Supporting communities in Collydean

In this article we hear from Collydean Community Centre about the work they’re doing to support their community during the Covid-19 outbreak. SCDC was delighted to have been able to support the group to apply for the Scottish Government’s Supporting Communities Fund.

Collydean Community Centre is a community-led hub in Glenrothes Fife which primarily serves the Collydean community. Since the Covid-19 lockdown the Centre has transformed into a flexible emergency response service ensuring vulnerable households are supported through the crisis.

They have been helped by a £60,000 grant (£40,000 initially and the £20,000 in June) from the Scottish Government’s Supporting Communities fund.

The impact of the lockdown on the community has been significant, as Rose Duncan, centre manger, explained:

“So many people in our area have lost all or a proportion of their income due to the national lockdown and struggling to cope with the new stay-at-home regime. Many more are self-isolating due to other health conditions and in addition we have a relatively large number of people who were already in the “vulnerable” category resident in the area before the pandemic hit.”

The Community Café has become a mini contact centre with three staff working out of there. The sports hall is now a temporary food-house storing ambient and fresh food. The Centre is distributing food parcels to those struggling, including the increased number of people made redundant. They are picking up prescriptions and delivering them. Volunteers get shopping for isolated people and also act as community buddies through a telephone befriending service.

Beyond delivering support themselves, Collydean Community Centre have worked with other community organisations such as ‘Kingdom Abuse Survivors Project (KASP)’ continue their work with survivors of abuse and ‘Firebird’ who reduce isolation by supporting vulnerable people to get online.

As Rose emphasised, the impact on the community has be huge:

As a result our food project has proven to be a life-changer for so many.  Having food parcels delivered to their door in a time when they are afraid to shop themselves has provided a tremendous reassurance and one less thing to worry about.  We have also done our best to include as many healthy food options as possible.  Hats off to our volunteer team for preparing the parcels and managing all the deliveries, Covid19 has had a devastating global effect but also has shone a light on community spirit in our area”

Joy Fitzpatrick, CEO of KASP, noted the impact of the support: 
 
“The laptops and smartphones that Rose has provided will help our team of counsellors, peer support workers and volunteers enormously in the coming weeks.”

However, challenges will remain once the lockdown ends. Collydean already has high levels of poverty and acute child poverty and Fife Women’s Aid are reporting a spike in domestic violence. Rose explained:

“There will be a lasting legacy in terms of the impact on the community. An example is children living in chaotic households who normally only feel safe at school and are now in unsafe circumstances 24 hours. At the same time, we hope that much of the positive community aspects continue, such as volunteers giving up time. We also hope that the efforts of people volunteering should be recognised. Often, it is people who have been unemployed even before the pandemic began who are volunteering.”

You can find out more about Collydean Community Centre through their Facebook page.