Gustavo San Roman, Committee Secretary, Cosmos Community Centre

The Cosmos Community Centre is a voluntary organisation established in 1971 to support community education and provide facilities for recreation, sport and leisure for people of all ages in St Andrews and the surrounding areas.   

Gustavo San Roman, Secretary of Management Board, spoke to members about the Cosmos Community Centre. After career in St Andrews University, Gustavo joined the management board 3-4 years ago, and his talk firstly outlined the history of the Centre. Having previously been a local junior school, following changes in the schooling facilities in the town, Fife Council opened the centre in 1971 to support community education and provide facilities for recreation, sport and leisure for people of all ages in St Andrews and the surrounding areas.

When Fife Council could no longer support the Centre, it was taken over by St Andrews University, who rent back the centre to the voluntary organisation for a small annual rent, as part of the University's community support programme.

Currently, there are over 20 different groups, from adult hockey to St Andrews Table Tennis club, and including many other varied activities such as drawing and lace making; full details of all activities and fees are available on their website. However, probably the most important community support is the After School & Holiday Club for children, including special needs  and youth support with Fife Council. The Centre has its own minibus which is in regular demand to support school transport for child activities and is also used by other organisations such as for transporting the disabled. In providing its various services, the Centre derives its income from a range of fees, space and minibus rentals, along with some staff cost support  for child services from Fife Council. As explained by Gustavo, with finances always being tight, the role of volunteers is crucial, and he highlighted the great support from local university students and Kate Kennedy Club; particularly gratifying has been seeing children who once benefited from the services provided, now returning as adult volunteers.

During member questions, mutual support with the Community Hub was highlighted, and the continuing impact of the covid pandemic on activity. staffing and costs. In giving the members' vote of thanks, Brian Gray confirmed his own experience of using the minibus, and thanked the Centre continuing for its very valuable local community support.