Lunch time meeting - 12.55pm- with Speakers Martin Edwards and Fiona Macguire

On Thursday 1st December 2022 in the absence of President Brian Johnson, Secretary Anne Sampson took the meeting and welcomed 22 club Rotarians and  guests Fiona Maguire/Martin Edwards to this lunch time meeting held at the Gilvenbank Hotel.

Wilna Roger mentioned the success of the Scottish Evening the previous week and also mentioned she along with Jean Haughey and David and Beverley Cooper had delivered 152 Selection boxes to Fife Gingerbread and Muirhead Outreach earlier in the week. Wilna also mentioned that the Interact club of Glenrothes High School were collecting winter coats for distributing to those in need and if anybody had any available to contact us.

Anne Sampson mentioned that having contacted all Primary Schools locally concerning the possibility of being involved in different competitions she had so far received only 4 responses.

Our speakers this week were Martin Edwards and Fiona Maguire of the Colly Café based in the Collydean Community Centre in Collydean. The community centre in Collydean approached them for help with their café. The Colly Cafe is a fantastic local community centre café that gives back, anyone struggling financially is only expected to pay what they can towards their meal, or nothing at all. It is a safe place for people to go to and make friends, and the scheme is popular within the community, with donations allowing them to continue to help those in need. After a major kitchen refurbishment which took place, they were able to open every weekday with Martin and his wife Katey, operating the cafe since May 2021. The cafe has a menu that makes it affordable for all to eat in the cafe - and a mug of tea is always free. The pricing structure is such that some vulnerable and struggling people can pay absolutely nothing at all or just what they can. Others pay the menu price and there are generous customers who pay over and above the menu price. They do this in the knowledge that all surpluses are channelled back into the cafe to help alleviate the food poverty within the area. They have a Pay It Forwards scheme which anyone who wants to can use a voucher towards their meal. Handy for some customers having a financial glitch. The cafe is also a friendly place for lonely and socially isolated people to just sit for a time, partaking of the free hot teas and be able to chat - or not if they choose - and be part of the Collydean community. They have identified customers in need in this way and we quietly make sure they have a hot meal etc and offer to arrange starting point help with the Community centre’s food resilience worker and even the town-wide mental health project which is run by the centre.

They received 2 fridge / freezers which mean they can now properly purchase in bulk, and this will allow them to help even more local people. East Collydean is an identified area of deprivation and there are quite a few people who are vulnerable and struggling financially or simply living hand to mouth. Having the cafe as a backup also means if something financially unexpected happens, they can be assured that they will not go hungry”. A truly fantastic service and something all communities should be aspiring towards, especially in this current climate.

Geoff and Anne Sampson visited the Colly Cafe on Friday where Martin and his wife Katey who run the "Colly" had just been presented with the Fife Business Diversity Awards 2022 for outstanding achievement

Martin said” The award is down to the hard work of the cafe volunteers and also the community. Martin asks that people continue to use The Colly Cafe because things are tough for everyone now, and the more people who use the cafe the more they can help those who are struggling.”

Geoff and Anne had a nice surprise to find Tatyana the wife of our Ukrainian family whom Rotary had been helping and them helping us was volunteering at the Colly. Mykola her husband was picking her up as we arrived.

Ron Page gave the Rotary vote of thanks.

Next week 8th December 2022 will be a lunch time meeting by 12.45pm and commencing at 12.55pm prompt.

If you were interested in supporting the community and international projects get in touch by Private message on The Rotary Club of Glenrothes Facebook page. You will be made most welcome.