Charity helps families in north east Fife during lockdown

Families First – St Andrews, which helps people from the Howe of Fife to the East Neuk, was forced to close its normal services due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The charity runs services – a befriending scheme, children’s group work service, and family support service – which are designed to help kids with mental health issues and their families or carers.

Despite the difficulties the virus has caused, the team of staff and volunteers have been hard at work to keep helping.

In April, the charity was in contact with 100 children, young people and adults, speaking over the phone and text messages.

The team also delivered more than 200 food parcels, arts and crafts materials, as well as outdoor kit to help keep people entertained.

And conferencing app Zoom has been used for youth groups and parents groups.

Manager Morag Coleman said it was important that the services continued as much as possible.

“Normally we’d be operating with around 80 volunteers,” she explained.

“Then it became clear that the student volunteers would not be coming back, and we had to think about how we could work.

“Knowing our kids and families, we knew what the challenges were. A lot of it is to do with mental health. That is our biggest concern. We need them to know we will still be there for them.”

The team had some time to think about the services before the charity was forced to close its usual projects in late March. Zoom has been a big help, especially for keeping the volunteers in touch with the children they have befriended.

“It means they don’t lose a relationship which has been built over a long time,” Morag said.

Morag said the feedback from parents has been positive, and that the technology could be used again in the future, once services are back to normal.

Looking ahead, Morag is searching for funding in the future: “I’m looking at the next year and beyond, and I’m more concerned about what could happen in the next year.”

She also wanted to thank the charity’s volunteers, staff, supporters and partners for their support.

Morrison’s has donated the food parcels, while Domino’s has run a competition giving the families a chance to win a free meal each week.