CuparNow delivers a range of services in support of the town’s businesses – and the wider community – in line with the Business Plan adopted in 2019. All work is overseen by a Steering Group made up of business owners and managers together with the support of one elected and one officer representative from Fife Council. We are also delighted to have a representative from Bell Baxter High School on the group who acts as a conduit on projects involving the school. 

The group meets once a month with a rolling agenda to cover set topics against the project’s Business Plan:

1. Apologies
2. Minutes of previous meeting
3. Local Authority Communication
4. Steering Group Communication
5. Levy-payer Communication
6. Community Communication
7. Digital Delivery & Support
8. AOB
9. Next Meeting

A number of business owners/managers have served on the group – serving 1-2 years – and have since stood down. We thank them wholeheartedly for their time and support.

Currently, the group is made up of the following …

Cupar’s Business Representation …

1. George Cunningham: first worked in Cupar in 1987 as manager of the Adamson Hospital. George returned to working in Cupar in 2013 when he started working for Cunningham Grant Chartered Accountants. Why did he join the steering group? “I joined to work to promote Cupar as a place to visit and do business in.“
2. Bryan Nicol: runs BN Designs – a family run bodyshop trading from Prestonhall Industrial Estate. Bryan’s business carries out accident damage repairs to cars, light goods vehicles and motorcycles. Why did Bryan join the steering group? “I attended the Open Meeting in July 2021 and thought someone needed to step up to represent the trading estate.“
3. Liana Steven: Liana moved to Cupar 1993 and considers it home. “I love the town especially having everything within a few minutes walk and good rail links for travelling further afield.” In 2006, she started doing farmhouse B&B whilst running the bulk haulage company, Wilson Steven Transport Ltd. Moving slowly into DIY B&B (with all breakfast items provided) and self catering, this evolved as customer requirements began to move towards self catered. Today, Liana operates four short-term lets as Stayincupar.co.uk, catering for visitors to local people, locum healthcare staff, “builders in” and needing to move out for a few weeks, emergency insurance accommodation and tourists. She says: “I have a keen interest in older properties and upgrading these to improve thermal efficiency and reduce environmental impact and just to protect beautiful older buildings. I also run a training business training staff in food hygiene, health and safety and allergy awareness. My passions are interiors, art and gardens.“
4. Paul Stewart: runs both The Nappy Pin & Toymaster and the Subway – both on Bonnygate in Cupar. He has worked in the town for close to 20 years and took over the running of Nappypin from his father-in-law. Why did Paul get involved? “One of the founding members had to step down. They were in the hospitality sector. The group knew that I’m involved in two businesses in different sectors, so that gave me a unique perspective. I joined to find out more about the organisation and have enjoyed the experience greatly.“
5. Alison Strachan: owner of Maisie & Mac Gift, Art & Contemporary Craft which has been established in Cupar for just over 10 years. The location of Alison’s shop made it a go-to destination for many shoppers asking questions – almost an information service! Customers over the years would ask where they might find or buy ‘this’ or ‘that’. It became clear to Alison that many residents and visitors had no idea of the range of products, services and events on offer. Why did she get involved? “I could also see that Cupar had a very small digital footprint and that this had to be remedied in order to encourage people to use what is here rather than bypassing the town. I was keen to join the Steering Group believing that a whole town approach to promoting Cupar and what it has to offer was essential.“
6. Andrew Thomson (Chair): helps to run Southbridge Garage Used Car Sales on the corner of Millgate and South Bridge. He has been at the business for three years but in the auto trade for almost three decades. Why get involved? He says: “It sounded like the perfect way, in today’s digital world, to promote the businesses and the town as a whole.”
7. Judith Vandecasteele: Judith has lived in Cupar for over ten years and in that time has made it her home, both personally and professionally. When not practising as a solicitor at Rollos specialising in all aspects of property and commercial law, she can generally be found hanging around a stage of some sort – either as a member of Cupar Choral Society, Cupar Amateur Musical Society, or as director of Cupar Youth Musical Theatre. Why did she get involved? “Having previously served on various committees and boards, I appreciate the importance of strong links between local businesses and community bodies, both from a commercial and a social perspective, and as a member of the CuparNow Steering Group I am keen to help contribute towards the promotion of those links and of the town itself.“
8. Bell Baxter High School: the group works closely with education providers in the town. The high school has a seat on the group currently occupied by Forbes Walker. Forbes says: “I Graduated as an Electrical Engineer and worked abroad for a number of years in engineering. I then moved into management roles in several different fields including financial planning, corporate finance and franchise support before becoming a Design and Technology teacher which I have done for the last 22 years.” He is a keen hillwalker, footballer, and martial artist.

Local Authority Representation …

1. Donald Grant (Area Manager) – officer
2. Margaret Kennedy (Councillor) – elected

 

 

Need more?

Should you have any questions for the group, or would like your name to be put to the group to become a member in the future, please do not hesitate to contact us via this link and we will pass on to the next suitable meeting.

 

Thanks for reading!