Press Appeal: Donate your books to help Fife charity shop

But the books you’ve read can be turned into the funding that a Fife charity needs to offer crucial services to the elderly and disabled.

Fife Shopping and Support Service aids people who are isolated and vulnerable by doing their shopping, paying their bills, being a friend.

In the run up to Christmas, the Fife Free Press is asking readers to donate books – which the shop, which sits opposite the indoor market at the east end of the High Street - can then sell to generate that much needed funding.

Those Lee Child action thrillers or Ian Rankin crime mysteries could help to deliver a Christmas dinner for someone in sheltered house or a trip out for a pensioner who will spend this festive season alone.

Christmas is often the toughest time of the year for those who are vulnerable, making it a busy period for service manager and founder Lynne Ogilvie and her team of workers.

“We have a lot of elderly people who live on their own and feel isolated,” Lynne explained. “We’re heavily relied upon to make sure they have food in their homes and their bills paid. We’re planning a Christmas dinner for sheltered housing residents and we’ve got primary school children going to do a song for them. This is all from our volunteers.”

Lynne started Fife Shopping and Support Service after 17 years working for Fife Council. In August 2010 the council cut its shopping delivery service and all the staff, including Lynne, were made redundant. But for Lynne, those affected most by the cuts were the people the service helped. That’s why she started the not-for-profit business.

“I decided that I didn’t want to lose those services as people needed them, so I created a social enterprise,” she said. “We were made redundant on the Sunday and went out in our own cars on the Monday. We built up the service.”

Lynne was named the Fife Social Entrepreneur of the Year in 2012 for her work, but for her it’s the help the service has been able to provide which makes her proud.

She explained: “I’m absolutely proud of everyone for sticking with it, and that we’ve managed to help people as long as we have.”

Books can be donated at the charity shop at 241 High Street, Kirkcaldy.

>> HOW TO DONATE:

Taking part in our appeal is simple.

All you have to do is gather up the books you’ve read, or which are stuffed in cupboards in your home ... and deliver them to the Fife Shopping and Support Services charity shop at 241 High Street, Kirkcaldy.

They will then be sold to help raise funds to ensure it can continue to provide the support to many local folk.

So, take five minutes to sort through your old paperbacks, and see how many bags you can fill!