A NEW project spawned by members of the Job Club, run at Kelty Community Centre, will soon be opening its doors.

'Oor Wee Café' is seeking premises to open up in Kelty soon.

Behind the community cafe project is a group of unemployed individuals, in Kelty, who met at the local job club and are in the process of setting up a “donation only” community cafe in the village.

The project team of Billy Inglis, Jackie Cooper, Danny Caldwell and Karen Penman, who are backed by Job Club co-ordinator Linzi Forbes, last week had a major boost when their 'pitch' about 'Oor Wee Cafe', at The Soup event held at BRAG's Crosshill Centre, won the cash prize against other community projects.

Billy and Jackie explained: "We have yet to gain premises but have been in touch with three local organisations and have asked if we can use their premises to run our venture.

"We are calling the café Oor Wee Café, which will be offering an accessible and affordable café so that residents in Kelty could have a place to naturally congregate and meet new people in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

"They will be offered a healthy tasty meal without the worry of cost. A need was identified due to Kelty being one of the largest villages in Fife with a fast growing population.

"It has an inadequate bus service and is relatively cut off and there are issues with high social isolation".

They added: "With the current climate of unemployment, levels of poverty and the roll out of Universal Credit, those people waiting on benefits have to wait up to at least five weeks for their money to come through and although the local food banks can help, they can only offer a three day emergency food parcel three times a year. There are no food banks in Kelty so the café is to help local people.

"The main aims of the café are to provide an inclusive place where people who are socially isolated and on a low income can come together, have home cooked healthy food that is run on a 'donation only' basis, volunteering opportunities and work experience for individuals, 0% food wastage, support from local businesses, free transport for disabled or those who cannot travel to the café without support with BRAG providing the mini bus).

"We only will be open on a Tuesday from 12 – 2pm. We will offer soup and stovies. We will also offer any leftover/additional food to the general public on a donation basis ".

The volunteers attended the “Soup" event, held every month at BRAG, on Friday April 20 and pitched the café idea to the attendees.

They were up against three other pitches and they won.

The team are also seeking volunteers and funding for set-up costs for the café

Linzi Forbes added: "We are hoping that the project will be set up in the Main Street part of the village and the team held a public consultation which had a very positive response to their plans.

"The funding bids have been lodged and hopefully Kelty's community cafe will be up and running by August".

Our picture shows William Inglis and Jackie Cooper, both from Kelty, and Lee Walls from BRAG, who runs the Soup events, presenting the prize money.