Cupar projects share £15K for a '˜fairer Fife'

Over the past few months the council has been asking local community groups to come up with ideas which will make Cupar area a thriving place and reduce inequalities.

Now following a successful voting event in the Corn Exchange on Saturday, seven projects, all with the aim of improving mental health and well being, have gained a slice of £15,000 council funding.

The successful projects are: Lighthouse Project - £2000.00; Castle Furniture Motorvators Project - £2000.00; Include Me Project - £1236.80; Fife Folk Museum - £800.00; Fife Clan-Howe of Fife Rugby Club - £794.56; Ceres Community Café Project - £4000.00 and Sustainable Cupar - £4168.64.

It is the first time an event of this kind has been held in North East Fife and, almost 100 votes were cast on Saturday.

Every group who had applied for funding were invited to be present at the event and there was a chance for all the groups to network with each other and the local people who turned out to vote .

Team Manager Sheena Watson commented: “It was really inspiring to hear about the projects and to see local people getting a chance to have their say and vote on them. This is something we want to build on and certainly we want to increase the opportunities for people to say how funding is spent in their local areas. They have the local knowledge to say what will make a difference.”

The council has now organised a number of similar participatory budgeting events across Fife in a bid to give communities more control over public spending in their areas.

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Added Sheena: “We are working to reduce inequalities and create a fairer Fife for everyone. We will learn lessons from this event and hopefully our next event in the East Neuk next year will be even better!”

The Lighthouse project intend using their funding to upgrade the toilet facilities. The Lighthouse is used by the Cupar community and is especially welcoming to the elderly, vulnerable and disabled.

Sustainable Cupar bid for funding to improve the More Moor Road. Their aim is to enhance the environs of the core path between Cupar and Ceres by providing benches to make it a more inclusive space for less able walkers and children.

The natural habitat will be enriched by installing bird boxes and the planting of an edible verge. An interpretation board will increase public understanding of local history. These aims will be achieved with the help of several community groups.

Fife Folk Museum are using their money to improve signage.

Ceres being on the outskirts of Cupar, some three miles away had no signs advertising the museum.

To help increase footfall, the museum wanted to install new signage in Cupar to point visitors in the direction of Ceres and the museum which depicts the past social, economic and cultural life of the county of Fife.