A Greener Future for Fife

Publish Date: Thursday August 7, 2025

Thousands of people in Fife will benefit from a funding boost to bring nature into urban areas.

The Kingdom is benefiting from £1.4 million awarded to Scotland by The National Lottery Heritage Fund to improve and create accessible green spaces, streets and neighbourhoods.

It’s all part of Nature Towns and Cities – a coalition of organisations united by the ambition to enable millions more people to experience nature in their daily lives. Particularly in those places and communities currently lacking access to quality green space.

A total of £800,000 has been awarded to Fife Council. It’s planning to transform its urban green spaces to enhance climate resilience, boost tourism, enrich local culture, and improve the community health and wellbeing.

Marginalised groups

Fife Council will work in partnership to identify and develop community-led green space initiatives which reflect local needs and aspirations. In particular, the project will identify solutions to improve access to green space for marginalised groups, such as people in poverty, refugees and those with disabilities.

Transforming Fife’s Greenspace will investigate innovative funding mechanisms such as green bonds, grants, and public-private partnership, to secure long-term sustainability and resilience. Three new posts will help local leaders with skills development and show how communities can secure finance for local projects.

Fife Council’s environment spokesperson Cllr Jan Wincott said: “We own a diverse range of public urban land, from greenspaces in Dunfermline’s medieval centre and Kirkcaldy’s Victorian parks, to the many parks in the new town of Glenrothes. This investment will provide a unique opportunity to enhance both greenspace and transform current ‘greyspace’ into greenspace.”

Fife Coast and Countryside Trust’s CEO Jeremy Harris said: “Our mission is to connect environment and people. So we were very excited when the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Natural England, and the National Trust launched the Nature Towns and Cities initiative.

“We are working hard in Fife to unlock the potential of our green and blue spaces. This award will massively accelerate our efforts. Building partnerships and developing creative solutions to the challenges we collectively face is key to the future of our communities and having support to do this is immensely valuable.”

Partnership

Neil McCormick, NHS Fife’s Director of Property and Asset Management, said of the award: “NHS Fife has worked closely with Fife Council, Fife Coast and Countryside Trust and other third sector colleagues with the clear goal of collaboratively and effectively enhancing our greenspaces in Dunfermline, Glenrothes, and Kirkcaldy.

“Fife’s healthcare sites can play a major role in the development of greenspaces in these areas. The partnership approach is helping us enhance green areas of NHS Fife’s estate and improve public access, increase biodiversity, and create more climate resilient communities.”

Pictures courtesy of The National Trust.