A COMMUNITY trolley set up by St Margaret's Church in Touch is helping those struggling during the pandemic.

Members of the church at Abel Place first established the initiative by filling up the trolley outside their building every day but now others from around the community are also contributing.

It's a simple idea where "you take what you need and give what you can".

A member of the church said: "We have been doing this now for over two weeks.

"In recent days, I have been filling it up more, which shows that people are really needing it.

"People are only taking a few items at a time too.

"There's a lot of community groups that we support so just seeing their need gave us the idea and it went from there.

"We don't have a foodbank so this is a way we can help.

"We're also sign-posting people to other services."

Gillespie Memorial Church has also been helping its Dunfermline town centre community.

The church has a group of volunteers who can collect shopping, prescriptions and pensions for those who are housebound, and have registered as a ‘Community Group’ with Fife Council and await calls to deploy as and when required.

Church members, as well as others from the community, have been taking part in an online book club and coffee morning too.

The Rev Mike Weaver said: "At GMC we run Food for Families – a food project to supply fresh and ambient food to those in need specifically during the school holidays.

"But we couldn't do it this year, as a lot of out volunteers are vulnerable and we just couldn't get the supplies.

"It broke our hearts as a church not to be able to do that and there has been a big change to our ministries.

"But despite that, we try to serve the community as much as we can.

"It is a real challenge because, as a pastor, my heart is set on strong relationships and connecting people.

"We are relational people and we need to be in contact with each other, despite everything changing, it's working out how to do that."