£30,000 funding pledge for River Leven ‘too good to pass up’

Fife Council’s Levenmouth Area Committee unanimously agreed to support a £30,000 annual funding request on Wednesday - describing it as “too good to pass up.”

The money will be matched, and exceeded by, the National Lottery Heritage Fund to support a four-year green skills programme, which will ultimately benefit the River Leven region.

“We’re really trying to get a line in the sand so we can go back to the National Lottery and say that there is an in principle agreement that would support this programme year on year as long as we’re drawing down that £90,000 National Lottery contribution as well,” council officers explained in a report to the committee.

The four-year programme will see green skills trainees hone their skills while working to maintain paths, look at drainage issues, repair fences, remove invasive species, and “anything else they can turn their hand to” in the River Leven region. It’s anticipated that the programme will provide approximately 2,880 hours of labour each year.

“I fully support this investment,” Councillor Tom Adams (Labour for Buckhaven, Methil and Wemyss villages) said. “I think it’s far too good an opportunity for us to spend £30,000 and draw in £90,000. It’s a no-brainer to take this money and hopefully it’s the success that everyone here says it’s going to be.”

The money will come from Levenmouth’s local community planning/anti poverty budget, and it will be complemented with an annual £90,000 from the National Lottery Heritage fund. The programme will provide a range of training programmes for youths and adults and it will support trainees as they progress into further work or training. The goal is to ensure that at least 70% of trainees move into a positive destination. The programme is expected to fully launch in April 2025.