Burntisland team scoops community award for helping the most vulnerable during pandemic

The accolade is a tribute to the work of Yvonne Crombie and Brendan Burns who spent months co-ordinating BEAT’s volunteers to offer support during lockdown to people who had nowhere else to turn.

With many local residents self-isolating and unable to get out for food, medicine, or vital supplies, BEAT sprung into action from its Toll Centre base at the start of the first lockdown in March last year.

Despite the hardship, 80 volunteers came forward to help.

Yvonne said: “Brendan and I are both on the community council and we are part of the group for the emergency action plan in the town, so when we went into lockdown we activated that plan and formed BEAT.

"We got it up and running within a week – we had a call for volunteers and 80 people responded..

"We got a £1000 donation from Police Scotland which allowed us to buy food and so we were able to respond quickly. For example we had a man contact us who hadn’t eaten in four days and within half an hour he had food from us.”

Brendan said: “We did prescription pick-ups, dog walking for people who were self-isolating or shielding, we did food shopping, made up clothes parcels and toy parcels for families. We also set up a swap shop outside where locals could drop-off and pick-up toys, jigsaws, DVDs, books, and other items.

“Every child in Burntisland also got an activity pack which had items like a baking kit, musical instrument and skipping ropes. We made up 800 bags.”

In August BEAT moved to a more centrally-located base, the Toll Community Hub, on the town’s High Street and opened a successful pop up shop there which recycles clothes, books and toys.

And during this second lockdown, Yvonne, Brendan and their team of volunteers have been helping out once again.

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Yvonne continued: “Two days a week we make up and deliver packed lunches, feeding 300 people in the town a week. Fife Council give us the food to make up the parcels.

"It has been much easier this second lockdown because we were already established but I often wonder though what would have happened in the town if BEAT wasn’t there.”

Alex MacDonald, chairman, Royal Burgh of Burntisland Community Council said: “The Community Award for Burntisland this year focused on groups.

“We were delighted with the quality of the nominations. However, the clear winner was the Burntisland Emergency Action Team. Its volunteers made things so much easier for people who were housebound, lonely or simply overwhelmed by the initial lockdown.

“They galvanised support from local traders, enabling a speedy distribution of essential food to those in need. With the co-operation of the local authority and the Toll Community Centre, everything came together very smoothly despite the exceptionally challenging circumstances.”

Yvonne added: “We are absolutely delighted with the award but we wouldn’t have it without our volunteers. We are planning to have a big party when we can to say thank you to them.”

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