Down The Lane With...
Episodes 51 to 60
Welcome to Linton Lane's community podcast. Each week we try to highlight a charity , service or local event which is providing benefit to the local area.
Episode 51...ESOL Fife
ESOL Fife is a project facilitated by Fife council which offers free English classes to people living in Fife whose first language is not English.
​
Alongside the Town House, Templehall Community Centre has recently been added to the venues where these classes are provided free for the migrant community.
​
I’m speaking today with ESOL Co-ordinator for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath Christine Blair Murray to find out about the content of these classes and what benefits they offer.
Christine
Blair Murray
ESOL Co-ordinator
Episode 52...Linton Ladybirds
The Linton Ladybirds Family group is one of the groups offered here at Linton Lane Centre.
Meeting every Tuesday 12:30 – 14:00 and Friday 10:00 – 14:00 they offer a wide range of indoor and outdoor activities for the children which they are keen to involve the parents in. They also offer guidance with sourcing the correct agencies to provide the right kind of support that families can need.
I’m speaking today with group facilitators Kara Ewen and Leanne Daniels to go over what the Group offers the local community.
Kara Ewen & Leanne Daniels
Group Facilitators
Episode 53...Canine Welfare and Training
Canine Welfare and Training is a Kirkcaldy based charity which aims to provide affordable training for people having issues with their dogs while also providing guidance on the welfare of dogs including diet and exercise.
​
They also offer activities including Flyball, Hoopers and Cani Cross. To give an explanation of what these activities are and to tell me more about the organisation my guest today is Charity Trustee Michelle Atkinson.
Michelle Atkinson
Charity Trustee
Episode 54...Andy's Man Club
Andy’s Man Club is a men’s mental health charity which was set up in 2016 in Halifax by former rugby league player Luke Ambler after the suicide of his brother-in-law Andy who was aged 23.
​
Since then it has gone on to become a UK wide organisation with 1700 members and the opening of their 100th club just announced; the Kirkcaldy one being run at Starks Park.
​
I am joined today by Project Development Champion Alex McClintock to find out more about how the organisation is helping men throughout the country find a way of opening up and discussing issues which they may otherwise feel they have no way of speaking about.
Alex McClintock
Project Development Champion
Episode 55...Disability Golf
In the last couple of decades organisations like Scottish Disability Golf and Curling and the Disabled Golf Association have endeavoured to widen the sports inclusivity and make, what for some can be a passion, available to all.
​
I’m speaking today with Trevor Crombie who will be taking part in the upcoming Cairns Cup golfing championship in London which, put simply, is the disability golf version of the Ryder Cup with two teams from Europe and the United States Competing for the title.
With the competition just two weeks away on the 7th of May Trevor took time off from practicing to tell me more about his involvement with the game and how others can get involved.
Trevor Crombie
Cairns Cup Competitor
SDGC
Cairns Cup
Episode 56...Fife Curnie Clubs
Fife Curnie Clubs have been running since 2016 with the aim to reduce isolation in people across the region.
​
They use a very holistic approach by not only offering a social setting for people who may feel isolated, but in fact guide them through what is called the Curnie Journey which sees people taking part in activities and using techniques like mindfulness and connection with nature to move them on from negative mind sets they may have found themselves trapped in.
​
This journey sometimes culminates in those taking part going on to help others.
​
I’m speaking today with Project Manager Donald Grieve to learn about what the club offers and how you can get involved.
Donald Grieve
Project Manager
Episode 57...Save Wemyss Ancient Caves Society
Save Wemyss Ancient Caves Society was formed in 1986 by locals in the village of East Wemyss. This was done in response to stolen cars being repeatedly set alight inside the caves which resulted in the destruction of several Pictish carvings.
​
Alongside vandalism the Society also has to cope with natural erosion and the passing of time but in spite of these and other hurdles faced by the group they have managed to not only maintain an important local heritage site but have succeeded in making it more physically accessible to wheelchair users as well as using modern technology to explore the caves in ways which would have been unimaginable not too long ago.
​
I’m speaking today with Mike Arrowsmith, Society Chair to learn more about the caves and what is being done to preserve them.
Mike Arrowsmith
Society Chair
Episode 58...Deafblind Scotland
Deafblind Scotland is a national charity which supports people with dual sensory loss. Their aims are to ensure deafblind people live rewarding lives and remain active members in their own communities whilst encouraging more contact between deafblind and sighted hearing people.
​
Along with this they aim to raise public awareness regarding the potential of deafblind individuals and to remove common misunderstandings about the limitations of the condition.
​
I’m speaking by phone today with Chief Executive Isabella Goldie to find out more about Deafblind Scotland and how they are going about reaching their goals.
Isabella Goldie
Chief Executive
Episode 59...Fostering Relations
Last month saw the annual celebration of Foster Care Fortnight with awareness raising projects undertaken across the country including here at Linton Lane when we were visited by the organisation Fostering Relations. This is an independent Scottish fostering agency who are part of National Fostering Group.
​
They seek to match children and young people in foster care with a suitable and welcoming foster household. They also provide training and supervision to potential and established foster carers.
​
Career Recruitment Officer for Fostering Relations Amanda Scott has returned to the Centre today to take part in our podcast and hopefully make some more people aware of the opportunities they provide.
Amanda Scott
Career Recruitment Officer
Episode 60...Kirkcaldy in 50 Objects (halfway mark)
Just under two years ago I interviewed Alan Crombie for the Linton Lane podcast. At the time he and his team had just got underway with an ambitious four year project to showcase 50 of the most well-known, and often not so well known, aspects of Kirkcaldy’s past.
​
They have been doing this on a monthly basis and in July reached the half way mark where they featured the little known yet extraordinary large pageant of Caer Caledon.
​
I am speaking again today with Alan for a catch up on how the last two years have gone and how they have found undertaking such a large project.
Alan Crombie
Researcher and Author
