Dunfermline folk raised an incredible £40,000 for last year’s Scottish Poppy Appeal.
There had been fears the Covid-19 pandemic would have a catastrophic effect on fundraising, with scores of volunteers having to stay at home and many of the usual poppy outlets closed.
However despite the challenges, the sum raised was only marginally down on the previous year’s total.
Led by area organiser Christine Evans, the appeal had incredible support from across the community.
The Edinburgh and Fife branch of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community helped with supermarket collections for the first time.
The Legion Scotland Riders Branch also got involved, along with other local groups, clubs, businesses and individuals.
Christine said: “The generosity of the public has been phenomenal and we are all feeling overwhelmed by the support we received.
“I’m immensely grateful to the public who have donated so generously and to my fantastic team of volunteers who have worked so hard.
“Our fundraising was limited by the restrictions in place and we were unable to undertake any street collections.
“Many pubs that would usually take collecting tins were shut, while footfall in the town was drastically reduced with so many people working from home.
“We’ve achieved a huge amount under very difficult circumstances.”
Christine’s team has raised more than £320,000 in Dunfermline over the last seven years.
Poppyscotland’s head of fundraising Gordon Michie said: “To continue that success in such challenging circumstances is a huge achievement that has only been possible thanks to the dedication of Christine and her amazing team of volunteers.”
