Friends of Largo Bay

Friends Of Largo Bay Big Spring Clean

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us on Sunday 6th April for our 3rd Annual Largo Bay Beach Clean and Litter Survey, part of the Great British Spring Clean 2025 and in support of the Marine Conservation Society.

           

Despite the crisp spring air, we were fortunate to enjoy beautiful uninterrupted sunshine, and it was fantastic to see volunteers of all ages – including some very enthusiastic young helpers (and a few four-legged ones too!).

This year, we focused our survey efforts across five key locations around the bay, collecting and recording data to contribute to the Marine Conservation Society’s long-standing national monitoring programme, which has been recording beach litter since 1993.

While the final stats are still being processed, we estimate a fantastic 552kg of litter was removed, including:

Special thanks go to William Clark and his mighty tractor for tackling the heaviest and trickiest plastics and assisting with rubbish removal.

We’re also hugely grateful to:

📩 A summary of the survey results will be shared with all registered participants once approved by the Marine Conservation Society.

Look for our focused cleans to start soon, and thank you once again for helping to protect and care for our coast.

You are Invited 🎉  

Warm Welcome Days

Our Warm Welcome days continue tomorrow at the Simpson Institute. A huge thank you to our volunteers and participants who make these days so special!  And don’t forget, the Simpson Institute also has its long-running coffee morning every Thursday.

☕ Come for a cosy cuppa, delicious soup, and heartwarming company.

  • Simpson Institute: Tuesdays 11am-1pm (soup, tea & coffee)

Also Largo Library are still serving their Hot drinks & biscuits (all open hours)

And Durham Hall: Last Sunday of the month – Souper Sunday!

Plus In February, we’ll be collecting more memories of Kirkton of Largo School at the Simpson Institute at the Warm Welcome days on the 4th and 18th of February for our ongoing peoples history/heritage project.

🥳 If you have something to share come along !

A Great Inspiring Event: After Burns

End of Year Words

Hello everyone,

As another year winds down and the festive season sparkles around us, we wanted to take a moment to send out a HUGE, heart-felt thank you to each and every one of you!

Your support throughout this year has been absolutely amazing, and we truly couldn’t have done it without the many people who help and join in countless ways. It all matters!

We’ve had a fantastic year packed with activity, and it’s been so rewarding to see our community come together with lots of commitment and energy.

Our subgroups have been buzzing!

A special shout out to the Friends of Largo Bay – they’ve been working tirelessly to make our beautiful bay even better though biodiversity, art projects litter picks and more.  If you want to stay in the loop on everything they’re up to, be sure to sign up for their direct emails at largobay@largoct.org.uk and join their facebook group  to keep up with their many inspiring projects if you are on there here.

You won’t want to miss a beat!

And our Resilience group? Wow! From raising dementia-friendly awareness alongside Alzheimers Scotland, The Paxton Centre and Peacehaven, to the Big Picnic and    organising our regular Warm Welcomes in Upper Largo (with a team of amazing volunteers and the occasional community musician), they’ve been helping making a real difference and spreading cheer in the lives of so many and there is more to come !

Speaking of inspiring things, we have some dates for your diaries to be announced in January: we will be gathering more memories of Kirkton of Largo in February at our Upper Largo Warm Welcome for a start, with a new history/heritage group that is unfolding  – we also have the seeds of a youth filmmaking project and our regular big picnic to announce.

And we are always looking for helping hands to make it all happen. If you’re keen to get involved and see something amazing unfold before your eyes, we’d love to have you join our volunteer team!

We need help with everything from assisting with our upcoming beach wheelchairs to supporting our resilience and emergency volunteer initiatives, and so much more.  If you’re interested, you can sign up to be a volunteer right here.

We’re so excited about what the new year will bring, and we’ll be sharing more news soon. In the meantime, we hope you all have a wonderful, restful, and joy-filled holiday season.

Christmas With Friends

We also wish the Aurrie much joy as they open their doors for Christmas Day!

They’ll offer food, drinks, company and even music – the perfect way to break up a long day, celebrate and spend the day with new friends.

And Don’t Miss Out

We’re always happy to hear from you, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch! Priya@largoct.org.uk

December News

Hi everyone,

We hope this email finds you well and full of winter cheer!

This is just a quick reminder that Friends of Largo Bay will be at the Aurrie Mor Christmas Fair tomorrow, along with a huge range of others – tomorrow Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th December, from 10am to 4pm in Lower Largo.  They will  be selling a range of eco-friendly products and have a chat about what they have all been up to lately ( hint: it’s quite a lot !) All profits will go directly towards our conservation efforts to keep Largo Bay beautiful.

Go Along And Say Hello! 👋

It’s been fantastic to see so much happening across our community lately! We can’t keep up. From fairs and festivals to workshops and get-togethers, there’s something for everyone.

Homelands at the Paxton Centre has many fantastic regular activities, plus a café open on Mondays and Tuesdays. Have a look here for full details: Activities and Classes at The Paxton Centre. They currently have a raffle open. Details on the Poster below. Do pop in to support their incredible range of offerings.

The Largo Area Warm Welcome on Tuesdays at the Simpson Institute, Upper Largo has been a great success so far (we’ve even had a little music going on!), we encourage people to come along and join us, spread the word ! For another mid-week pick-me-up pop along to the coffee morning at the Simpson Institute on Thursday mornings for some unparalleled baking.

The Aurrie is also opening its doors for Christmas again this year!

(Check out the flyer below for details!). Email helen@theaurrie.com with bookings or questions.

They’ll offer food, drinks, company and even music – the perfect way to break up a long day, celebrate and spend the day with new friends.

Please help spread the word to those who may not have Facebook and don’t see all the usual announcements.

Speaking of music… don’t miss “Magical Moments in Song” at Largo Parish Church on Saturday 14th December at 2pm (doors open 1.30pm).  This special performance features the wonderful voices of Margaret Chisholm, Yvonne Stephenson, and Órla Jones, accompanied by Alan Gibson.  Cash donations will be gratefully received for Largo Parish Church and the Canmore Trust.  It’s sure to be a truly magical afternoon! 🎼✨

A huge thank you to everyone who attended our recent AGM. It was wonderful to see so many of you there and share updates on the exciting national Beach of Dreams project.

The website will soon have a year-in-review and our board meeting dates for next year !

Pop us a line if you want us to share anything !

Beach Clean !

Are you coming…

A reminder that you are invited to join the Friends of Largo Bay for their Beach Clean and Litter Survey at Dumbarnie Nature Reserve Tomorrow, from 10 am to 12 pm!

This is a  family and dog-friendly event and Friends of Largo Bay will provide all the necessary equipment, so just come prepared with appropriate clothing and footwear.

Meet at the car park and contribute to keeping the beautiful coastline of Fife clean !

You can turn up on the day or sign up in advance on the Marine Conservation Society website (www.mcsuk.org).

Dementia-Friendly Largo Area Update

We’re excited to announce that we’ve recently held three successful dementia-friendly sessions in our community in partnership with Peacehaven, The Paxton Centre and Alzheimer’s Scotland!  

Building on this momentum, we’re encouraging those who may benefit to join the upcoming Virtual Dementia Tour.

Mark your calendars! This immersive and exclusive experience will be held on Monday, November 18th at Peacehaven.

The tour offers a unique opportunity to learn more living with dementia – making you better equipped to support and empathise.

With limited spaces available, we encourage you to book your spot soon!

This invaluable training is for everyone who wants to support those living with Dementia and their friends, carers or family!

Whether you run a local group, business, or have a family member affected by dementia, this tour will deepen your understanding and empathy and we urge you to follow up.

Friends of Largo Bay

Land Reform and Community Involvement

Warm Welcomes Are Back !

Finally, get ready for the return of Warm Welcomes Spaces!

Starting next Tuesday on November 19th, the Simpson Institute Warm Welcome dates are back – join in  at various locations for some winter cheer additional to the lovely range of cafes in the area, this is a chance to meet people and get connected:

  • Simpson Institute, Upper Largo: Tuesdays, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm (soup, tea & coffee + great chats)
  • Largo Library and Community Hub: Hot drinks & biscuits available during all open hours
  • Durham Hall, Lower Largo: Souper Sunday on the last Sunday of each month

Just show up, engage, connect, and enjoy!

If you want to volunteer let us know and for more information, email Claire@largoct.org.uk.

Largo Communities Together AGM

Mark your calendars for the upcoming Largo Communities Together AGM on Saturday, November 25th at The Aurrie ! 

Only members can vote, there will be a chance to sign up on the evening.

The night kicks off at 7pm with the formal AGM proceedings, followed by an exciting presentation on the Beach of Dreams project at 8 pm.  Ali Pretty will introduce Julie Brooks, Fifes resident artist, and share insights into this fascinating initiative.

At 8:30 pm, Tom Quayle from FCCT will discuss community land ownership in Fife.  Following that, at 8:40 pm, Carol and Sue will provide updates on local environmental activities and answer questions from the audience.

The evening will wrap up around 9 pm.  This engaging event promises insightful discussions and a chance to connect with fellow community members.

Dementia Friends Continue

Dementia Friends Continue

Hello All,

Firstly a reminder that our Dementia Friendly Training and awareness sessions will continue at the Simpson Institute from 2pm-3pm on Thursday the 17th of October – that’s this week ! Come along and find out more whether it affects someone in your family, you run a  group or you’re just interested in what you can do.

You can also learn more about becoming a Dementia Friend at https://www.dementiafriendsscotland.org

Please do come along to find out more about supporting those in the community, if not Thursday then keep an eye out for the final date..

Just reply if you want to get in touch.

Friends of Largo Bay Events

Join A Friendly Social Tomorrow – Wednesday

Join the group to learn more about what they have been up to lately, including their incredible hands on biodiversity projects and artistic goals, and just share a drink…

Everyone is welcome.  Sea you there 😉

Beach Clean – Help Us Clean Up

Green Products – Happy Planet – The Science Of Cleaning

We are excited to invite you to an inspiring event that The Friends of Largo Bay have helped to develop with the Largo Library and Community Hub’s fantastic and long-running Science Saturdays. This event is centered around the themes of clean waters, happy people, and sustainable living and it is also fab hands on fun.

Whip Up Your Own Green Goodies at Science Saturday! Adult and Children
Join us for engaging workshops where you’ll learn the secrets to keeping our rivers, seas, and homes sparkling clean with eco-friendly techniques and easy do it yourself products.

Discover easy swaps that promote a healthier home and planet!

Event Details:

  • Date: November 2nd
  • Times:
    • Kids: 1 PM – 2 PM (Free, must be accompanied by an adult)
    • Adults: 2:30 PM – 4 PM £2 ticket
  • Location: Largo Library and Community Hub, 7 Lundin Square, KY8 6BH

All materials will be provided, so you can dive right in and start making a difference!

Let’s team up and be the change-makers for our environment while enjoying some savings and a sparkling home 🙂 🌍✨

To Book Your Spot: www.ticketsource.co.uk/largo-library-community-hub.

They look forward to seeing you there! Don’t forget to book !

Also Don’t Forget to RSVP to this Event

If you want to learn more about the Pier Group’s work on this project and its challenges that has brought us to a crossroads, let us know as soon as possible.

As  usual, there are so many fantastic things happening across the community and unfortunately couldn’t share them all here now but do keep an eye out and we look forward to sharing more soon and keep us in touch with anything you would like us to communicate.

Pier Information Evening

Our Pier – An Important Conversation

We have reached a crossroads in the Pier Restoration Project  

Dear Valued Supporter and Community Member,

As a valued community member, a community who has generously supported the Pier Restoration Project, we want to begin by saying thank you.

Your contributions have been vital in getting us to this point, and we sincerely appreciate your commitment to breathing new life into our cherished pier which has been severely impacted by storm damage in recent years.

The Pier Project is at a crossroads, and we need to share this information with you.

This evening is about openly and honestly discussing challenges, the work undertaken by the Pier group and what has led us all to this point.

Our Pier: We Have Reached a Crossroads

  • Date: Tuesday 29th of October 
  • Time: 7pm-8:30pm 
  • Location: Durham Hall, Lower Largo 

What to Expect:

  • A look back at the Pier Group’s progress, celebrating the wins, the work that left no stone unturned and acknowledging the hurdles they have had to overcome.
  • A candid discussion about the current funding climate and how it impacts our ability to complete the project as envisioned.
  • Most importantly, we want an open dialogue where your voice will be heard.

Please RSVP to priya@largoct.org.uk or reply to this email by 21st of October so we can finalise arrangements.

We invite you to join us and bring your questions, and we look forward to the chance to share the story in this open forum.

Sincerely,

On Behalf of The Pier Project Team

Happy 2025

Happy New Year from Largo Communities Together! 🎉

We hope you have had a restful time. As the nights remain long and the days chilly, we’re excited to announce the return of our Warm Welcome events!

☕ Come for a cosy cuppa, delicious soup, and heartwarming company.

Our first Warm Welcome of 2025 event kicks off tomorrow on January 7th at the Simpson Institute and thereafter on Tuesdays. We can’t wait to see you there! 😊

  • Simpson Institute: Tuesdays 11am-1pm (soup, tea & coffee)

Also Largo Library are still serving their Hot drinks & biscuits (all open hours)

And Durham Hall: Last Sunday of the month – Souper Sunday!

Plus In February, we’ll be collecting more memories of Kirkton of Largo School at the Simpson Institute at the Warm Welcome days on the 4th and 18th of February for our ongoing peoples history/heritage project.

🥳 If you have something to share come along !

A Great Inspiring Event: After Burns

We need you

As we step into 2025 with a renewed focus we are looking for help across a range of projects – if you have something to offer and want to get involved do sign up and we will get in touch shortly !

We are also recruiting for volunteers all sorts of things including emergency response and helping out with beach wheelchairs when they come along (and if there is something you would like to offer that is not listed just fill in the other category.)

We’re always happy to hear from you at any point, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have a question or comment! priya@largoct.org.uk

With the warmest of wishes,