WITHIN days of the Times reporting on how the Benarty Emergency Response Team is giving people a key outlet to get important supplies, the Lochgelly Beat Corona Group is up and running.

Lochgelly, Benarty and Cardenden councillor, Lea McLelland, has been one of the people behind BERT but felt that a town the size of Lochgelly should have a similar organisation and she appealed through the Times for volunteers to come forward.

Said Lea this week: "It was amazing the response, within a matter of hours of the Times carrying the story the phone started to go and now we have 14 volunteers in place."

LBCG has five call handlers on duty and nine drivers available to make sure anyone who needs anything can be catered for.

Added the councillor: "There will be people in Lochgelly who are finding it difficult to get the messages they need or medicines and all they need to do is ring one of call handlers and let them know what they is required.

"Our team of drivers will tackle what ever is needed and get it to them.

"Working with Fife Voluntary Action has helped make the wheels run smoothly for our groups and it is pleasing to hear that our model is being used in other parts of Fife creating similar organisations to help communities in this time of real stress for people dealing with the effects of the lockdown."

Anyone needing the assistance of Lochgelly Beat Corona Group can call Eileen Loudon, 9am to 9pm on 07934282459; John Muir, 9am to 5pm on 0749353517; Vi Penman 9am to 5pm, on 07931406543; Lorrain Belton 9am to 5pm on 07877136255; or Kevin Fleming 9am to 5pm on 07757058171.