Bid to ensure every child in Fife stays warm.

More than 600 coats have been donated to Fife Housing Group thanks to drive to tackle child poverty

Fife Housing Group is helping ensure every young Fifer has a cosy coat to keep out the chills this winter.

The group launched a Give A Kid A Coat campaign at the start of September as part of its commitment to giving something back to tenants and local communities.

And such has been its success, with more than 600 coats donated, the group is investigating the possibility of making it an annual appeal.

Staff at what is one of the largest independent housing associations in the east of Scotland were not anticipating such an overwhelming response, and the office in Dunfermline is currently overflowing with coats, so they will need to look into the logistics of storage before committing to doing it again.

One of the project’s team leaders, Helen Miller, said: “Give Something Back was the theme of our colleague conference this year and we were keen to do something that would have a real impact.

“Unfortunately, thousands of children in Fife are living below the poverty line, with their parents and carers struggling to make ends meet, and the cost of warm coats is something some of them just cannot stretch to.

“On the flip side, many other families have good-quality winter jackets which are only worn briefly before the children grow out of them, so it made perfect sense to try and bring the two together, and we have been absolutely blown away by the response we have received.

Free coats and jackets can now be picked up at the collection points or alternative arrangements can be made by calling Fife Housing Group on freephone 08000 274007.

They can be collected at both High Valleyfield Community Centre and Cowdenbeath local office from 10am to noon on Tuesday, from Rosyth Parish Church from 2-4pm on Monday November 19, Abbeyview customer service point from 10am to noon on Tuesday November 20, Oakley Community Centre from 10am to noon on Wednesday November 28, and the Cottage Centre in Kirkcaldy from 10am to noon on Friday November 30.

Give Something Back was the theme of our colleague conference this year and we were keen to do something that would have a real impact. HELEN MILLER PROJECT LEADER

Picture: Steven Brown. Pamela Sneddon is overwhelmed with the amount of coats donated.