£60,000 donations from Fife Ethylene Plant benefit community groups

Jessica Goodall (4) and Zofia Robertson (4) try some pumpkin carving.

And local organisations are being encouraged to contact the plant as soon as possible with details of forthcoming projects and events which could benefit from some help.

Over the past nine months the Mossmorran-based plant has handed out grants, in both cash and kind, to over 30 worthy causes to help them buy everything from food and clothing to science equipment, defibrillators and even Christmas lights.

And it has helped towards the cost of putting on community events including civic weeks and Highland Games.

Among the awards was £1000 to the Cottage Family Centre in Kirkcaldy to help buy food and clothing for families in need.

Pauline Buchan, service manager at the centre, said: “The funding we received was used to support families experiencing significant hardship with practical support such as cookers, beds, utilities, clothing and food.

“It’s thanks to donations like this we can make real differences where it matters to the most vulnerable children and their families living in our communities. We are hugely grateful for the continued support we receive from ExxonMobil.”

The Broomhill Community Garden Kids’ Club in Burntisland was given funding for a project to educate children on growing and cooking their own produce, helping them understand where their food comes from.

Sarah Goodall, the group’s facilitator, said: “We were delighted to have been given this funding from FEP and we have used it to buy seeds, plants and gardening tools for the children.

“They get involved in growing and picking the produce and we then cook it with them so they can taste what they have grown.”

A donation of £1000 is also being made to help towards the cost of Christmas lights for Lochgelly, while Lochgelly West Primary School, an ExxonMobil Link School, received £2000 to buy resources for its Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) after-school club.

This particular funding is part of a dedicated pot given to Fife Ethylene Plant’s link schools to encourage youngsters to follow a career path in STEM subjects.

Jacob McAlister, plant manager at FEP, said: “We regularly meet with local communities and hear about exciting projects they are organising.

“We are getting close to the end of our budgeting year, so we want to hear from any other local projects and causes we may be able to help as soon as possible.”

Applications should be sent to: [email protected].