As you will no doubt be aware from coverage in the media, Kirkcaldy Foodbank has a new home! After many months of hard work by a lot of people, the foodbank opened in its new premises at the Park Road Centre on Monday, October 14. As a reminder of the background to this move, some months ago the Church of Scotland advised the foodbank of its intention to sell Viewforth Church Hall, our home for the last few years.
Outside our new Park Road premises.
Efforts immediately started to identify suitable alternative premises -Â which proved to be easier said than done!
Our former premises at Viewforth Church Hall.
One option which presented itself was a possible Community Asset Transfer (CAT) of the Glebe Park Centre in Kirkcaldy, owned by Fife Council. A great deal of work went into preparing an application for the CAT but ultimately the foodbank board decided against pursuing this option, due to the cost of essential repairs which would have been required at the property. The Glebe Park Centre was an option that was explored.
Meanwhile, generous supporters of the foodbank came forward with an offer to buy Viewforth Church Hall on our behalf, and enable us to remain in the building. Those hopes were dashed when the Church of Scotland accepted an alternative bid from another party.
At this stage, we were in something of a crisis situation, given that we had been given a deadline of October 14 (extended by a month) to vacate Viewforth Church Hall. Temporary closure of the foodbank started to appear inevitable. However, at an emergency meeting involving members of the board and representatives of Fife Council, a solution materialised. The council offered us accommodation in the Park Road Centre - a mere 200 yards from Viewforth Church Hall - which had previously been thought unsuitable for our needs.
Planning immediately started to ensure we were able to move before the deadline, with as little disruption to our normal services as possible. With the help of a number of our volunteers, and the assistance of Fife Council's Community Payback team, the move took place on 10th and 11th October, enabling the foodbank to open on Monday 14th October 24.
Volunteers helping move from Viewforth to Park Road.
During the move, Kirkcaldy councillors Ian Cameron and Rod Cavanagh, and Julie Dickson, community manager for Kirkcaldy, all visited the centre to welcome the foodbank to its new home.
At the Park Road Centre, we have access to two large rooms that afford us a very good space to store food and are large enough to accommodate our fridges and freezers. The rooms have shelving and tables for packing.
The entrance area has two functioning offices, one of which we can access so we can have confidential conversations with clients. The foodbank will be sharing the centre with other services based in different areas of the building. There is a clothing bank, while IT training takes place, through the Job Club, to assist people by enhancing their employability prospects.
Clearly it is a huge relief to have finally secured new premises - and the future of Kirkcaldy Foodbank - and we are very grateful to Fife Council for their assistance.
All in all, it is an exciting time as we look forward to a new chapter in the history of the foodbank, but none of it would be possible without the dedication of our volunteers and your support.
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch, but in the meantime, thank you again for your support of Kirkcaldy Foodbank.
The transition from Viewforth Church Hall to the new Park Road premises.
No-one should go hungry.
Together we can end hunger.Â
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