Equalities Monthly - April 2025!
- Apr 1
- 9 min read
Hello world!
Welcome to the April 2025 release of our Equalities Monthly newsletter!
We've got lots of exciting updates to share with you all, from our new project announcements to all the latest partners news and consultations, have a read and find out more.
We are always on the lookout for new activities and updates to add to our monthly, if you or your organisation has something coming up that you would like us to share, contact us and let us know.
You can also submit events to our Equality Calendar!
What have we been up to at FCE?
On Fri 07 Mar 2025 we celebrated International Women's Day with an afternoon of partners speeches, music and meditation!
The Fife Equalities Forum came together on Wed 12 Mar 2025 to discuss the latest equalities goings-on and partners' updates.
We have continued interviewing and visiting groups as part of our Let's Chat Equality - Fife programme!
We have been preparing for the launch of our new Fife Inclusion Networks project.
As always, we have published a range of exciting new events and consultations on our Equality Calendar! Keep posted for more.
Equality Calendar Dates to look out for:
Our Equality Calendar showcases all of the upcoming equalities awareness days, partners events and local consultations! Check out some of the upcoming international days below:
World Autism Awareness Day - 02 Apr: The focus for this year's World Autism Awareness Day is neurodiversity and sustainability
International Day of Conscience - 05 Apr: Raising awareness of islamophobia and encouraging global action to eradicate hate.
World Health Day - 07 Apr: Celebrating the 60th anniversary of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms Racial of Discrimination (ICERD)”.
International Girls in ICT Day - 24 Apr: A global effort to combat the stereotypes faced by those with down syndrome, as well as bringing attention to the wide range of support available.
Click here to visit our Equality Calendar, and add your own event today.
What's happening at FCE?
Our New Project: Fife Inclusion Network
We’re excited to announce that FCE’s new project Fife Inclusion Network will officially start on 1st April 2025. Fife Centre for Equalities has secured funding from the National Lottery Community Fund to initiate this new project, a continuation of our previous Minority Ethnic 60+ project, which was also funded by National Lottery Community Fund.
Through the course of the ME60+ project, the team has developed a good understanding of the unique needs and invaluable skills within the local ethnic minority communities. We’re hoping to nurture the bonds we’ve already made and evolve into a stronger network while also expanding the reach of support. We realise how crucial 1-2-1 support has been, in addition to group gatherings where individuals from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds come together in a safe and relaxed environment. Through our Fife Inclusion Network, we’re aiming to continue the existing support, encouraging clients to take ownership of the improvements they would like to see in their locality, and broadening our support to integrate a larger diversity of community groups. The FIN project will help the team build on their existing knowledge of asset-based community development and help nourish relationships within wider groups in Fife.
For our clients, volunteers and also for our wee team, this project is a natural evolution of the ME60+ (Minority Ethnic Older People) initiative we ran in response to the impact of the pandemic on minoritised communities in Fife. Our work now continues on to address isolation, improve access to wider services and nurture a sense of belonging for diverse communities living locally. We see so many examples of good work in inclusion and pockets of welcoming spaces and networks by partners in Fife, the FIN project provides us with dedicated time and resources to help human connections grow and strengthen community.
Interested in getting involved? Contact us using info@centreforequalities.org.uk, call 01592 645310 or text 07800 005834.
Let's Chat - Equality in Fife
What do you think is special about Fife? Let us know.
Our Let's Chat Equality initiative aims to learn more about what is working for you, and what you'd like to see more of within your communities.
We will share your feedback with services in Fife to improve access for everyone.
We'd love to chat with you! You can provide feedback using the form below, meeting us for a one-to-one interview or we can visit your group or organisation! Let us know what works best for you:
Looking to learn more? Let us know by getting in touch with us at info@centreforequalities.org.uk, calling 01592 645310, text on 07800 005834 or write to us at Fife Centre for Equalities, New Volunteer House, 16 East Fergus Place, Kirkcaldy KY1 1XT.
FCE Companion Support
Our Companion Support volunteers are crucial in supporting our Get-Togethers and maintaining our relationships with our clients.
If you have an interest in bringing people together, making new connections and reducing social isolation, this may be the opportunity for you!
If you'd be interested in volunteering with us, please contact maria@centreforequalities.org.uk, call us on 01592 645310 or text 07800 005834.
Joining our Board
We are recruiting suitably skilled people to join the Board to help deliver our vision and mission.
If you are passionate about equality, diversity, inclusion, and social justice, then this could be the volunteering role you’ve been looking for.
Applicants should have a passion and commitment to build a collective voice to champion equality, diversity, inclusion and social justice, along with the ability to provide strong governance and direction to ensure the delivery of our objectives.
These Trustee positions are voluntary, however, out-of-pocket expenses will be met.
For more information, please contact Elric Honoré, Chief Executive, elric@centreforequalities.org.uk or 01592 645 310.
Our Partners' News and Events
Proposals for Reconfiguration of Minor Injuries Units in North East Fife:
Fife Health and Social Care Partnership continues to modernise and transform health and social care services, to ensure services are safe, effective and person centred.
Proposals for reconfiguration of Minor Injuries care units in North East Fife are being considered due to known risks to sustainability of services within the current model.
These are predominantly sustainability of our workforce, access to radiology (which most patients attending MIU require), deliver of care in the right place at the right time and also delivery of best value in line with resources available to us.
As part of this work, a clinically led options appraisal process was carried out for the Minor Injuries Care Service at the Adamson Hospital in Cupar and the St Andrews Community Hospital. This looked at ways in which the Health and Social Care Partnership can optimise patient care and ensure resilience of the service for the future.
Option Appraisal
The clinically led options appraisal process identified three options for the future of Minor Injuries Care Services in North East Fife.
The clinically preferred model chosen from that process was the proposal to relocate Minor Injuries services currently delivered at Adamson Hospital in Cupar into one single Minor Injury Unit based at St Andrews Community Hospital.
This recommendation was guided by medical research, expert clinical opinion, and best practice guidelines to ensure decisions are made in the best interests of patient care.
By optimising services through this proposal, the aim is to help improve clinical outcomes, service user experience, make better use of resources, and provide a more sustainable model for the future.
Giving the community the chance to share their views
We want to engage with the local community and ask them to share their views via an online survey about the clinically preferred model being considered.
This survey will share the options considered in the appraisal and allow us to capture feedback on what this option might mean for people in the community.
We would be grateful if you could please share this consultation as widely as possible within your networks that are within North East Fife, particularly Cupar and surrounding areas, to make sure that as many people as possible get the opportunity to complete our short survey and share with us what they think.
Those who wish to complete the survey should do so by Sunday 30 March 2025 by clicking this link Reconfiguration of Minor Injuries Units in North East Fife.
Anyone who requires this information in an alternative format can let us know by contacting HSCP.ParticipationEngagement@Fife.gov.uk.
Faithful - Free Spaces for Groups:
Shared with us by Interfaith Scotland:
Faithful is an organisation that co-ordinates free spaces for groups to use for prayer and worship throughout the UK.
They are keen to work with faith and interfaith groups from across Fife and beyond.
For more information please visit their website here.
Fife Contemporary - Hag Exhibition:
Fife Contemporary are pleased to announce Hag. Knowledge, Power & Alchemy through Craft, an upcoming exhibition challenging perceptions of women and craft open at Dunfermline Carnegie Library & Galleries from 8 March to 8 June 2025.
Hag. Knowledge, Power & Alchemy through Craft will open at Dunfermline Carnegie Library & Galleries on 8th March 2025, International Women’s Day.
Free entry, open daily:
Monday – Friday 10am to 5pm (until 6pm Thursdays)
Saturday 10am – 4pm
Sunday 12 – 4pm
Provocatively titled but thoughtfully curated, Hag. will bring together the work of 13 of Scotland’s most inventive, creative and impactful women craft artists, including Lise Bech, Judith Davies, Caroline Dear, Claire Heminsley, Fiona Hutchison, Ruth Elizabeth Jones, Gilly Langton, Jo McDonald, Susie Redman, Patricia Shone, Carol Sinclair, Amanda Simmons and Emma Louise Wilson. Celebrating the knowledge, power & alchemy mediated by their work, the exhibition will celebrate craft skills and approaches to practice developed by these significant women over decades of work and personal endeavour.
To find out more please visit the Fife Contemporary website here.
Consultations to look out for
Leslie Community Improvements:
The people of Leslie take pride in the Towns natural and built heritage, and rightly so! Improving the appearance and access to these places and spaces could improve physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of residents.
Improve the overall appearance of open spaces and celebrate unique features helping to encourage increased business and tourism to the Town.
Inveraray Avenue - Play Area:
From Fife Council:
Inverarary Avenue, Glenrothes, Play Area has been identified for investment and we want you to have your say on the play equipment so we can be sure there's something for everyone to enjoy.
Proposal to rezone the catchment areas of Kirkcaldy West and Dunnikier Primary Schools:
From Fife Council:
On 9 January 2025, the Cabinet Committee of Fife Council authorised the Education Directorate to undertake a statutory consultation in terms of the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 on the proposal to rezone the catchment areas of Kirkcaldy West and Dunnikier Primary Schools from Friday 4 July 2025.
Cowdenbeath Area Transport Plan:
We would like your views on transport in and around the Cowdenbeath area to help shape the Cowdenbeath Area Transport Plan.
The purpose of this consultation is to allow the community to feed into the development of an Action Plan for improving travel and connectivity in your area.
Area Transport Plans are designed to support fair and sustainable access for all to everyday activities by walking, wheeling, cycling, public transport or other vehicles. There is supporting information with this questionnaire that explains the community input from groups and residents so far that has helped identify transport problems in the area.
To view the consultation and share your views, please click here.
Staying Safe and Keeping Connected
The winter season can be especially tough for some. Fife Adult Support and Protection have released their Staying Safe and Keeping Well booklet, which has a wide range of different support available for anyone looking for a little helping hand.
Are you concerned about someone who may be at risk of harm or neglect?
Call the Fife Adult Protection Phone Line on 01383 602200 or in an emergency call 999. If you have concerns about a child, call Social Work on 03451 55 15 03 or Police 101.
Funding
If you are interested in finding out more about the funding available to your organisation, please make use of the local and national resources below:
Fife Council: Fife Council Funding Portal
Fife Voluntary Action: Funding and Finance
SCVO: Funding Scotland
If you are looking to share funding opportunities that may benefit local community groups and organisations that cover the different protected characteristics, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us at info@centreforequalities.org.uk, calling 01592 645310, text on 07800 005834.
Get in touch
Do you have any concerns that you would like to share? Or just looking for a chat? Get in touch!
Email us at: info@centreforequalities.org.uk
Call us on: 01592 645310
Text us using: 07800 005834
Or even write to us: New Volunteer House, 16 East Fergus Place, Kirkcaldy KY1 1XT
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