The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Park revamp project in bid to bag funding
Tesco is giving cash raised from plastic bag levy to outdoor schemes
Fife Council is hoping to bag a pot of cash to transform part of Dunfermline’s “jewel in the crown” park.
Tesco has teamed up with Groundwork to launch a monthly funding scheme where grants, all raised from the 5p bag levy, are awarded to outdoor community projects.
Greenspace Scotland is working with Groundwork to provide support to communities.
Three groups in every Tesco region have been shortlisted to receive funding and this month shoppers are being invited to head along to Tesco stores to vote for who they think should take away the top grant.
Fife Council is one of the groups on the shortlist. It is up against Cupar Highland Games and the 2017 PKD Festival in Rosyth.
The project could transform a former private garden at the North Lodge in Pittencrieff Park into an area benefiting people and wildlife.
At present the site is overgrown, shaded area.
With native wildflower planting and sensitive management, many forms of wildlife could be encouraged to make their home in this quiet corner.
A small pond would a neglected, attract amphibians and insects, while wildflowers would attract pollinators such as butterflies and bumblebees.
An opportunity for nearby residents and the local primary schools to use this sheltered area for growing fruit and vegetables would add to the overall value.
Wildlife-friendly gardening practices would be adopted and training provided for volunteers who would like to be involved.
Urban park ranger Cara Donald said: “This site would be an invaluable resource not only for wildlife and food growing but also as an educational tool for local school children and volunteers who visit the park.
“Being able to grow food from seed and then harvest it themselves will promote sustainable living and a healthy lifestyle in a way that no book can emulate.”
Voting is open in Friday January 28.
Customers can cast their vote using a token given to them at the checkout each time they shop in Dunfermline’s Extra, Fire Station and Express stores, Rosyth, Dalgety Bay, Cardenden, Glenrothes, St Andrews and Cupar.
Tesco’s Bags of Help project has already delivered more than £24 million to more than 2,400 projects up and down the UK.
Tony McElroy, Tesco’s head of communications in Scotland, said: “There are some fantastic projects on the shortlists and we can’t wait to see them come to life in hundreds of communities.”
The Bags of Help scheme is permanently open for applications and anyone can nominate a project at any time by visiting www.tesco.com/bagsofhelp/.
There are some fantastic projects on the shortlists and we can’t wait to see them come to life
local stores until