Fife mentorship charity picks up £5,000 in community funding

Fairway Fife has been awarded £5,000 by Scotmid’s Community Connect initiative. The funds were allocated following a vote by Scotmid Members. The Dunfermline based charity picked up the east region Scotmid Community Connect Award at a ceremony held at the O2 Academy in Edinburgh.

The charity uses mentoring to address the social isolation faced by most young adults with learning disabilities or autism. They recruit and train volunteer mentors to encourage and support members through social and leisure activities, community partnership working and educational opportunities.

Fairway Fife says it hopes to “provide young adults who have a learning disability the opportunity to socialise and form natural friendships with their peers, in a safe, supported environment”. It said the funding will help with staffing costs and volunteer expenses to continue with these valuable services.

Jaqui Dow, chair of the organisation, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded £5000 from Scotmid. The results of this valuable funding will be felt across our members, their families and volunteers within the local community. We would like to thank Scotmid for supporting our work across Fife.”

The charity has recently moved from its premises at 4arts to the Dunfermline Business Centre, where they will spend at least the next three years.

Two further causes were awarded money by Scotmid with The Junction and Edinburgh Young Carers, both based in Edinburgh, also collecting a share of the pot.