Everyone Every Day: How Corra Foundation aims to bring the ideas from Kirkcaldy folk to life

The Corra Foundation has moved into the former Bright House premises in the heart of the mall, three years on from an initial research project in the High Street, and it is ready to get to work helping to create a raft of projects pitched by people in town.

It follows on from a three-month project in the High Street in 2022, and with funding now in place, it is up and running with an open invite to everyone to drop in.

The foundation’s ‘Everyone Every Day’ initiative has a simple aim - to make everyday life better for everyone, bringing their ideas for projects to life and making them available to all.

The foundation began life as Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland, but split from the bank over a decade ago and is now an independent organisation - and if it does for Kirkcaldy, what it has done in the London borough of Barking and Dagenham, it could see a host of new opportunities opening up.

Down south, the project has spawned almost 150 projects, created five new shops and got over 6000 people involved. Seven years on, it continues to go from strength to strength.

Now, the foundation’s five-strong team is in place to tap into that knowledge, but base its projects on what people in the Lang Toun want.

Its base in the Mercat will be open during retail hours with plans for some evening sessions. It formally launches this week, but its newly decorated windows have already attracted the attention of passers-by. The foundation also has bases across the town, including the Philp Hall, Templehall and Smeaton, is looking at how it can move into Burntisland, Kinghorn and Auchtertool.

It also starts with a pot of funding from Fife Council and the National Lottery - all new money to the town - to get things moving in the Lang Toun which was picked specifically for its size and the amount of work already happening within the community.

The foundation aims to offer people the opportunities to do what they want to do, turning passions into projects and perhaps even businesses, or simply an idea that needs some support from the local community. That could be something to make or grow, create and enjoy, or simply connect with others.

The new base in the Mercat has a makers’ zone, a meeting area and a place to sit and chat - it’s bright, airy and open to all.

Emily Wallace, national programme manager, said: “We have all the information from 2022 ready to move forward. We decided not to spend our council funding until we had match funded it, and we have been successful with the National Lottery - this is all new money coming into Kirkcaldy .

“Now we are here for the next three years, we have a new team in place and we will build on our first programme over the coming three years, running three projects each year.”

The Corra Foundation is already working with the Crafty Grannies based in the Philp Hall, helping it to expand, and it is working on pulling together all the ideas which come from the public into a newspaper publication, and working with existing groups to help launch projects which can have a real impact.

“We are not targeting anyone in particular,” said Emily. “Everyone every day is our theme - we can help to bring people together through projects which are based on their ideas. As we chat to people, the ideas unfold and skills come to the fore. We work with them to help develop the ideas practically - it could be cooking, making, or yoga.

“Some people might come along for one session and that is enough, others may get more out of it and want to do more. Our aim is to build more maker connections with other organisations that are out here - but we need to find out what people want first.

“The response has already been very good. People have come forward with lots of ideas they were interested in doing but didn’t know what was out there, or weren’t sure if it was for them.

They have come from very different backgrounds and skill sets and we are already seeing how we can start a programme from building on the chats here

“Their ideas are also really practical. Someone wanted to try yoga on a Monday - it might just be one session but it is a way of trying something different and then looking at what more is out there. After a chat they were really keen to return - this gives people the spaces to connect.”

The new hub is open to already established organisations to drop in, and the team there will also help to create the structure needed for new activities to get up and running - and keep them going.

“We are also looking at how to make them sustainable,” said Emily. “If a project takes off and people really love it, how do we make it sustainable for the long term? Part of our work is making sure we can set up the resources and structures to help.

“We try to take the risk out of it. Many people who want to start a new project often think they also have to be fundraisers and set up an organisation with a constitution and find a place, and all before they get started.

“We can do that for them - it falls on us - and people can get on with doing whatever it is they are interested in. As long as it is practical and we can make it into a programme that lasts a couple of hours there is an open invitation to help.”