A lifeline charity which has helped clothe hundreds of children has won a prestigious national award.
The Levenmouth Children’s Clothing Bank has supplied tens of thousands of items to more than 650 youngsters since it was launched by the Rotary Club of Buckhaven and Methil in November 2016.
It has now been named best community project in the UK and Ireland by Rotary International, which presented delighted volunteers with the Rotary Great Britain and Ireland Community Cup.
The Buckhaven and Methil club, which has been running for a mere 18 months, is the first Rotary Club in Scotland ever to win the accolade.
Senior vice president Christine McIntosh said the clothing bank was regarded as a lifeline for some parents in the community who are suffering hardship and struggling to supply their children with appropriate clothes for the season.
What started as a few coats on hangers has transformed into a huge operation supplying everything from underwear to pyjamas and everything in between.
“It is such an incredible achievement for our club to have been awarded this cup,” she said.
“This project never started out as something we expected to be recognised by anyone, let alone recognised as the best project in Great Britain and Ireland.
“We saw the need in the community at the time and the project developed from there.”
Christine added: “Being able to make a small contribution to these families who are going through a difficult time in their lives by just simply giving them one less thing to worry about is an amazing feeling.
“What is no big deal for us can be the difference between a good and a bad day for them.”
The club praised the incredible support received from members of the public.
“It really does show how much our community looks out for each other,” said Christine.
“At the end of the day you never know who might need it next week.”
The project’s success has prompted the club to urge others to set up similar enterprises in their areas.
They have been visiting Rotary clubs across Scotland telling them about the clothing bank and how it works.
Club member Christie Robb said: “We know we will never be able to change the problems which lead families into the unfortunate situation where they need the help of projects like ours, therefore our aim is to encourage others in different communities to start the same kind of project in their area.”
