Greener Kirkcaldy – What’s it all about?

By Ross Laird

While I was looking for volunteering opportunities for my Duke of Edinburgh Award I came across Greener Kirkcaldy. I found out that there was a chance to volunteer at the orchard and I soon contacted Greener Kirkcaldy and before I knew it I was helping to weed the strawberry patch and organizing a stall for a seed swap.

I was interested, as the aims of Greener Kirkcaldy are very similar to my values and so I felt while helping I would be doing something that I know will improve our lifestyles. The main aims of Greener Kirkcaldy are to offer advice on how to be more environmentally friendly and in turn save money on fuel bills. It offers free impartial advice and so anyone can benefit from Greener Kirkcaldy’s successes. One particular aim is to encourage everyone to make eco-friendly choices (e.g. food choices) and living on a farm I feel that it is important to eat local produce both for our environment and the economy. An important issue is definitely air pollution and carbon emissions and merely choosing to walk or cycle to the local shop rather than take the car can help greatly. Greener Kirkcaldy provides services and gadgets for energy saving, aiming to make Kirkcaldy more energy efficient.

If you are looking for something to do in your spare time there are so many great opportunities to go to arranged events you could book a place on a Grow Your Own Workshop, go on a Geology Walk or even visit a swap shop. There are so many chances to get involved. It would be great if you could volunteer too!

I think that Greener Kirkcaldy benefits the town by bringing the community together at events such as film viewings and can encourage everyone, every household to make environmentally friendly choices. Not only that but imagine the spaces such as the Ravenscraig Walled Gardens that are completely transformed , how thriving could the open spaces of Kirkcaldy be?

In the near future I am looking forward to helping with and visiting events and seeing the areas transform!