You Decide: Kirkcaldy’s community funding vote tapped into something special

The event was the very opposite - a great turn out, and a real buzz in the room as people took a genuine interest in the 80 projects bidding for a slice of the £300,000 pot of funding.

For a first ever attempt, this was hugely positive, and, hands up, ‘way more successful than I ever thought it might be.

What felt like a slightly clunky council initiative on paper came to life quite impressively at the Adam Smith Theatre at the weekend, and the momentum it generated should keep the public vote ticking over online for the rest of the month. The projects shortlisted deserve nothing less.

There are some incredible organisations bidding for funding which simply highlights the breadth and depth of community involvement across this district. I’ll declare an interest as part of the team behind the 40th anniversary celebrations to honour Fife Flyers’ 1985 British champions - our exhibition of hockey memorabilia launches at Kirkcaldy Galleries at the end of April and is worthy of your votes if you have any going spare.

Alan Westwater has taken the lead role on the exhibition and everything is progressing nicely - the funding would the icing on the cake for something that will appeal to generations of ice hockey fans across this town, and the stars from the ‘85 team - including Ron Plumb, Dave Stoyanovich and Danny Brown - will be in town too. What more could you ask for?

A huge amount of work went into structuring the You Decide initiative, never mind staging the public voting day at the theatre.

The presentations for each and every project were bright, colourful, easy to read and filled with more than enough detail for people to make informed choices.

Going ahead I’d love to see each of the organisations being able to pitch for votes with side stalls, paraphernalia and, well, as much noise as they can muster - make it as colourful a spectacle as they can too! Meeting the people behind the idea can also lead to spin-off collaborations; this really has the potential to be a melting pot of ideas which can only bring new vibrancy to the town and district.

For that to happen it needs a bigger venue - there’s an ideal one just along the road at the atrium at Fife College but it was in use for the food and drink festivals, which was equally busy.

It will be interesting to chart the progress of the ideas pitched, and how the money helps them go from the page to an actual event or benefit to a group. For some it means a first step can be taken, for more established groups the funding is the financial impetus needed to take the next step.

Let’s hope this isn’t a one-off. We’re on to something special here.

And while we can’t fund every idea, there will hopefully be follow-up support in the way of guidance from others who have been down this funding road many times before. Each one of the 80 pitches has merit - let’s hope someone follows them up.

Good luck to all for the final vote! (specially Flyers’ exhibition!)