FAMILIES in Cardenden have been boosted by £20,000 of coal cash to get an action plan to boost the area off the ground.

Local people turned out in force for Cardenden’s first meeting of the Reclaiming Our Coalfields Communities initiative, which aims to boost local democracy, and lay the foundations for a Five Year Community Action Plan for the area.

The Coalfields Regeneration Trust and the Electoral Reform Society have joined forces to run the programme. 

At Saturday’s session, in Auchterderran Church Hall, the Cardenden group discussed some of the problems facing the village and the opportunities for positive change that could be achieved.

Already the people of Cardenden backed the CRT Futures mechanism which saw a whole number of improvements achieved in the ABCD conurbation of four villages. This move is set to build upon that success.

Lorna Bett, the Coalfield Regeneration Trust’s community engagement officer, in Cardenden, said: “It was a great meeting with a really enthusiastic group of local individuals and representatives of community groups”.

The CRT is putting up a £20,000 participatory budget to get priority projects off the ground.

Saturday’s meeting focussed on identifying the key issues Cardenden faces.

A follow-up meeting at the same location on Saturday, March 17, will flesh out potential projects for inclusion in the Action Plan.

Willie Sullivan, the Electoral Reform Society’s Scottish Director, said: “This is an example of showing rather than telling.

“As the Scottish Government looks at updating Local Democracy for the 21st century this process shows that representative groups of local people can get together and begin to work out what is best for their own place. 

“We would urge Fife Council and the Scottish Government to try out  innovative ways of allowing local people  to  make their own  decisions”. 

Bob Young Scottish Trustee of the Coalfields Regeneration Trust said: “Working with our friends from the Electoral Reform Society will help Cardenden deliver their Action Plan, and significantly increase democracy, by giving local people a stronger voice in the whole process”.

The Scottish Government is backing Reclaiming Our Coalfields Communities with a £40,000 award to fund Lorna’s post in Cardenden and two similar appointments the CRT has made in Bo’ness and Dalmellington.