Dunfermline’s Bruce Festival is the first beneficiary of a foundation which hopes to inject millions into west Fife.
The Alfred Stewart Property Foundation has made a significant cash contribution to this year’s festival, which takes place later this month.
Established in memory of Dunfermline-born businessman Alfred Stewart following his death in 2008, the foundation said the festival sponsorship would be the first major step in what is expected to be a programme of donations to support community projects in the Dunfermline and west Fife area.
A member of the foundation’s board, Gifford Bruce, said supporting a highly popular festival in Mr Stewart’s home town was a fitting way to use his legacy.
Mr Bruce said: “Alf was a real Dunfermline man. He was passionate about Dunfermline and was a highly vocal advocate for any initiatives which would help to regenerate the town and the surrounding area.
“He was very positive about the idea of a festival celebrating the life of Robert the Bruce when plans for an event in Dunfermline were first discussed.
“In fact, he was one of the sponsors who contributed to the inaugural Bruce Festival five years ago, so it is fitting that his name should continue to be associated with the event in this way.”
Mr Bruce added that the Bruce Festival has grown from small beginnings and the foundation was sure Alf would be thrilled by the expansion of the festival and the important part it plays in improving Dunfermline’s reputation as a visitor destination.
The foundation hopes the Bruce Festival will be the first of many projects in and around Dunfermline to benefit from Mr Stewart’s legacy. It was set up at Mr Stewart’s request to provide funds for major community investments in west Fife and aims to reinvest money raised through property development into projects within a 15-mile radius of Scotland’s ancient capital.Network”We are still in the early stages of establishing exactly how most effectively the foundation will operate but our intention is to work alongside community-based development trusts who would look to the foundation to provide funding for all sorts of valuable projects.
“Ultimately we would like to see a situation where the foundation is able to fund a network of community projects throughout the area, which will benefit neighbourhoods for generations to come,” explained Mr Bruce.
“For the foundation to work, it’s important that local organisations such as development trusts identify the facilities they feel would benefit their communities and see us as an organisation that can help assist in bringing them forward.”
Mr Bruce said the foundation had an “open mind” about the projects it could fund but pointed out that contributions could be used to complement and maximise funding from other areas, too.
“There are great opportunities to secure match funding for major projects from various government organisations and trusts,” he said. “Financial support from the foundation could be used to secure some of these funds which could, effectively, double the amount of money available.”
Mr Bruce said the foundation would be happy to work with other organisations in the west Fife area and would be happy to discuss any funding projects with Fife Council or bodies such as the Royal Dunfermline or Dunfermline Delivers.
Susan Hughes, chief executive of Dunfermline Delivers which is organising the Bruce Festival, said that the Alfred Stewart Property Foundation’s support of the Bruce Festival had made a significant difference in organisers’ ability to produce what they believe to be the best event seen in Dunfermline.
“Alf was always keen to get involved in any projects that he saw as helping boost local communities in west Fife and we’re very proud to be the first recipient of sponsorship from the foundation,” she added.
Roano Pierotti a fellow director of the foundation, said, “The projects that the foundation is likely to support will need to have a sustainable business plan and a clear benefit to the local community.
“The Bruce Festival has all these hallmarks and while it has grown to become a national event, it remains true to its local roots.”Full details of the Bruce Festival are available from www.visitdunfermline.com/brucefestival