Raith Rovers and Shambolics at Kirkcaldy Foodbank AGM
Raith Rovers and The Shambolics were in attendance at Kirkcaldy Foodbank’s AGM to hear the organisation stress the need to provide "more than just food.”
Band frontman Darren Forbes joined Rovers’ star Lewis Stevenson at the event to talk about their long-standing support.
The Shambolics have staged numerous gigs over the years to raise money for the foodbank, while Raith supporters organise regular collections of food, toiletries and money.
The foodbank has been working hard to build partnerships with other agencies to provide support for people in areas such as welfare, finance and housing.
Norah Smith, chair, told the AGM, held at Pathhead Parish Church last week, that it was important to encourage people who use the foodbank to take advantage of the services available to help them out of poverty.
"There are some people who manage to leave food insecurity behind, so that is good news," said Norah. "We have always worked with a variety of partners, referring people to agencies which can provide support which helps them tackle the root causes of poverty. With the number of people using the foodbank not decreasing as we would like, this is more important than ever. We strive to increase our connections with others working against food insecurity and poverty to help people achieve sustainable improvements to their lives.
"In the past year, we have seen that there are many individuals and families who, through no fault of their own, have visited the foodbank many times.
"This year we are focusing on talking to those people to understand what else we can do to assist them make real and lasting changes to improve their lives and standard of living."
The foodbank has received financial support from the Northwood Trust and Fife Council to appoint a co-ordinator who will help to support the work of the charity going forward.
It comes as it manages 1000 visits every month - on average, more than 650 adults and 240 children received food every month.
Over the year, 2133 adults and 971 children received food from the foodbank at least once. On average, 96 people per month attended for the first time in at least a year.
Treasurer Jacqueline Armitage told the AGM that despite a challenging year, the foodbank remained financially stable and sustainable.
She reported a deficit of £27,345 - slightly lower than the onet recorded last year. There had been a reduction of almost £40,000 in funding across all income streams, but Jacqueline said the board remained committed to prudent cost management and worked hard to monitor food prices and adjust purchasing accordingly.
Trustee Ian Campbell led a conversation with special guests Darren Forbes, Lewis Stevenson from Raith Rovers and Ann Oliver of Innes Johnston Solicitors about their support of the foodbank.
Darren said: "It's always good to do your bit for the community, and hopefully we can continue doing that."
Lewis added: "The work that the foodbank does has been an eye-opener for me."
Innes Johnston is also long-time supporters of the foodbank, and senior partner Ann praised the charity for its vital role in "providing a safety net to support the community".
> The foodbank’s annual report for 2025 is available on its website at http://kirkcaldyfoodbankcharity.org.uk.