Celebrating five years of community ownership
This year, we take immense pride in celebrating five years of community ownership of our Kirkcaldy town centre community building. This milestone marks a rollercoaster ride of a journey. We’ve experienced lots of learning, reflection, partnership development, enthusiasm, perseverance. Not to mention trial and error!
Our journey
Our journey towards community ownership began in 2013. We were inspired by the great interest in food and growing locally and felt there was an opportunity to build on this. Simultaneously, we wanted to improve the wellbeing and sustainability of our community.
The following year, we carried out a community consultation. This found high levels of support for food activities in Kirkcaldy, preferably at a town centre site. So we embarked on a mission to create a Community Food Hub for Kirkcaldy. Our vision was clear. We wanted to create a place for people to come together to grow, cook, eat and learn.
Fast forward through years of hard work, fundraising, pilot projects, negotiations and unwavering support from our community. We finally purchased our community building (the old library headquarters) in 2017, with funding from the Scottish Land Fund. This supports communities to take ownership of land and buildings for projects to benefit local people.
The refurbishment was funded by a grant from The National Lottery Community Fund’s Community Assets programme. The transformation was extensive and collaborative, involving local tradespeople, stakeholders and volunteers. To make the building climate-friendly, we installed solar panels, battery storage and an electric vehicle charging point. We opened to the public in April 2019.
A hub of activity and engagement
Over the past five years, our community building has allowed us to do so much. We’ve reached new audiences, expanded our engagement, provided vital community support and fostered a deeper connection between people, food and the environment. Community ownership has also allowed us to develop significantly as an organisation.
We have more opportunities to generate our own income, work with new partners and access different funding streams. Our staff team and programme of activities have expanded as a result and we have learned new skills to manage this.
8 East Fergus Place is a vibrant hub. It offers a variety of programmes to reflect the diverse needs and aspirations of our town. The building is a hive of activity. It brings people together, provides access to good quality food, increases skills and knowledge and reduces social isolation. Last year, we welcomed 7,618 people through the doors. They came to us for all sorts of reasons. Advice and support, meals, classes and workshops, events, training and volunteering opportunities.
Our Lang Spoon Community Kitchens, community space and climate friendly garden are assets for the whole community. Local organisations and groups use our community space to run events and deliver vital support services. Small businesses and entrepreneurs pilot ideas to stimulate the local economy in our community kitchens.
Our building and garden act as demonstration sites. They inspire other communities and organisations to follow in our footsteps – both towards community ownership and reducing their carbon impact. We host open days and learning exchanges to share our learning and empower others.
Volunteers are at the heart of our community building, contributing thousands of hours to our projects. From developing the garden to leading the community meals and pantry, their dedication has been instrumental to our success.
In Autumn 2020, we created a mural in the building to tell our story towards community ownership. This includes quotes and stories about what our community building means to the people who use it.
The broader movement: Community ownership in Scotland
Our achievements at Greener Kirkcaldy are part of a larger wave of community ownership across Scotland. This movement empowers communities to reclaim local assets, ensuring they are used in ways that best serve local needs. It’s supported by progressive policies and funding initiatives. The Scottish Government’s Community Empowerment Act and initiatives like the Scottish Land Fund and Community Land Scotland have been instrumental.
Across the country, communities have taken over everything from pubs, shops and local parks. Communities have even bought entire islands!
Community ownership breathes new life into these assets and drives sustainable development. The movement emphasises the importance of local decision-making and fosters a strong sense of place and belonging. Communities in Scotland are not only preserving their heritage. They are also creating resilient and inclusive spaces which improve the local economy and enhance quality of life.
Looking forward: our next chapter
As we celebrate this milestone, we’re also looking to the future. Our 2023-2028 strategic plan, A Greener and Fairer Tomorrow, Starting Today, sets out our ambitious plans for the years ahead.
We want to make our operations carbon neutral by 2030. We want to broaden and deepen our community engagement. We want to become more financially sustainable. And we want to develop new ideas to meet the needs and aspirations of local people.
Our community building plays a central role to this. It already supports our strategic aims: to be community-led, generate our own income, engage with diverse audiences and build partnerships. But there is still more we can do.
Future plans for the building include:
Replacing our gas heating with a renewable system
Developing new partnerships with local organisations
Increasing our outreach activities to ensure everyone in our community can benefit from our resources
Thank you
This celebration would not be possible without the incredible support of our community. To every past and current staff, volunteer, member, donor, funder, partner and participant, we would like to say a huge thank you!
Your enthusiasm, passion and commitment have transformed a shared vision into vibrant reality. Together, we’ve created a space that embodies the spirit of community ownership and collective action. Here’s to many more years of innovation, collaboration and positive change.
Lauren Brook, Chief Executive
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