CuparNow: 2025 and beyond …
CuparNow, the unique project formed from the Scottish Government’s Digital Towns Programme in 2017-18, is changing direction in the new year – continuing the support it delivers for Cupar and wider community but without a levy on the town’s businesses. The decision has been taken by Destination Digital, the company running CuparNow, in liaison with the business-led Steering Group and the town’s business association. A new self-sustaining model is being launched …
Simon Baldwin of Destination Digital Ltd says: “Our first term – from 2020 until now – adopted ‘improvement district’ legislation to secure funding through a levy that has been paid by non-domestic rate paying businesses and organisations. From the outset, it was always our intention to make CuparNow a self-sustaining model, providing support to multiple audiences across the town and its rural catchment. We are now taking that next step.”
Earlier this year, Destination Digital submitted a proposal for a renewal ballot after which, if successful, the levy would have been reduced for 95% of the town’s businesses and organisations. Simon adds: “We looked at halving the levy for 89% of businesses – and would then have used our substantial and growing audiences, reach and engagement to attract additional revenue through advertising and investment.”
A different path …
Through the last 12 months, the company has continued to track analytics and insights across the channels they manage. Simon explains: “The ongoing audience growth, reach and levels of engagement and interaction are exponential. Our Facebook page alone had more than a quarter of a million views in November. And so the success of CuparNow means we are confident we can continue without a ballot, scrapping the need for a levy as we’d always planned. Instead, we will invite those who value what we do to subscribe to the service and enable them to choose advertising opportunities to access CuparNow’s audiences.”
Fellow Director, Bill Harvey, explains: “At the outset, CuparNow was an unproven project – there was no umbrella organisation gathering, creating or sharing content and information. Five years on, our daily support has helped to build a combined digital audience that tops 130,000. Ongoing, if businesses and organisations value what we do, they can use our subscription and advertising services. The revenue we generate will enable us to continue delivering support for the town and wider community. The more who support us, the more benefit we can deliver in return.”

Final report …
CuparNow published a final report this summer. In it, they shared that CuparNow has supported over 400 businesses, 92 community groups and more than a dozen local charities.
Since 2020, they have created and posted over 15,000 pieces of content across their core social media channels – an average of more than 50 pieces of content every week. In the last month alone, their Facebook page – followed by 36% of the town’s population – had more than a quarter of a million views.
Since they launched amid Covid in early 2020, CuparNow has:
- Published more than 400 blog stories in support of businesses and community groups
- Helped to share job opportunities and thousands of local events and activities
- Provided categorised listings enabling tens of thousands to search for and find businesses and organisations in the town
- Issued over 170 e-newsletter to subscribers – more than 3,000 people signed up to receive regular updates from the town
- Sent more than 250 e-shots to those on their business database, sharing news, support, access to grants and many other business-related matters
- Issued more than 70 e-shots to community partners – sent for and on behalf of Cupar’s Development Trust to help promote projects involving the Trust and local stakeholders
- Published 600 videos on their YouTube channel
- Recorded more than 20 podcasts featuring community partners that are available via Spotify, Apple and other podcast platforms
- Filmed and broadcast a TV commercial for which they triggered matched funding: the TV ad has been viewed by approaching half a million people
- Created, printed and distributed 20,000 town guides that include a digitised heritage trail
- Sponsored community stalls at the Cupar Market, enabling local associations, clubs, groups and societies to raise funds, awareness and membership

Support for the council …
Fife Council had approved plans for a second ballot – but that will no longer be needed.
Simon hopes the Council will continue to support their work, explaining: “In the last five years, we have shared content from Fife Council, its departments, community partners and multiple stakeholders – all in support of the towns and the wider community. On a most basic level, the project has helped to raise awareness of council owned and managed facilities in the town – and to encourage CuparNow audiences to discover relevant information that benefits all.”
As examples from this year …
- Bell Baxter High School: blog features have been written and shared to support the work of Bell Baxter High School in the community – including the most recent coverage introducing Daniel Halsall, the school’s DYW (Developing Young Workforce) Employability Officer to the town and business community as well as recording and sharing a YouTube video that helped to promote the school’s first in-person careers fair since pre-Covid. And CuparNow’s support has extended beyond the classroom to help the Parents’ Council – such as promoting their Easy Fund Raising initiative.
- Cupar’s BIG Tidy: many will be aware of the recent ‘BIG Tidy’ programme run by Cupar Development Trust with the council’s support. CuparNow was instrumental in communicating the project’s opportunities to property owners and seeking volunteers across the town centre – and in sharing the news on the results with the wider public. CuparNow also played a key role in communication with businesses and residents in aiding the Trust’s work to create the Community Action Plan and Local Place Plan.
- Today & Tomorrow: CuparNow has helped council-funded projects wherever possible – a recent example being support in the fundraising initiative for Cupar Youth Cafe. When relevant, information has been shared on key planning issues affecting the town – such as the update on Cupar North – one in a series that has been shared over the last two years.
- Health & Social Care: CuparNow helps to disseminate regular information on programmes of support – such as highlighting the Active Travel Strategy and Action Plan (ATSAP) and the Scottish Action for Mental Health courses run at the council chambers in Cupar. In addition, the project shares regular content from Fife Council supported outlets including Cupar Library and Cupar Sports Centre. The CuparNow Community Directory – created by CuparNow is response to rerquests from community partners – features more than 90 community groups in and around thew town. It has become a ‘go to’ resource with hundreds of people using the categorised listings to find information on a multitude of community-related associations, clubs, groups and organisations – including Fife Council managed and supported initiatives.
Simon adds: “A week does not go by when we are not helping to amplify content relevant to Fife Council and their agencies – be it on our social media channels, our Blog or through one of our managed databases of subscribers – consumers, businesses and the community. No other channels exist that deliver the same level of support in Cupar or across north-east Fife. If our audiences would like the Council to continue its support of our work, we would ask that you write to your local councillor.” You can find details via this link.
A new chapter …
CuparNow will continue. Simon explains: “We set out to prove the concept of a ‘digital improvement district’ to help support multiple audiences across Cupar. We won cross-party support and plaudits from those citing the delivery as ‘the future’ for small towns across Scotland.”
He adds: “Together with the support of businesses and the help of many community partners, we have more than achieved our goals. Our second term plan had been to reduce the levy for 95% of businesses, supporting income through advertising and additional investment that our company would bring to the project. The ambition was to then remove the need for a levy altogether beyond 2030 – making the model a sustainable one for small towns. Our ongoing assessment of our delivery means we will now move straight to that model.”
Business & Community …
In the new year, CuparNow – together with key community partners – will host a series of face-to-face and online events to update businesses and organisations in and around Cupar.
Those who wish to continue to benefit from the project’s managed, digital communication and marketing will be able to do so – using a ‘pay as you go’ advertising model.
Simon explains: “We will share more on this very soon. It will enable any business or organisation – large or small – to choose from a menu of services that will help to promote their products and services to our ever-growing audiences.” He concludes: “Cupar is an extraordinary town – full of great businesses. We hope to be able to continue to support them and, in turn, their support for us will enable us to continue our delivery to help community groups and charities in and around the town.”
Thank you for reading.