New community kitchen to address poverty and ill health

Poverty and ill health in one of Fife’s most deprived communities are being tackled through the introduction of a community kitchen.

The service will be installed at Buckhaven community centre after local councillors agreed to a £28,000 grant.

Up to eight people at a time will be taught how to cook good quality food on a budget once it is up and running.

Community manager Dave Paterson said the move would help people who were unable to feed themselves properly.

“We are seeing health indicators which are of a worrying nature, especially dental health which is about vitamin uptake as a youngster,” he said.

“The SIMD indicators fully recognise issues around financial poverty and health inequality.

“The installation of this teaching kitchen aims to focus on both these concerns through the engagement of local people and teaching skills that provide a better knowledge of how to prepare and serve food.”

Mr Paterson said the community centre’s management committee were behind the proposal.

The kitchen will replace the community facility at Fife College’s Leven campus, which was lost when the college relocated to the new Levenmouth academy.

A range of second hand units acquired from different facilities are currently installed at Buckhaven but they are not considered conducive to group learning.

They will be ripped out and replaced with new facilities.

The move was welcomed by Labour councillor Ryan Smart, who said: “This is obviously needed, not just in Buckhaven but in Levenmouth as a whole.”