🧭 Funding Boost to Transform Fife’s Green Spaces

Good morning, Fifers!

Here’s what’s coming your way today:

• Huge Funding Boost For Fife's Green Spaces

• Fife Celebrates National Allotments Week

• 58 Events to See This Week

Let’s jump in, there’s plenty to talk about!

— Duncan

TOP STORIES AROUND THE KINGDOM

🌿 Funding Boost to Transform Fife’s Green Spaces

Living in Fife, we’re lucky to have so many great outdoor spaces to enjoy, from swimming at beautiful beaches to walking through forests like Devilla, or relaxing in historic parks such as Pittencrieff. However, some urban areas, away from the big parks and beaches, are often left a little neglected. That’s why it’s great news that Fife is set to benefit from a major funding award from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

A total of £1.4 million has been awarded to the Kingdom, with Fife Council directly receiving £800,000. It’s all part of the UK-wide Nature Towns and Cities initiative, which aims to bring nature into people’s daily lives, especially in communities that currently lack access to quality green space. Plans include enhancing climate resilience, boosting tourism, enriching local culture, and improving health and wellbeing.

Fife Council is working closely with the Fife Coast and Countryside Trust, NHS Fife, and other local organisations to make the most of this funding, combining expertise to improve biodiversity, increase access, and create greener, healthier communities. [Fife Coast and Countryside Trust]

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LOCAL HEADLINES YOU NEED TO KNOW

• 💨 Leslie Gala was postponed on Sunday due to strong winds of up to 45mph. It is now expected to take place on September 21st, with fairground rides, wrestling, and more still planned.

• 🚫 Swimmers at Kinghorn were once again warned against swimming after routine tests on August 6th found high bacterial levels, just weeks after a previous contamination led to beach closures.

• 🏎 Fans at Knockhill’s BTCC races on August 16th and 17th are urged to bring tinned goods and long-life meals for a foodbank appeal, with donations collected at the Fan Zone to help Scottish families in need.

• 🏕 Clayton Caravan Park near St Andrews is set to gain 13 more static caravans after planners backed the expansion, despite objections over losing a football pitch and increased traffic concerns.

• ⚓ £200k repair work will begin this summer to stabilise collapsing cliffs at Dysart Harbour, the historic Outlander filming site, protecting Sailor’s Walk tunnel and the Fife Coastal Path from permanent loss.

• 🚨 Coastguard teams searched Elie chain walk after a distress call about someone in difficulty, but found nothing. They’re appealing for information as the caller can no longer be reached.

• 👶 NHS Fife welcomed 241 babies in July, including three sets of twins. Oliver and Lily topped the name list, with the heaviest baby at 10.67lb and July 16th the busiest day with 11 births.

• 💇‍♂️ Global hairdressing star Stephen Glendinning, famed for styling celebrities and TV appearances, has been inducted into Fife College’s Hall of Fame, honouring his journey from Kirkcaldy student to international success.

FEATURE OF THE WEEK

Each week, this section shines a spotlight on something standout in Fife, anything from a unique home for sale or a new local business, to an exciting upcoming event or a hidden gem staycation spot. Got something you think other locals should know about? Just hit reply to this email and tell us about it!

🥕 Fife Celebrates National Allotments Week

National Allotments Week began yesterday, and the theme this year is Allotments and Wellbeing, recognising how spending time outdoors, planting, and harvesting can boost physical and mental health, strengthen community ties, and support a more sustainable way of living.

To mark the week, council officers are visiting allotments across Fife, from well-established plots to exciting new community-led projects, with highlights being shared on the Council’s social media throughout the week.

As part of its Allotment and Community Growing Strategy 2024–2029, Fife Council has recently approved £320,000 in community grants and training to improve access to growing spaces across the Kingdom. A new dedicated team will also be formed to deliver the strategy, working with partners like NHS Fife, local groups, and third sector organisations to make growing spaces more accessible and sustainable.

For details on how to apply for an allotment in Fife, head here.

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WHAT’S ON IN FIFE?

📅 Tuesday, 12th August

Play on Wheels: Magical Summer Adventure - Expect playful activities; unearth hidden garden treasures, transform found materials into nature-inspired art, and more.
📁 Family | 🕢 10am, 11:30am & 1:30pm | 📍 Rothes Halls, Glenrothes | 🎟️ Free

Botanical Printing with Natural Colour - Using fresh plant material create a print on any material.
📁 Art | 🕢 10:00am | 📍 Heartfelt Studio, Newburgh | 🎟️ £76.55

Foraged and Found: Making Natural Art Materials - 4 day workshop where you'll learn various skills and processes involved in making your own nature based art materials.
📁 Art | 🕢 10:30am | 📍 Forgan's Art Centre, Ceres | 🎟️ £303

Summer Reading Challenge Crafts and Games - Morning of fun filled crafts and games.
📁 Family | 🕢 11am | 📍 Rosyth Library | 🎟️ Free

Fishy Signs Drop-In - Create your own fishy hanging sign to take home.
📁 Family | 🕢 1:30pm | 📍 Scottish Fisheries Museum, Anstruther | 🎟️ Free

Cheese and Wine Night - Enjoy a glass of wine of your choice and a chessboard.
📁 Food | 🕢 5:00pm | 📍 The Old Vic, St Andrews | 🎟️ £15

Paddlenight Splash - Staff will be on hand to assist you with selecting and launching equipment but remember this is not a taught course.
📁 Sport | 🕢 6pm | 📍 Lochore Meadows Country Park | 🎟️ £10.50

An Evening with Amelia Berry - Amelia Berry chats to us about her delightful new novel A Recipe for Love.
📁 Entertainment | 🕢 7pm | 📍 Waterstones, Kirkcaldy | 🎟️ Free

Nature by Night - A brilliant event for bat enthusiasts: detect them, listen to them, and hopefully see them!
📁 Entertainment | 🕢 8:30pm | 📍 Birnie and Gaddon Lochs Local Nature Reserve | 🎟️ Donation

📅 Wednesday, 13th August

Escape Room Experience: The Last Exhibit - Can you escape the Bell Pettigrew Museum that has been taken over by a rogue technology?
📁 Entertainment | 🕢 Varies | 📍 Bell Pettigrew Museum, St Andrews | 🎟️ £15

Sarah Wakeford: SkyLight - Colourful contemporary skyscapes.
📁 Art | 🕢 9:00am | 📍 Lochgelly Centre | 🎟️ Free

Play on Wheels: Magical Summer Adventure - Expect playful activities; unearth hidden garden treasures, transform found materials into nature-inspired art, and more.
📁 Family | 🕢 10am | 📍 Waid Library | 🎟️ Free

Kids Local History Club - Explore your city’s past through stories, crafts, trails and games!
📁 Family | 🕢 11am | 📍 Dunfermline Carnegie Library & Galleries | 🎟️ Free

Beginners Kumihimo - Discover the art of Kumihimo with Fiona, a traditional Japanese braiding technique.
📁 Art | 🕢 1pm | 📍 60 High Street, Burntisland | 🎟️ Free

Afternoon Tea Week - Celebrate the end of summer holidays with a vintage tea party.
📁 Family | 🕢 2:00pm | 📍 The R&A World Golf Museum, St Andrews | 🎟️ Free

Play on Wheels: Magical Summer Adventure - Expect playful activities; unearth hidden garden treasures, transform found materials into nature-inspired art, and more.
📁 Family | 🕢 2:30pm | 📍 Tayport Library | 🎟️ Free

Paddlenight Splash - Staff will be on hand to assist you with selecting and launching equipment but remember this is not a taught course.
📁 Sport | 🕢 6pm | 📍 Lochore Meadows Country Park | 🎟️ £10.50

Yoga and Sauna Session - Evening Yoga, Sea Swim & Sauna with Anna from The Yogi Space followed by S’mores on the Beach.
📁 Sport | 🕢 6:30pm | 📍 Largo Castaway Sauna | 🎟️ £35

📅 Thursday, 14th August

Escape Room Experience: The Last Exhibit - Can you escape the Bell Pettigrew Museum that has been taken over by a rogue technology?
📁 Entertainment | 🕢 Varies | 📍 Bell Pettigrew Museum, St Andrews | 🎟️ £15

Family Craft Session - Paper weaving.
📁 Family | 🕢 10:30am | 📍 Fife Folk Museum | 🎟️ Free

Bookbug - Sing, rhyme, and share stories with your little ones.
📁 Family & Children | 🕢 10:30am | 📍 Kirkcaldy Galleries | 🎟️ Free

Play on Wheels: Magical Summer Adventure - Expect playful activities; unearth hidden garden treasures, transform found materials into nature-inspired art, and more.
📁 Family | 🕢 11am | 📍 St Andrews Museum | 🎟️ Free

Play on Wheels: Magical Summer Adventure - Expect playful activities; unearth hidden garden treasures, transform found materials into nature-inspired art, and more.
📁 Family | 🕢 3pm | 📍 Auchtermuchty Library | 🎟️ Free

Community Sports Festival - Featuring football, cycling, netball, and American football, with local clubs on hand to get people involved.
📁 Family & Children | 🕢 4pm | 📍 Valley Gardens, Kirkcaldy | 🎟️ Free

Game ON - Casual gaming club with a huge range of board games.
📁 Entertainment | 🕢 5pm | 📍 Kirkcaldy Galleries | 🎟️ Free

Edinburgh International Book Festival Livestream: Denise Mina - Hear Mina chat morals and murders today with her signature verve and wit. Chaired by Peggy Hughes.
📁 Talk | 🕢 5pm | 📍 Kirkcaldy Galleries | 🎟️ Free

Lessons from Lake Malawi - A new pop-up exhibition has launched, uncovering the hidden history of colonial-era fisheries in Lake Malawi!
📁 Entertainment | 🕢 5:30pm | 📍 Scottish Fisheries Museum, Anstruther | 🎟️ Free

Paddlenight Splash - Staff will be on hand to assist you with selecting and launching equipment but remember this is not a taught course.
📁 Sport | 🕢 6pm | 📍 Lochore Meadows Country Park | 🎟️ £10.50

Paddlenight Coach - Weekly coaching sessions for individuals with some basic experience of paddling.
📁 Sport | 🕢 6pm | 📍 Lochore Meadows Country Park | 🎟️ £16

Makers Evening: Fabric - Learn the beautiful Japanese art of visible mending through Sashiko.
📁 Art | 🕢 6pm | 📍 King's Theatre, Kirkcaldy | 🎟️ Free

Brooks Williams - His guitar skills are evident as he effortlessly slides in and out of folk, blues and country.
📁 Music - Folk | 🕢 8pm | 📍 Crail Community Hall | 🎟️ £12

📅 Friday, 15th August

Hill of Tarvit Guided Tour - Find out more about the people who lived at Hill of Tarvit Mansion House, in this 50-minute guided tour.
📁 Entertainment | 🕢 Varies | 📍 Hill of Tarvit Mansion House | 🎟️ £14.88

Escape Room Experience: The Last Exhibit - Can you escape the Bell Pettigrew Museum that has been taken over by a rogue technology?
📁 Entertainment | 🕢 Varies | 📍 Bell Pettigrew Museum, St Andrews | 🎟️ £15

Artisan Fridays Market - A lively weekly food market offering hot & cold food on Kirkcaldy High Street.
📁 Markets | 🕢 9am | 📍 Kirkcaldy High Street | 🎟️ Free

Hillview Animal Park: Summer Visits - Come along and meet our friendly animals.
📁 Family | 🕢 10:00am & 1:00pm | 📍 Hillview Animal Park | 🎟️ £5

Learn Photography @ Fife Zoo - Full day course with Drew Cunningham and Grant Keelan for beginners, amateurs and enthusiasts.
📁 Entertainment | 🕢 10:00am | 📍 Fife Zoo | 🎟️ £50

Story Time - Join in the fun with toys, actions, and questions, shaping the story together!
📁 Family & Children | 🕢 10:30am | 📍 Dunfermline Abbey Church Hall | 🎟️ Free

St Andrews Heritage Tour - Discover hidden gems, stories, and secrets by exploring St Andrews Castle, Cathedral, and more.
📁 Entertainment | 🕢 2pm | 📍 St Andrews War Memorial | 🎟️ £10

Pressed Flowers Craft and Stories - We’ll be pressing foraged flowers and showing you how to use them to make bookmarks, cards and other crafts.
📁 Art | 🕢 2pm | 📍 Dunfermline Carnegie Library & Galleries | 🎟️ Free

Liam McGrandles - Celtic folk band.
📁 Music - Folk | 🕢 7pm | 📍 PJ Molloys, Dunfermline | 🎟️ £13.75

Free Solo - Alex Honnold faces the biggest challenge of his career, climbing El Capitan in Yosemite National Park.
📁 Entertainment | 🕢 7pm | 📍 Carnegie Hall, Dunfermline | 🎟️ £6

We'll Go Down in History - This is the story of TRUK United, a grassroots, proudly trans football club formed in January 2021.
📁 Entertainment | 🕢 7pm | 📍 Adam Smith Theatre, Kirkcaldy | 🎟️ £1+

The Greatest Show - A showcase of dance, singing and acting.
📁 Stage | 🕢 7pm | 📍 King's Theatre, Kirkcaldy | 🎟️ £13.50

Dark & Haunting Tales - Meetings with the devil, ghostly stage coaches, accused witches, and body snatchers.
📁 Entertainment | 🕢 7:30pm | 📍 Abbot House, Dunfermline | 🎟️ £20.21

Kings of Marigold - Step back in time with Kings of Marigold, Fife’s premier Beatles tribute act, as they return to Kirkcaldy.
📁 Music - Rock | 🕢 7:30pm | 📍 Adam Smith Theatre, Kirkcaldy | 🎟️ £12

Scott Williamson - Bringing an upbeat, powerful mix of rock, pop, indie, and soul.
📁 Music - Mix | 🕢 8:00pm | 📍 Fire Station Creative, Dunfermline | 🎟️ Free

🎉 Multi-Day Festivals & Exhibitions

Cafe Inc - Free lunch club for children and young people.
📅 Mon, 7th July - Sun, 17th August | 🕢 Varies | 📍 Across Fife | 🎟️ Varies

Fife Sports and Leisure Trust’s Summer Programme - Quid a Kid, weekly activity sessions, sport drop-ins, crafting, family fun days, and more.
📅 Mon, 7th July - Sun, 17th August | 🕢 Varies | 📍 Across Fife | 🎟️ Varies

Deep Sea World Fantasea - This summer, Deep Sea World transforms into a mythical world of magic, mystery, and marine marvels.
📅 Sat, 28th June - Sun, 17th August | 🕢 | 📍 Deep Sea World, North Queensferry | 🎟️ £13.75+

Burntisland Fairground - Rides, stalls, and attractions lining the town’s seafront.
📅 Sat, 31st May - Sun, 24th August | 🕢 1:00pm | 📍 The Links, Burntisland | 🎟️ Varies

Futures by Nick Domminney & Landscapes by Stéphane Abbt - Exhibition featuring works from 2 local artists.
📅 Fri, 1st - Fri, 29th August | 🕢 10am (Mon-Sat) & 11am (Sun) | 📍 Scottish Fisheries Museum, Anstruther | 🎟️ Free

Forthlines - Displays of squares made by people living in Fife, of places that they know and love.
📅 Sat, 24th May - Sun, 31st August | 🕢 10:00am (11:00am Sun) | 📍 Scottish Fisheries Museum, Anstruther | 🎟️ Museum Entry

Making Waves; Breaking Ground - Unique exhibition of large scale paintings and artwork.
📅 Sat, 16th - Sun, 31st August | 🕢 10am (Tue-Sun) | 📍 Bowhouse, St Monans | 🎟️ Free

Unearthed - Step back in time to discover how Scotland was formed and explore prehistoric creatures.
📅 Sat, 8th February - Sat, 27th September | 🕢 10:30am | 📍 St Andrews Museum | 🎟️ Free

Rewrite the Future - Explore how today's choices can shape a fairer, more sustainable tomorrow.
📅 Sat, 31st May - Sun, 28th September | 🕢 9:45am | 📍 Wardlaw Museum, St Andrews | 🎟️ Free

The Lost Words - Featuring original artwork by artist Jackie Morris and spell-poems by writer Robert Macfarlane.
📅 Sat, 28th June - Sun, 26th October | 🕢 10:00am | 📍 Dunfermline Carnegie Library & Galleries | 🎟️ Free

Jack Vettriano Exhibition 2025 - Collection of Jack Vettriano prints, including rare and sold-out pieces.
📅 Tue, 4th March - Tue, 28th October | 🕢 10:00am | 📍 Affordable Arts, Methil | 🎟️ Free

Bunker Shots: Stories of Golf and Conflict - Surprising connections between golf and conflict, including the impact on golfers and their equipment.
📅 Fri, 18th April - Tue, 31st March 2026 | 🕢 9:15am | 📍 The R&A World Golf Museum, St Andrews | 🎟️ £17.50

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THANKS FOR READING

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Cheers,

Duncan

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