Vote to support Levenmouth and East Neuk community groups

The Aviva Community Fund opened up for voting last week, allowing people from across the UK to vote for projects they would like to see receive funding.

Four local groups are among the hundreds in need of your votes to help them receive funding to develop or sustain vital projects.

FEAT, which runs Silverburn Park, Expressions Dance Studio, Buckhaven-based Autism Rocks, and Eden Movement, in Anstruther, are in need of your votes.

Autism Rocks is seeking between £10,000-£25,000 for create a mobile sensory unit.

It means the organisation, which provides support, advice and help to children with autism in Fife, will be able to take its services on the road.

The group currently supports around 1600 families throughout the Kingdom, however, some families can’t travel through to Buckhaven for various reasons.

The funds would be used to transform a bus into a mobile sensory unit, filled with toys, arts and crafts, information and more.

It means families unable to access the charity’s unique services would be able to get the help they need.

“One of the big things for us is that a lot of the families we support are in west Fife,” said Liza Quin, founder and chair of Autism Rocks.

“We can’t get to them and they can’t get to us. With this we would be able to take our services to them.

“The mobile unit would be the first kind of its kind in Scotland. This would be a massive benefit.”

Meanwhile, FEAT, which has operated Silverburn Park since 2013, is seeking a similar amount of funding.

The funds would be used to create two new posts – a horticultural project leader and food project leader – to help with the short-term maintenance and development of the park.

The former would design a plan for the reinvigoration of the walled garden, while the food project leader would provide drinks, rolls and snacks to visitors to the park.

Duncan Mitchell, FEAT general manager, said: “We’ve reached a point in the park where progress is being made on a variety of fronts but we are very limited in terms of staff capacity to support additional volunteering over and above what we can currently manage.

“Having some dedicated experienced staffing will help us increase opportunities for other people to come along and get involved and be supported to join in at the park.”

Expressions Dance Studios is seeking the same amount to continue its vital Best Foot Forward project.

The studio is open six days per week, between 6.30am-10pm, providing a space for local children to get active.

Around 40-60 children attend classes each week, while a disabled disco is organised every Sunday, with a DJ, juice bar and karaoke.

“This project is really important,” explained teacher Amanda Mitchell.

“There’s people in this area who really benefit from the project. The amount of kids who come through the door – it keeps them off the streets.

“I explain to the kids what happens and why not to get involved.

“It’s also important for me to see the kids and how they progress. It’s amazing.”

The final project in the area looking for funding is the Eden Project, which is based in Anstruther.

The group is aiming for between £1000-£5000, which it will use to purchase new equipment for its gymnastics and parkour clubs.

The club currently has no equipment of its own and relies upon the minimal equipment available at the venues.

Eden Movement has classes for beginners and experienced children, offering them a fun way to keep healthy.

The new equipment would allow the children involved to learn a wide range of skills.

The club was started in response to the popular demand for a gymnastics club in Anstruther, while the parkour element was added later.

These four local projects are among the hundreds in need of your votes to receive funding.

If the projects receive enough votes, they are moved through to the finals. At that stage, a judging panel assesses the applications and awards the funding.

The Aviva Community Fund is available to community projects across the UK, with around 500 receiving funding at the end of the process.

People who wish to back one, or more, of the projects have until November 20 to get their votes in.

To learn more information about the Aviva Community Fund or to make your votes, visit the website www.avivacommunityfund.co.uk/voting/campaign/getinvolved.