Two years ago, amid lockdown, representatives of a few local organisations met online to put together a bid for funding for activities to be organised once the Covid restrictions were lifted. By January 2021, more than a dozen community groups came together online to create “the Cupar & District Forum” (steered by Cupar Development Trust) to focus on what good news might be shared as we exited lockdown. CDT Chair, Bill Pagan, has shared this open letter to help with the next steps …

Knowing plans were in place for a rescheduled ‘C In The Park’ to coincide with the Fun Fair’s return in September 2021, the Forum planned a ‘celebration weekend’, involving a range of community groups and local schools.

The “Celebration Weekend 2021” took place in glorious sunshine: a true celebration and coming together of people after so many months of cancelled events and restricted activities. The feedback was unanimous: the weekend had been a tremendous success, and should become an annual happening across Cupar & District. The Forum met to build on the 2021 success and to stage the second Celebration Weekend on the third weekend of September 2022.

Organising the 2022 weekend proved to be harder work, and then, shortly before the weekend, HM The Queen’s death cast a shadow and the threat of cancellation. Cupar’s “Commemoration & Celebration Weekend 2022” went ahead, thanks to an army of local volunteers.

The Forum now welcomed the involvement of more than 30 groups and organisations – Bell Baxter High School, Castlehill Community Centre, Castlehill Primary School, Cupar Amateur Musical Society, Cupar & District Pipe Band, Cupar Arts, Cupar Camera Club, Cupar Community Council, Cupar in Bloom, Cupar Fair Trade, Cupar Justice & peace Group, Cupar Library, Cupar Museum & Heritage Centre, Cupar Old Parish Church, Cupar Scouts Group, Cupar Twinning Association, Cupar Youth Musical Theatre, Fife Farmers’ Market, Fife Sports & Leisure Trust, Fife Voluntary Action, Kate Kennedy Club, Kilmaron School, Lucky Ewe, Rotary Club of Cupar, Steve Penrice Archive, St John’s & Dairsie United Parish Church, Sustainable Cupar, The Lighthouse, The Rotary Club of Cupar, The Sunshine Kitchen, Three Estates Cupar, University of St Andrews Music Centre and Yvonne Gray Dance Studios. In addition, it had the help and support of the Bruce Charitable Trust, Fife Council and Police Scotland, as well as the Stirling’s Family Funfair.

The Forum met immediately after the weekend for a “wash up”, and agreed to call an enlarged meeting of the Forum – importantly, in person not online. The call? For any community groups who wish to be involved in delivering future events, and of course in particular Cupar’s Celebration Weekend 2023, to gather in the Castlehill Community Centre on Monday 14th November.

The dates for the 2023 weekend are set: Friday 15th – Sunday 17th September. We know some groups will already be delivering events and activities that weekend adding to the already scheduled Fife Farmers’ Market on the Saturday (16th) and the closing weekend of the 2023 Funfair.

Raymond Young, Secretary of the Castlehill Community Association, and member of the Forum has kindly offered to host and run this event.

We very much hope you are able to attend and look forward to seeing you on Monday 14th at Castlehill Community Hall (KY15 4HA) … 1815 for an 1830 start.

I am delighted at this development beyond the online discussions of the Forum which I have steered to date.

Bill Pagan – Chair of Cupar Development Trust

 

Interested?

RSVP: ccasecretary2022@gmail.com

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