Kirkcaldy club beats social isolation with gardening

A group that battles social isolation in Kirkcaldy is starting a new garden project offering members a chance to grow their own produce.

The Curnie Club supports people who are socially isolated in the community, and helps to develop their social skills and confidence with the aim to improve their quality of life.

Members benefit from professional therapeutic group work that allows for their natural attributes, skills and abilities to emerge and be recognised with the aim that they become self-sufficient and self-sustaining.

The popular initiative has been running since 2016 with groups in Kirkcaldy, Glenrothes, Methil, Cupar, Dunfermline and Cowdenbeath.

https://www.fifetoday.co.uk/health/coronavirus/coronavirus-kirkcaldy-parks-half-marathon-2020-cancelled-2503084

https://www.fifetoday.co.uk/health/coronavirus/coronavirus-fife-positive-cases-rise-2502384

https://www.fifetoday.co.uk/health/coronavirus/coronavirus-live-blog-global-deaths-covid-19-pass-10000-mark-2502875

Lindsey Thomson, project support worker with the club said: “We are getting the garden ready for our members to come in and plant various things, gardening can be very therapeutic.

“The members will be doing all the gardening – we are just getting it ready for them, anything that they grow will be used for lunches at the club.

“The paths still need to be laid before we can get started, Matthew Groundworks have kindly donated the materials needed for the paths and will also be providing the labour to get it all done.”

Kelvin Falconer initially started going to the club as a member after suffering from social isolation. He now volunteers his time to help run it.

He said: “My phone actually froze on the club’s page, so I read what it had to say and about an hour later I was signed up as a member.

“The club has really changed my life. It is like a family to me.

“Since I started coming here I see life more positively. I now have purpose and I want to share that with other people.

“The club really does work. It’s a two way street – the more you talk about yourself the more someone else will open up.”

Lindsey adds that the aim of the Curnie Club is to get people who are socially isolated to back into the community.

She added: “We want to see our members flourish, and to see them move on to bigger and better things.

“There are so many people out there that are socially isolated who do not know where to turn.

“We want them to know that we are here for them.”

https://www.fassaction.org.uk/curnie-clubs-home