A COMMUNITY cafe that promotes healthy eating in one of Fife’s worst areas for childhood obesity has won a £10,000 grant from the Coalfields Regeneration Trust.

The cash will buy furniture, catering equipment and provide Internet access at The Cafe in West Bridge Mill in Kirkcaldy’s Linktown area. Run as a social enterprise, The Cafe offers training and employment opportunities as well as promoting a healthy diet.

It’s been open internally at the Mill for some months, meeting the needs of residents in the complex and of staff at various organisations which operate there, but opens to the general public from April 1.

The Coalfields Regeneration Trust supports community-based organisations in former mining areas and Pauline Grandison, its bridging the gap coordinator, said, “We are delighted to support The Cafe project, because it helps local people in so many ways.

“It promotes the healthy eating message in a really effective and unobtrusive way and it offers training and employment opportunities in an area which badly needs both.

“Apart from that The Cafe has a great atmosphere and serves delicious food!”

Cafe manager Jackie Johnson added, “We couldn’t be more pleased with the Coalfields Regeneration Trust’s support.

“The Cafe aims to provide a cool, funky and safe community space where local people can drop in for really good coffee and food. All our food is prepared on the premises and we do all our own baking.”

The Cafe, which seats around 70, has three staff. Three of the seven people on placements with them in the last half-year have gone onto full-time employment.