Benarty Community Shop's major donation

The Fund was set up to see mining artefacts in the shape of a coal cutter, a coal buggy and the cage which used to carry miners up and down the Frances Colliery shaft, transported from Leven to Lochore Meadows Country Park.

The Community Shop staff and committee see this as a very worthwhile cause and hope that the donation will go a long way to helping reach the amount needed to achieve their goal.

After going along to speak to Benarty Forum at their monthly meeting Iain Chalmers outlined what he would like to see happening down at Lochore Meadows Country Park.

Once again the Community Shop were in a situation where they could donate a large sum to this local project.

Pictured handing over the cheque to Iain Chalmers and Ann Mitchell from Save The cage group were Michael O'Hare, Marie Cooper and Linda Michie.

Iain said: "When I came across the cage lying in the Fife Heritage Railway Yard, at Leven, I immediately thought this should be in the Meedies near to the Mary pit head and displayed with the bottom deck open so that people could stand on a real pit cage to get a feel of what is was like to travel through a mine shaft.

"Along with several like minded people I started the Save the Cage group to campaign to preserve, transport and display these important relics of a once proud mining industry for future generations to come.

"There are three artefacts altogether, there is the cage which is a double deck cage which transported men and material through the shaft, an old AB coalcutter of the type that would have been used in the Mary and surrounding collieries; and a material mine car which was used to transport material, such as girders, wood and other supplies from the surface to where required underground.

"These artefacts would be displayed on plinths in the vicinity of the Mary head gear and we believe would enhance the experience of visitors to the Frame and the Pug."

The Community shop wish everyone involved with the project all the best for the future.