PART of community life in Cowdenbeath has stood the test of time and has been used by generations of local families.

Cowdenbeath Area Community Association has been providing Friday night activities for kids since the mid 1970s and is still going strong, the town's Rotary Club heard on Thursday.

Giving a talk was club member, David Stevenson, who has been chairman of the CACA management committee for over 40 years, but he stressed that the organisation was built on a strong core of volunteers and more were always needed.

Said David: "It really all came about after a public meeting in the town in the mid 1970s at which young people strongly appealed for some sort of organisation to be set up to give them something to do on a Friday night.

"The Fife Regional Council education convener, Tom Dair, the Cowdenbeath councillor agreed and we set about putting together the CACA idea using Beath High out of school hours for the first time, and it opened with two youth clubs for juniors and seniors with around 80 kids attending each.

"We had eight volunteers and four paid leaders and it became part of life in the town."

Over the years there had been changes, said David, with the senior section being dropped but the junior age group was to this day still operating now at the new Beath High School building.

He added: "The plan has always been to run a fairly loose programme which gives the young people the opportunity to meet up with friends and have a blether but we have always organised things like trips to Edinburgh and also talent competitions.

"We have always been a strong supporter of Beath High School and also the town's Civic Week and really anything Cowdenbeath.

"We charge youngsters £2 per night and were are self sufficient, but we always need more volunteers."

David concluded: "We now see the third generation of families coming to the Friday night sessions and it is good that CACA is still going strong and providing a needed facility more than 40 years on."