A time capsule containing artefacts relating to the coronavirus pandemic, has been buried for future generations to discover in Glenrothes.
Two steel boxes, containing face coverings and medical masks, gloves, and a bottle of hand sanitiser, as well as other items created by local school children, have been buried 20 feet under the footings to mark the start of a major £252,000 expansion and refurbishment of Collydean Community Centre.
The centre plays a significant part in supporting the local community and during the coronavirus lockdown has operated as one of the main covid response hubs keeping elderly and vulnerable residents safe.
Now, following the easing of lockdown restrictions, contractors have been given the green light to finally start construction work which will begin on Monday.
In a ceremony conducted at the entrance to the the centre and watched by scores of local residents, brothers Jaiden, 11, and Rease Morrison, 7, from Colldean Primary School were joined by Niamh Anderson, 15, from Glenwood High School and Murray Dunsire, managing director of contractor East Fife Joinery, to place the time capsule in the ground.
A lone piper played while local deaf youngster Niamdh Braid, 11, conducted a sign language interpretation of a song played ahead of the time capsule being placed in the ground.
For centre manager Rose Duncan, the ceremony represented 18 months of fundraising to make the expansion plans a reality.
She said: “After all the work to raise the £252,000 of funding, as well as the four month lock down which everyone has just endured, I’m delighted to finally get going.
“The time capsule is a symbolic gesture which in decades to come may be rediscovered by a new generation of Glenrothes folk.
“The children decided that the coronavirus pandemic should be represented so we collected the items such as face masks that have now become part of everyday life for us now.
“We’ve also included all the artwork from the buy a brick campaign which helped raise the necessary funding, a history of the local area and of the centre building which dates back to the 1880’s.
“A letter from Glenrothes MSP Jenny Gilruth has also been included, which will be buried deep in the ground below the new footings.”
The centre will continue to operate supporting people across north Glenrothes throughout the construction work which is expected to take three months to complete.
