PLANS for a soft play, sensory room and community cafe in Dunfermline could come to fruition by the end of the year.

Fundraising is currently being done for the facility which is set to be added to the Viewfield Baptist Church.

Around £30,000 of the necessary £66,000 has already been raised and those behind the project are targetting a November launch.

As reported last week, a group of Dunfermline mums had contacted the Press calling for soft play and a sensory area in the Kingsgate Centre premises previously occupied by Debenhams.

Their prayers could be answered after the church revealed their plans for a public, affordable play zone with sensory area in their church’s Viewfield Terrace base.

Pete Hutchison, from the church’s leadership team, said it was “heartwarming” to hear that they could be able to fulfill the wishes of local parents.

“During lockdown the fellowship believed that they were being called to develop the premises further for our young families within our community,” he explained.

“To that end,we developed a vision to alter our existing church hall into a community cafe with a sizeable soft play area incorporating a sensory room.

“We started this whole process in 2019 when we got prices in for refurbishing the kitchen in the church hall which will serve the community cafe and soft play. Then came lockdown.

“We got the kitchen refurbished as soon as lockdown lifted the first time then it was late 2021 to get the thing rolling again.

“We found there was an amazing need.

"We have some families within our fellowship who have the need of sensory facilities, both children and adults, and we did some research in the local community.

“We were aware there’s private facilities but in the public domain, there is not. We felt the thing to do was develop this vision.”

Having already secured some funding, the church is currently waiting to hear on grant application bids which will allow the work to progress.

“We are actively trying to raise the funds for it,” added Pete. “We have grant applications out there being considered. We are waiting to see if we hit the criteria.

“At the same time, the fellowship will carry on raising the necessary funding from within but we will need some assistance. Locally, Stephens Bakery have already given us financial assistance so if there are other businesses out there in the community who want to help, it would be great.”

You can contact Pete through the church.