Civic Conversation: Acts of kindess at heart of Kirkcaldy's community

The Fife Free Press has launched a Civic Conversation to start the debate about bringing Kirkcaldy back after lockdown. Cara Forrester, editor of Queendom of Fife, is one of the people behind the new ShopAppy initiative. In this article, she outlines her views of the road ahead

As a town and a community Kirkcaldy has had its ups and downs, challenges to deal with and obstacles in our way.

When you reflect, I could be talking about the recent history of our town and not just the last few months couldn’t I?

The difference is, right now we find ourselves at a crucial moment in our town’s history.

Post-lockdown gives us an opportunity to write the next chapter in Kirkcaldy’s story together.

And we all want that to be a story of positivity where our town thrives, not just survives.

Lockdown has, for me, has highlighted once again the kindness, love and positivity that exists in Kirkcaldy.

There are many examples - from the stories of people coming together to help each other and the less fortunate to the pride I feel for the business community who have embraced new ways of working and tried hard to adapt quickly.

That’s the thing about Kirkcaldy. When we hear of someone or something that needs our help, we stand together and make it happen. We look after each other.

And, isn’t that a really amazing story to tell for our town?

I for one want to see what can happen when we start to tell the story of Kirkcaldy in those terms instead of talking the town down.

Our challenge now is to harness that attitude and ethos, work together and create something amazing No pressure eh?

https://www.fifetoday.co.uk/news/environment/fife-looks-re-open-more-recycling-centres-2874482

https://www.fifetoday.co.uk/news/people/tributes-paid-fife-funeral-director-diamond-man-who-helped-so-many-2874501

I don’t believe it is beyond our grasp if we all work together. Kirkcaldy’s future is not about one person or one organisation. Small things, actions and intentions, put together can affect change.

I am one of a new group of local people who have come together to form a social enterprise called Love Oor Lang Toun.

This group’s main mission will be to continue the work of renewal and regeneration that creates a 21st century Kirkcaldy Town Centre that local people will be proud of.

Cynics will ask if that’s possible, tell us it’s been tried before, ask what the point of it is?

They will focus on the negative, say there are too many issues and that the problems are too big.I’m not naïve, I know there are challenges.

But I don’t think we give ourselves enough credit as a town for what we can and have achieved and what we can and will achieve next.

We need collective collaboration, confidence and creativity.

While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you. In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you - wherever possible and providing it is safe for you to do so - to also please purchase a copy of our newspapers; the Fife Free Press, Fife Herald, St Andrews Citizen, East Fife Mail and Glenrothes Gazette.

Inevitably falling advertising revenues will start to have an impact on local newspapers and the way we continue to work during this period of uncertainty.

The support of our readers has never been more important as we try to make sure that we keep you connected with your community during this time. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. We need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

Our team of trusted reporters are working incredibly hard behind the scenes - from kitchen tables and spare bedrooms - to look at how we can do this, and your continued support of our newspapers across Fife will help to protect their viability in the days and weeks ahead.

For more details on our subscription offers please visit email [email protected] or call us on 0330 4033004

Thank you

Allan Crow, Editor, Fife Free Press

There will be discussions to come, chances to rebuild together and opportunities to harness the talent in our town.

But what if, to set the tone of the times to come, we started with something simple that we can all be a part of – an easy way for us to start celebrating where we live?

To start as we mean to go on.

A simple act like sharing pictures of memories from the past, bringing together images from our town now, our favourite walks or places in the town.

Remind ourselves of why we Love Oor Lang Toun. And there are so many reasons.

I have really enjoyed my walks during lockdown, taking in the views, the open spaces and the buildings which I perhaps once hurried past but now enjoy at a more leisurely pace.

It brings me so much joy to see pictures on social media of groups like Love, Kirkcaldy, Kirkcaldy Connected, and Walkabout Kirkcaldy as well as individuals who are rediscovering our town and posting their pictures.

It reminds me of places or perspectives I perhaps have forgotten about or didn’t see before.

What if by sharing what’s best about the town we can started to build a foundation that focuses on the good, not the bad.

We can’t be together just yet, but we can come together online and show everyone what’s great about where we live. A virtual showcase of why we Love Oor Lang Toun.

And we would be delighted to be the place to showcase them - Love Oor Lang Toun’s new Facebook and Instagram pages, along with, in time, the website we are creating will be the perfect place to bring the pictures of individuals and groups in our town together.#

If you tag @loveoorlangtoun on Facebook or Instagram and remember and use the hashtag #loveoorlangtoun so we can repost on our pages.

When we look back at this time and look at what we all created together, it’s my aspiration that we will do so with optimism and above all with hope for the future.