Kirkcaldy cafe raises over £2500 for free children's meals with community help

Templehall Cafe on Dunearn Drive has provided free meals for children during school holidays since first opening in 2014. However, the cost of living crisis has meant that a £1 subsidy has been applied since last year.

But thanks to the generosity of the Lang Toun community, and further afield, the cafe has raised more than £2500 to ensure the meals are once again available at no cost to parents.

Owner, Gavin Campbell started the scheme in order to help those in need in the local community. He has provided free kids meals with any adult meal to the Lang Toun’s children for nine years. However, with overheads rising for the cafe the cafe had to ask for a £1 subsidy.

Gavin said: “We just saw everyone in the local area struggling to live basically. Everyone is skint. The Cottage and the Foodbank were doing what they could, and I thought we’re a local cafe, let's see what we can do.

“This year with the cost of living being up, we’re feeling it as well, so we thought we’d charge £1 to try and recover some of the cost.

This sparked a round of donations which have ensured thousands of meals have been provided. According to Gavin, it all started with an anonymous donation of £10.

Gavin explained: “The first day, someone came in with a £10 donation for the meals. We put a thank you post on Facebook to the anonymous lady – the next minute there was a guy on the phone from India trying to donate £200.

“Then after that there were people handing in £10 in, £20 in, £500 in. It just went mental."

Kids that get a free meal have also received an Easter egg over this school holiday period.

And Gavin is looking forward to summer, with some of the money raised being set aside to ensure that the cafe can provide as many free meals as possible this summer.

In addition, Gavin hopes to make a donation to the Cottage Family Centre.