GROUPS from around West Fife have enjoyed a share of more than £17 million of funding from the latest round of National Lottery Community Fund awards.

Rosyth Community Projects was given £19,240 from National Lottery's Awards for All Scotland which will be used over two years to provide twice weekly dementia friendly meeting sessions for people living with a diagnosis, and their family and friends living in south west Fife.

A total of £20,000 was awarded to the Embracing Life who will use the funding for a manager who will run the community café, coordinate volunteers, and deliver support groups within the community of Touch.

 The Pars Foundation netted £10,000 which will be used over the next two years to continue their 'Keep Kicking On' project' which is a football based suicide prevention group supporting men aged 16-25 years in Dunfermline.

The initiative is an early intervention project for mental health issues.

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Radio West Fife (SCIO) has been allocated £2,500 of funding which will be used to transition the radio station to a community radio station in Rosyth.

Across the Kingdom, the Fife Beekeepers Association was awarded £20,000 which will be used to over one year to set up and establish a 'home' for the organisation to be able to offer and promote apiculture to the wider community.

The Fife-based Hourglass (Safer Ageing) received £19,988 which will be used to deliver an 11 month awareness raising and volunteer recruitment campaign around Elder Abuse in Scotland.

The STAND Improving Lives was awarded £90,000 which will be used to support people living with dementia as well as their families and friends. This will be done through eight dementia friendly 'Meeting Centre' spaces across Fife.

This three year project will provide support, information and therapeutic activities to around 500 participants and 20 volunteers.

Speaking after the latest funding rounds announcements, National Lottery Community Fund Scotland Chair, Kate Still, said: “As The National Lottery approaches its 30th birthday it’s wonderful to see how the funding continues to help change lives for the better and just what can be accomplished when people join forces for a shared purpose or to support one another.  

“National Lottery players should be proud to know the money they raise is supporting people across Fife to lead happier and healthier lives.”