After two decades lying empty, Lochgelly’s former St Andrews Church is set to welcome the public back through its doors next week – with a free family fun day marking the first event in the town’s new community hub.
Fife Council has confirmed a 'Free Community Fun Day' will take place at the St Andrews Building on Thursday, August 13, from 11am to 1pm, offering local families a first look inside the transformed Bank Street site.
The drop‑in event will feature a bouncy castle, balloon modelling, a glitter station and a range of arts and crafts activities, all provided free of charge.
Council community learning and development staff and partner organisations will be on hand to meet residents and explain how the hub will be used in the months ahead.
It is the latest step in bringing the prominent town centre building back into regular use.
The former church, bought by Fife Council for £80,000 to stop it falling into dereliction, has stood vacant since 2006 and was for years tied to ambitious plans for a £2.2 million regional climbing centre.
Despite a 12‑metre tower being built on the site, the Rockgelly project never opened and was declared “no longer tenable” in February 2024 when the operating company went into liquidation.
Earlier this summer, council officers approved a formal change of use to create a “multi‑agency community hub”, switching the focus from sport to support.
As previously reported by the Times, the hub is intended to host a mix of services, including family and one‑to‑one support, crisis help, group work and drop‑in sessions, with social work teams and community organisations based in the building.
Multi‑purpose rooms inside St Andrews will be used for parenting classes, skills development, support groups and youth activities, while the out‑of‑hours social work team for Fife is also due to have an office there.
The long‑term aim is for the hub to open daily from 9am to 8pm with CCTV and controlled entry in place.
Bringing services together under one roof is also seen as a more sustainable option than carrying out costly repairs at Lochgelly Town Hall, where councillors were told remedial work would run to more than £500,000.
Moving key services to St Andrews is designed to safeguard provision in the town and give the historic building a new role at the heart of the community.
Residents are being encouraged to come along on August 13 to see the changes for themselves, enjoy the family entertainment and share ideas about how the hub can best serve Lochgelly in future.
For more information about the fun day, people can email CLD.Cowdenbeath@fife.gov.uk.
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