Levenmouth celebrates local community champions

The Rotary Club of Buckhaven and Methil celebrated community champions at an event on Friday, after asking people in the area to nominate people and groups they felt were deserving of recognition.

The organisation chose a shortlist of eight: Faz Latif, Michelle Ratcliffe, Buckhaven and Denbeath Community Council, Craig Boyd Hairdressing, the Wemyss Improvement Group, Kelly Dewar, Catherine McLean and Caroline Lee.

Faz, owner of Premier One Stop Shop in Methil, gave away free water and fruit to local kids on the first day of school, and free rolls to make sure people ate breakfast; Michelle, chairwoman of the community council, is a member of the Levenmouth Academy PTA and runs a Facebook page which allows parents to keep up-to-date with what is happening at the school; the community council organised the return of the bonfire night and Christmas lights switch on, as well as setting up a fun day last summer; Craig Boyd Hairdressing organised a back-to-school drive which collected school uniforms, bags and equipment and provided free hair cuts before kids returned to school last summer, and does various fundraisers for the local foodbank; TWIG is constantly working to make the village beautiful; Kelly raised funds for the buddy bench in memory of Craig Bernard and was part of the team which got his ashes scattered at Ibrox; and Caroline, who has suffered five strokes, supports other people who have had strokes and has helped as a member at her local neighbourhood centre and housing association.

But the winner of the first community champion award was Catherine. She has been an active member of the Levenmouth Foodbank for many years, helped set up and run the Levenmouth Children’s Clothing Bank, volunteers at the People’s Pantry, has been a befriender and done much more.

“We had the idea for the award when we saw the huge number of people and organisations who work away in our community,” said Rotary member Alistair Robb.

“I call them community heroes. A lot of them go completely unnoticed. We felt it was time to recognise them and celebrate the fantastic work they all do to make this place a better place to live and work in.

“There are some of the most genuine, kindest, hardest-working and most community spirited folk to be found here.”

All of the nominees were given a certificate, while Catherine was also given a shield and £200 for charity.

Another Rotary member, Robert Graham, also paid tribute to the nominees, adding: “Everybody is working to make the future for the community as good as it can be. Nobody said it would be easy, but we can stand shoulder to shoulder and support each other. It does matter. When we stop doing that it’s time to lock up and go home. That’s not what we’re about. It’s not what Fife’s about.”