Fife College students create new peace sculpture

The sculpture, which includes two hands holding a globe, was very fittingly unveiled on the day after the centenary of Armistice Day, at the College’s St Brycedale Campus in Kirkcaldy.

Students involved in the project, alongside members of local community group, Interfaith Fife, and local councillors, attended the event.

The sculpture, which also includes flags painted on it representing the wide range of nationalities of students studying at Fife College, was designed by students studying on the Start Here for Qualifications course at the campus and then adapted and brought to life by construction students at the Stenton Campus in Glenrothes.

The idea for the sculpture came about after students were visited in class by Frank Bowness from Interfaith Fife who told them about a peace pole and garden which Interfaith Fife created in the Beveridge Park in Kirkcaldy and then adapted and brought to life by Construction students at the Stenton Campus in Glenrothes.

The students then visited various faith groups and welcomed other speakers into College as part of their research and studies.

Chantelle McCauley is one of the young people involved from the Start Here for Qualifications group.

Chantelle (20) from Glenrothes said: “It’s great that we have been able to work with other students to create a lasting reminder of the need for peace in the world. When we were designing the sculpture there were terrorist attacks in Paris, London and Manchester – this made the need for peace even more real for us.”

Modern Apprentice, Murdo King (21) from Thornton, was one of the students involved in the construction of the sculpture and was pleased to be involved.

Murdo, who is now a full-time apprentice blacksmith with Fife Council, said: “It was great to work on a real project in conjunction with other students from a different campus and to see people making an effort to promote peace. Our lecturer Jim Guyan also helped to finish the sculpture off”.

Lecturer Rosemary Richey said: “This project was not just about creating a sculpture but was about the inspirations and experiences that the students gained along the way to create the finished result. It is this that will remain with them and hopefully make a difference to the choices they make now, and in the future, and how they influence others.

“Fife College is committed to bringing different student groups together to learn from each other and to share skills and knowledge and this is an excellent example of a successful collaborative project. It was great to see so many people turn up to celebrate the new sculpture and most importantly to encourage our students to embrace peace.”