Linton Lane legend Norman steps down after 45 years

Norman Clark (70) from Kirkcaldy has been part of the centre since joining as treasurer in 1974, before taking on the role of chairman in the late 1990s.

The Linton Lane Centre is one of Kirkcaldy’s longest running community centres – it was founded in 1926 as Kirkcaldy Boys’ Club.

Norman, a retired chartered surveyor with the Scottish Government, first visited it when he was helping to teach a karate class.

He said: “Jim Raitt, ran the centre at the time had, and told me that they were looking to expand the committee.

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“They were hoping to get people who use the centre to join the committee, and asked me if I would like to be treasurer.

“I volunteered and never looked back.”

It was a new departure for Norman, but he went on to become one of the centre’s stalwarts.

“I had never been part of a committee or been a treasurer before, so it was very much a learn on the job” he said.

Over the years Norman has seen many changes in the way it is run and funded – half of its financial support once came from the local authority, but now it is a stand alone organisation.

“The way the centre is run has also changed,” he said. “We started as a boys’ club and evolved into a family centre and crisis centre.

“Because of our role in the community people come to us when they are struggling – they know that we will offer them support without judgement.

“The closer we get to the community, the better, because if people come to us with an idea that they have to start a new group, we always want to work together – there is obviously a need for these things.”

Mandy Henderson, centre manager at the Linton Lane Centre hailed Norman as “a massive pillar of support” at Linton Lane.

She added: “Everyone who works and volunteers at the centre has so much respect for him. He will be sorely missed as our chairman.”