BEER money helped children in West Fife enjoy some summer fun with music, drama and art.

SEAL Dunfermline, a charity based on Halbeath Road, was awarded £1,500 which they used for a holiday programme to help youngsters develop resilience, confidence and self-esteem.

The money came from last year's Dunfermline Beer Festival, with the proceeds split between the Dunfermline Rugby Club's youth section and Dunfermline Round Table, with the latter distributing cash to good causes at a Dragons Den-style giveaway.

Group leader at SEAL Adele Lang explained: “We spent the money on a programme of summer activities for the children.

"We got a drummer to come and do six sessions with the children, an actress to come and do four sessions of drama, a mindfulness expert to run three weeks of mindfulness sessions and an artist from Fire Station Creative to come and do three weeks of comic art classes.”

The charity works with children and young people between the ages of eight and 16, most of whom are referred to the project by social work, schools and health professionals, on a range of activities.

Regardless of the reasons for attending, the aim is to make sure that everyone who goes feels valued, supported, listened to and understood.

Adele added: “As SEAL usually only runs through term times, this was a great opportunity for the children to attend something during the holidays.

"Many cannot access mainstream activities due to a variety of needs, such as autism and anxiety.

"It also helps the children build confidence and self-esteem. We are really grateful for the opportunity to run these sessions for the children.”

With this year's Beer Festival fast approaching, Dominic Collings, from Dunfermline Round Table, said it was important West Fifers knew how important the event was to charities that operate in West Fife and beyond.

He said: “SEAL came to us with a solid plan for activities throughout the summer.

"We love it when applicants have a really structured and well thought-out request.

"They made a great presentation for a great cause and we were more than happy to give them the full amount they requested.”

The Beer Festival will take place in the Glen Pavilion, Pittencrieff Park, on Friday, September 27 and Saturday, 28 and the Press is again one of the sponsors.

Dominic said: “We have some changes this year with special souvenir pint glasses and some branding changes which we are really excited about.

"We are, however, still looking for more barrel sponsors for the weekend.

"For a modest fee we can add your business name and logo to a keg and include your business in the event programme, with some of our packages including event tickets if you feel like treating your staff to a night out for a good cause.

"We also have availability for a Gin Bar sponsor for the weekend.

"I’d like to appeal to any local businesses who would like to get involved to contact us via our Dunfermline Charity Beer Festival Facebook page as soon as possible."

Festival tickets are on sale from Grill 48, Little Shop of Heroes, the Caledonian Craft Beer Merchant and Dunfermline Rugby Club. They can also be bought online from Ticketweb.