Friends of a popular Limekilns teacher who died in March have pledged to support his family in their wish to set up a foundation in his honour.
Raymond Fernie was just 58 when he lost his eight-year battle against prostate cancer on March 1.
Despite his health troubles, he worked tirelessly with schools and the business community across the region to promote and support youth employability.
Ray’s brother David Fernie and close friends Graeme Mackay, Grant McMahon and Keith Sturton hope, by playing 72 holes of golf in one day, to raise more than £4,000 towards the creation of a new foundation to continue Ray’s legacy.
Graeme, 39, from Limekilns, said: “We all grew up in Limekilns together and moved away to different areas but we still played a lot of golf together.
“We thought we could do something fun which would go towards the foundation; youth employability was something Ray was so passionate about.
“He was a very private person to the point where I didn’t know about it.
“I found out that he had passed first thing the next morning, it was a complete shock, but it just reiterated who he was.
“It’s horrendous to lose him but nothing to what his family are going through. It is really, really difficult.”
Countless pupils credit Raymond as pivotal in achieving their dream jobs through his work setting up an employability initiative at Lochgelly High School. He took that into his role as Developing the Young Workforce (DYF) manager across Fife.
His model, of running workshops and creating relationships between employers and schools, has become a template for councils across Scotland.
Bob Garmory, chairman of DYW Fife and director of the Purvis Group, said: “I had the privilege of working alongside Ray Fernie for seven years on employability programmes destined to give every young person the best possible start in their working life.
“His enthusiasm for the cause knew no bounds and he was always prepared to do whatever he could to ensure that all the young people he came into contact with maximised the use of their talents no matter their circumstances.
“His legacy will live on but I know that with the help of the foundation that his family and friends are setting up in his name, that young people will benefit in a tangible way for many years to come”.
The initial £4,000 target has almost already been reached, but those behind the Raymond Fernie Foundation hope that target will be smashed over the coming weeks.
Anyone wishing to donate can do so via https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/raymond-fernie-foundation.
