Local environmental conservation group, Footprint East Neuk, ran a 2 day tree planting event at Craigtoun on 28th November and 5th December 2021, during which over a thousand new trees were planted. The competition to name the new wooded area was won by 11-year-old Jessica Balgowan, who came up with the name Rustling Tree Wood.
At the 2019 AGM, Kyffin Roberts indicated his wish to step down as Chair but agreed to continue in the role for a further year to give us time to plan for the way head.
Several years ago, I was advised to attend an NHS sponsored fitness class in Cupar as I had health problems and it was there that I met Tom, a volunteer at Craigtoun Country Park, and Kyff Roberts, who was the Chairman of the Friends of Craigtoun Country Park. I live just five minutes away from the Park in Strathkinness but had not visited the place in over 30 years.
When I heard that Craigtoun was in danger of closing and that a determined group of people were going to try and ensure that didn’t happen, I was only too glad to help in any way I could. Like many people in this area, I had known and loved Craigtoun all my life and the thought of losing this gem didn’t bear thinking about.
When Robert and myself took early retirement and moved back to St Andrews, after being away for nearly twenty years, we were very keen to get involved in local volunteering. We had found that, while we were living overseas, volunteering was a great way to meet people and also to give back to the community. So, becoming a member of Friends of Craigtoun was an obvious choice for us.
Fife Council’s Pupil Support Service is part of a multi-agency support team which helps pupils who are experiencing significant challenges in their lives. The aim is to make sure that education is available to these pupils, regardless of their personal circumstances, and this includes supporting children for whom inclusion in school and their communities can be problematic. At Craigtoun, we have been fortunate enough to benefit from the work of a Pupil Support Service team over the past few months and this is their story, in their words
