Kirkcaldy: Town centre shop to make everyday life better for all

Everyone Every Day has a simple aim - to make everyday life better for everyone.

The three-month research project being run by the Corra Foundation is the first in Fife - and it is about to begin speaking to groups and individuals who are working together on different neighbourhood projects around the town, or who have ideas they’d love to get off the ground.

The shop at 69 High Street - the former Kommandor showroom - will be their base for the next three months with an open invitation to drop in and find out more.

The foundation began life as Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland, but split from the bank a decade ago and is now an independent organisation which, if it does for Kirkcaldy, what it has done in the London borough of Barking and Dagenham 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 - and it continued to go from strength to strength.

And all of that started by finding out what people want locally - and what ideas they have that could lead to a network of 1000s, all working together on different projects around the town that, collectively, make everyday life better for everyone.

The Everyone Everyday concept has also launched in Halifax and Montreal in Canada

Emily Wallace, national programme manager, explained why its next launch is Kirkcaldy.

“We were looking for a town with a big enough population, already had enough activity, with the potential for more to happen,” she said. “We wanted a place that was supportive through the third sector and local authority.

“It was an ideal choice. There is lots going on - it’s always busy and has the potential to develop.

“We encourage people to bring their ideas for the community. No-one knows better than them what the community wants.”

Even before the doors have formally opened, people have dropped in to find out more - their interest piqued by the displays in the window.

The official launch has been pencilled in for Monday, July 11, with the project running for three months.

“Lots of people have already walked in and asked about us, and that has been really great,” said Emily “We’re looking forward to getting the shop open, and up and running.

“The signage will go up soon and the walls have some of the examples of how things work.”

And how it works is by finding out what Kirkcaldy folk want, and ideas they have always wanted to bring to life.

Emily explained: “It’s a new way of working. It’s about people coming together

“It isn’t solely about business development, but offering people opportunities to do what they want to do.

“It’s about putting their passions into business - or something they simply need support from the local community

“People can walk in, grab a cuppa and have a chat and say ‘I really would like to try…’ - and we can help.

“What is quickest way to make it happen? Can we help find a space for it to take place? Can we help advertise and promote it and bring people together?

Within one to two weeks, things can start to happen - w’ don;t want people losing momentum.

“And if something doesn’t work out, that’s okay because connections have been made and we can revisit it or try something else.”

In Barking and Dagenham there is a huge makers’ space, because that’s what people wanted and needed as their ideas came together - a place where someone interested in “making jewellery for example, could use the space rather than financing their own premises to see what works, and whether it could go on to become a commercial enterprise.

The space has everything from a commercial kitchen to printing facilities, a workshop and training facilities.

“It has everything the community said it wanted and could use, and that space is also completely free to access for anyone who lives there.”

“Our shop here in the High Street is a research centre. We are here to talk to people to see what can work - and it works properly when people get involved.

“This isn’t led by us - it’s led by the community. We are exploring with people what they want to do locally, where are the gaps and can we bring resource to fill them?

“It’s a new way of working. It’s more about people coming together

“The makers’ space isn’t about business development, but offering people opportunities to do what they want to do.

It’s about putting their passions into business or something they simply need support from, the local community.”

As for the ideas, they are limitless.

The Corra team plans to put up a huge map of the town to identify what is already in place and where any gaps might be.

And it wants to hear from people of all ages - from children up to the elderly.

“People have lots of ideas and some can be up and running very quickly.

“Others might have a vision which they give everything to create a business that becomes their livelihood.

“Our project is completely open to all, and after three months we will be able to see the patterns which form, and what people think is a good thing for Kirkcaldy.

“That could be a makers’ space - so we’d then look at what is needed to get it started really, really quickly. We start to build resources very quickly.”