Food and energy projects among beneficiaries of £241,500 help

Greener Kirkcaldy has been awarded £241,500 from the Scottish Government’s £40 million Supporting Communities Fund as part of emergency funding to respond to the Covid-19 crisis.

The group will distribute £148,000 to other local charities in need of urgent financial help to stay open.

As reported in yesterday’s Courier, the Cottage Family Centre will receive £60,000, and now Kirkcaldy Foodbank, Kirkcaldy YMCA and the Linton Lane Centre will also receive a cash boost.

Greener Kirkcaldy will use the rest of the money to contribute to its own running costs and support its emergency response projects, including community food support in Kirkcaldy and energy top-ups and advice across Fife.

Greener Kirkcaldy chief executive Suzy Goodsir said they would be able to “assist the people who need us most”.

Foodbank chairwoman Joyce Leggate said: “This generous grant will enable us to maintain the supply of food to those in most need during the current crisis and beyond.”

Greener Kirkcaldy’s energy advice service, Cosy Kingdom, are giving top-ups to people at risk of being disconnected. They are also operating a telephone service to help advise on bills, supplier or debt.

Project manager Bruce Mccall said: “Since lockdown measures began, we have spent around £8,000 providing over 150 households with emergency fuel top-ups to ensure they would not be disconnected.”

Another of Greener Kirkcaldy’s projects, Community Meals to Go, is making and delivering freshly cooked meals. More than 400 have been given to the foodbank and people lacking family support, the physical ability to cook food on a regular basis, on a low income or unable to leave their home.