treatment.

Amount requested: £2,000

Bo'ness Car4U offer a free transport service to those who are diagnosed with cancer and need to travel to Larbert, Glasgow, Edinburgh, or Airdrie for their treatment, often for multiple sessions.

The patients come from Bo'ness, Blackness and Philipstoun. Averaging a round trip of 80 miles which would be an extremely expensive undertaking by bus, train, or car. These patients are referred to us by the 3 General Medical Practices of Bo'ness, who by reason of ill health, age, disability, financial hardship, or any other disadvantage are unable to go on their own. They are sole passengers unless they require a family member or friend to accompany them.

Bo'ness Children's Fair Festival

Bands for the Fair procession.

Amount requested: £2,000

Since the Emancipation of the Miners in the 18th Century, the Miners of Bo'ness marched behind several bands in a procession through the streets of Bo'ness. This took place in the month of July each year. In 1897 children were introduced thus creating the Bo'ness Children's Fair Festival.

After the crowning ceremony a procession was held around the streets of Bo'ness. Sadly, the Miners Demonstration procession phased out as the Children's procession grew. Ever since then bands have been a big part of the proceedings.

Due to the recent current cost of living crisis, we are asking the community to vote for us so that we can have as many local and wider afield bands attending the Fair as years previous.

Bo'ness United Community Football Club

Purchase new goals for the club and some pop-up goals to be used in the local primary schools.

Amount requested: £5,000

We're a community football club serving around 500 children in Bo'ness through our various programmes. Our goals are old and need replacing. We've been taking the 'make do and mend' approach for some time but we've reached a point where we need to invest in some new ones but they're expensive.

Our volunteers run sessions within the local primary schools too, and often comment on the substandard goals - wrong size, broken, difficult to set-up or manoeuvre. We'd love to purchase some simple, good-quality pop-up goals that our volunteers can use for the sessions.

Football continues to grow in popularity within the town and we’ve attracted lots of new club players through our schools and free Friday night kickabouts. We want to continue to be able to provide this opportunity to the kids.

Kinneil Band

Instrument replacement programme.

Amount requested: £4,500

We are seeking funding to replace some of our instruments that have served the band well since they were originally purchased back in 1995. As the instruments approach 30 years of sterling service, they are beginning to show signs of their true age. With a full set of instruments for a full brass band costing more than £100,000 we are aiming to replace these in a phased approach. To ensure we can continue to provide musical pleasure for all, we seek your help in replacing our ageing musical instruments.

Being founded in 1858 in Bo'ness, Kinneil Band has a long, proud tradition and attachment to our local community. We attend around 30 local and national events every year from playing at local events to welcoming royalty to our area. We also have a very successful youth band that aims to teach and supply our children music instruments and lessons for free.


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Voting closes on Friday 23 February 2024.