Community centre welcome donation from RWE Markinch

Dr Mark Picton, site manager from RWE, presented a cheque for £810 to the centre.

The donation will pay for new tables for the community café. The donation follows on from a grant from the ASDA Foundation (Glenrothes store), which will be used to upgrade the kitchen.

The centre also recently received a grant of £123,000 for capital and revenue from the National Lottery Community Fund.

Rose Duncan, centre coordinator, said: “The new fashionable and upmarket tables will complement nicely when the new state of the art kitchen is completed.”

Dr Picton added: “I am delighted to be involved with the Collydean Community Centre and also recently worked with the centre’s 89th North Glenrothes Scout Group. I wish Collydean Community Centre every success as it goes on to develop and expand its project for the benefit of their local community.”

The cafe provides a variety of nutritious hot and cold snacks at a very reasonable cost, ensuring the centre reaches out to local residents that sadly may be in poverty. Café staff are assisted by volunteers, which makes everything run smoothly as the number of people accessing the café is steadily increasing.

As well as the community café on a Thursday and Friday, the centre currently plays host to a wide variety of groups, from free Bookbug classes for babies right up to the Seniors group that meets on a Thursday afternoon. The 21st Glenrothes Guides and 89th North Glenrothes Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorers all call the centre home, along with job clubs and digital skills classes, yoga, dance classes, mother and toddlers, messy play, tai chi, Zumba, two youth clubs, internet café, an afterschool club, acting group, dog training classes and girls self-defence classes.

Collydean Community Centre was recently certified as Dementia Friendly, however the planned refurbishments means that the centre will be more accessible to people from all walks of life.