Leading international figures gather to mark Salvation Army’s 140 years in Kirkcaldy
The music of their bands is as instantly recognisable as their uniforms.
The Salvation Army’s roots in Kirkcaldy are deep and valued, and this year marks the charity and church’s 140th anniversary.
Its charitable work extends across the Lang Toun, and its base at Hayfield Road continues to offer practical support and spiritual care.
The landmark anniversary will be celebrated this month with a special visit from one of its highest-ranking international leaders.
Commissioner Edward Hill, the charity’s Chief of The Staff, will lead a weekend of events on Saturday June 27 and Sunday 28th to celebrate its work locally.
The Salvation Army is inviting people from across Fife to a special community concert on the Saturday night at the Old Kirk. The event starts at 6.30pm and will feature some of the charity’s best young musicians. Tickets are £10 (free for under 16s) and can be bought online.
The Chief of The Staff will be joined in Kirkcaldy by his wife Shelley, whose role in The Salvation Army is overseeing women’s ministries across the world.
Commissioner Edward said: “This promises to be a wonderful celebration of ministry in the heart of Kirkcaldy. For generations, The Salvation Army has served the community with dedication, offering practical support, spiritual care, and a message of hope that has touched countless lives.
“We look forward to celebrating the rich heritage and remarkable legacy of our community church in Kirkcaldy. We hope it continues to be a shining light in the community for many years to come.”
The Salvation Army has been a familiar, and re-assuring, presence in the town since 1886.
It has a shop in the Mercat Shopping Centre, a major donations centre at the top of Rosslyn Street, and its headquarters in Hayfield Road which replaced its previous base in the centre of the High Street which was its home for 100 years.
It is a stalwart at many local events and special moments, such as Remembrance Sunday, and its music has added a special touch to many carol services at Christmas. Many drinkers will recall the familiar sight of Salvation Army members dropping into pubs and selling copies of the War Cry - the organisation's own newspaper - and donations of coins dropping into their tins. That publication can trace its own roots back to 1979, and, at one stage, sold some 1.7million copies.
It set out in the 19th century to support people facing homelessness, addiction, loneliness and unemployment. Those issues remain just as relevant today, underlining the key role the Salvation Army has across the community.
Few organisations can match its long pedigree. In June 1886, The Salvation Army, led by Captain Robert Metcalfe, opened its first church in Kirkcaldy and its founder, General William Booth, made no fewer than four visits during his lifetime.
During one of them, in 1906, he was made a Freeman of Kirkcaldy.
Booth and his wife, Catherine, started what became the Salvation Army in London, providing support, and hope, to people in most need.
In short, they stepped away from the church pulpit, and took to the streets. Soup, soap and salvation were three by-words for the help as the Booths created what was to become a worldwide organisation.
They set up shelters for the homeless, helped trace families, provide sanctuary for women fleeing domestic abuse and prostitution, and created the world’s first free labour exchange.
Its movement quickly spread across the UK and far beyond, with a change of name from the Christian Mission to the Salvation Army in 1878.
Today it operates across continents and can be found in over 130 countries.
In 1965, the Salvation Army gained a second civic honour in the Lang Toun when General Frederick Coutts was given the freedom of the burgh. He was born in Kirkcaldy in 1899 when his parents were the officers at the church in Sinclairtown.
Across the generations, its members have been at the heart of the community, and the 2021 opening of its base in Hayfield Road was another major landmark. After moving into the renovated former Church of Christ building, it ran its annual toy appeal, providing newly 500 toy parcels and around 50 Christmas hampers.
In just a few months of lockdown, it also provided around 3500 hot meals for children and families not in school, and continues to be a welcoming, safe space to worship and pray, and enjoy the fellowship it offers.
Captain Andrew Manley, who leads The Salvation Army in Kirkcaldy, said: “For 140 years, The Salvation Army has walked alongside the people of Kirkcaldy. It has always been our mission to offer practical help, compassion and hope where it is needed. We are grateful to the people of Kirkcaldy and Fife for their support that continues to make our work possible.”