MONEY to boost former mining areas will see almost £9,000 shared between a community cinema and Kingdom Brass band in Kelty and a Fife-wide autism initiative.

The cash from the Coalfields Regeneration Trust (CRT) will bring movies and music to the village and more social activities for people on the Autistic Spectrum Disorder.

Kelty Community Cinema was awarded £2,850 which will pay for a year's worth of screenings and project development.

Committee member Graeme Smith said: “Since our foundation in 2016 we have proved the demand for local cinema at affordable prices exists in Kelty as in many other communities.

"Through the involvement of local businesses and organisations we have managed to screen around 24 films.

"It is timely therefore, as we move forward, we have received funding from the CRT.

“Their financial support will help support our core programmes of family films in Kelty.

"It will also support plans to work with care homes to provide dementia friendly screenings for their residents."

Movies are shown at the Blairadam and Kelty Ex-servicemen’s Club and there are plans to hold an inaugural film festival in 2019.

Their programme includes activities for local schools and screenings of films to showcase local talent or historical interest.

They will also give volunteers the opportunity to work towards a Saltire and SVQ volunteering award.

Kingdom Brass was given £3,000 for acoustic curtains.

The band currently has 35 brass and percussion players and performs at community events throughout the year, in Scotland and further afield, including the Royal Albert Hall in London and Montreux’s Stravinski Auditorium.

After negotiating a Community Asset Transfer from Fife Council, the band has acquired the former Kelty library as a new rehearsal premises.

An £80,000 refurbishment, funded by the council and Creative Scotland, has begun and the money from CRT will be used to acoustically insulate a rehearsal space.

John Todd, secretary of Kingdom Brass, said: “We’re extremely grateful to the CRT for their financial assistance towards our project.

"Our new rehearsal facility is a huge undertaking financially for the band, and this grant completes the funding we need for the £80,000 refurbishment of the building.

“The right acoustic for our rehearsal space is probably the most important part of the project. It will enable us to improve our performance levels even further and continue to entertain everyone who comes to hear the band at the many events where we perform.”

Autism in Fife has been granted £2,817 for its life skills inclusion project.

The group was set up in response to a lack of support for adolescents and adults with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their carers.

It is designed to help members live more independently within the community and provides a support service run by volunteers. It currently has 30 members aged 16 and over.

Its social club activities are designed to improve members’ social skills and abilities which should help people find and retain employment.

Thelma Fyfe, of Autism in Fife, said: “We are hugely grateful to CRT for the recent award of funds which will enable us to continue and develop the provision of organised and supervised activities for people in Fife with ASD.”

Daniel Redpath, a member of the social club, added: “The Autism in Fife Club is something I look forward to, where I enjoy meeting up with other friends I have made at the club and where we have activities and some outings.

"It gives us people with ASD a chance to come together and to share good times and to have new experiences within our own comfort zone and makes me feel much less isolated.”

CRT awarded the funding to try and make a positive difference in former coalfield areas and trustee Bob Young said: “We’re confident these three diverse projects will benefit from our funding and be able to further develop the worthwhile services they are offering in their communities.

“It’s rewarding to be able to support such projects that are helping in mining communities in such innovative ways and that are reaching out to people of all ages with a range of interests.”