Our 16th Annual General Meeting took place on Wednesday, 24 August 2016, in the Board Room, Sovereign House, Irvine.

As usual all ANCHO Members were invited and the meeting was also open to the general public.

At the AGM, the Members received reports from ANCHO’s Chair and from our Auditor.
Members then elected Board Members to fill some of the available vacancies on our Management Board.

​ANCHO’s new Management Board for 2016/17 are:

ANCHO’s 10th annual Community Fun Day was held at Redburn Community Centre on 12 August 2016.  A combination of fun and access to a wide range of information about services and initiatives within the area, it was attended by almost 120 people, despite the weather not being the best on the day. 

With all activities indoors due to the weather, there were bouncy castles, facepainter, balloon artist, music therapy and an extensive range of stalls giving health, money and other advice and tips. 

If you weren’t there, you missed out – remember to come next year!

ANCHO had been given a number of basketballs by Everwarm Limited Scotland at their Community Fun Day back in autumn 2015, and Director, Elaine Gibson, was determined that they would be put to good use.  She made a connection with Ayrshire Tornadoes Basketball Club, and the new basketballs were donated to the club’s young members this weekend at Dalry Primary School. 

Recently renamed Ayrshire Tornadoes Basketball Club was originally founded in 1991 and was then known as Troon Basketball Club.  The Club now boards a player pool from all over Ayrshire and the West of Scotland and has teams playing at national and regional level.  The Club has won every competition available for men at national level and has also produced a succession of players who have represented Scotland at various stages.  The Club’s home games are based at Dalry primary school which has excellent facilities for players and spectators alike.

CFRC will be hosting a FREE “up cycling” workshop with designer Emily Bevan- Pritchard of www.emilyrosevintage.co.uk on Saturday 31st October between 10am -2pm.

Emily hopes to hold 2-3 sessions lasting approx. 1 hour 15 mins of up to 10 people at a time during which she will demonstrate the use of Fusion Mineral Paint and how to decoupage an image onto furniture.  She will bring along a finished piece, possibly a chair that shows the techniques that can be learned.  People will learn on boards and guides will be issued for take away.

If you are interested please call in on the free phone number 08002218083 or on 01294 475650 in the first instance and reserve a space.  Once numbers have been confirmed interested participants will be contacted and a session time will be confirmed.

ANCHO’s 9th annual Community Fun Day was held at Redburn Community Centre, Irvine, recently.  A combination  of fun and access to a wide range of information about services and initiatives within the area, it was attended by almost 200 local people.

There was the usual bouncy castles, Fitba4u ran ‘Beat the Goalie’, the KA Activator Van was on-site, and, inside the hall,  there was an extensive range of stalls giving health, money and other advice and tips.  

There was Laughter Workshops, a Vox Box for people to have their views filmed, a Balloon Race, a facepainter, a Basketball competition, Throw the Sponge, and local company Hoots Owls introduced youngsters to their wildlife. 

And, most excitingly, our Future Proof youth theatre team put on two outstanding live performances – Live Street Theatre like Irvine have never seen!

Every August since 2007, we have held a Community Fun Day in the Redburn Centre, Irvine, just before the school holidays end.  This year is no different!  The event, to be held on Friday 14 August 2015 from 11.00am to 3.00pm, is designed to allow the community to have some fun, whilst at the same time enabling adults to access a wide range of information about services and initiatives within the area.

And, most excitingly, our FutureProof youth theatre team will be putting on two live performances at 12.00pm and 2.00pm – Live Street Theatre like Irvine have never seen and not to be missed! 

As usual, there will also be bouncy castles, Fitba4u will be running ‘Beat the Goalie’, the KA Activator Van will be on-site, and there will be the usual extensive range of stalls giving health, money and other advice and tips.  Stalls will include North Ayrshire Credit Union, Victim Support, Adult Learning, Fresh Ayrshire, Age Concern and many more.  

There will also be Laughter Workshops, a Vox Box for people to have their views filmed, a Balloon Race, a face-painter, Sumo Suits to play in, Hoots Owls will be introducing youngsters to their wildlife, a Basketball competition, Throw the Sponge and an ice-cream van. 

ANCHO’s first ever theatre production summer school – ‘Future Proof 2015’ – is being supported by several big names from the theatre world.  The summer school, funded by the Scottish Government, is running from 3 August to 14 August 2015 from 10.30am to 3.30pm in the Volunteer Rooms, Irvine, and there are still a few spaces available for young people aged 8 to 18 years.  

And, excitingly, we have managed to secure the services of a number of known names to help coach and mentor the young people in acting, singing, dancing, prop and design, and much more.  Louise McCarthy, fresh from a Scottish National Theatre tour of ‘Yer Granny’, along with Gayle Telfer Stevens, who played Francine in ‘Sunshine on Leith’, and Keira Lucchesi (Stella from River City) will be working alongside local actors Craig Glover, veteran of a number of Ayrshire Pantos and a recent tour of ‘Cinders the Musical’, and Steven Duffy, who has a whole range of television appearances to his credit.  And coordinating all this will be experienced local actor, performer and coach, Evelyn Caputa.  

The summer school will culminate in a number of live performances at ANCHO’s Annual Fun Day on 14 August 2015 at Redburn Community Centre, Irvine, bringing real street theatre back to Irvine!

Interested young people who have not registered yet should email youthinfilm@ancho.co.uk.