Kirkcaldy will soon be able to grow food, cook and eat together to create healthier lifestyles.
Greener Kirkcaldy is developing plans for a community food hub which will be a place for people to come together.
The project will be delivered across two sites, with a community kitchen in Kirkcaldy town centre, and a horticultural training centre at Ravenscraig walled garden.
The project will offer training, employment, volunteering and work experience opportunities, engagement with the community on healthy, sustainable food, and lifelong learning around food production and preparation.
It will also include a base for a food co-op promoting local and healthy produce, and could act as a distribution point for Kirkcaldy foodbank.
“The idea for the food hub came about in 2014”, said development manager Suzy Goodsir.
“We were inspired by the great interest in food and growing locally, and felt there was an opportunity to build on this, and improve the wellbeing and sustainability of our community.”
Greener Kirkcaldy then carried out a survey of 450 people, and spoke to local stakeholders including Fife Council, NHS Fife, Fife community food project, Kirkcaldy foodbank and Kirkcaldy community gardens and allotments.
It used the feedback to develop the plans for the initiative.
Two pilot projects have also been run over the last year.
Living Well on a Budget was a six- week cooking course working with families on low incomes who want to learn skills to help make the most of their money, and Food Works was an employability project supporting volunteers in horticulture and growing, and food preparation and cooking.
“We’re currently looking at options for premises in the town centre, and working with Kirkcaldy community gardens and allotments and Fife Council to make plans for future development of Ravenscraig walled garden,” Suzy added.
“The garden is part of the historic landscape of Dysart House and Ravenscraig Park, so we consulted Fife Council’s conservation officer to ensure that its historic features are protected.”
Greener Kirkcaldy has appointed Arc Architects, a firm from Cupar which specialises in green design and historic places, and ERZ Landscape Architects, a Glasgow practice which has expertise in community growing projects, to develop a masterplan for the site at Ravenscraig.
They will provide updates as the project develops.
