THOUSANDS of children are set to take part in the Dunfermline Children's Gala in June after the return of the popular event was confirmed.

Organisers say all but four primary schools in the Dunfermline area have now got the required representatives and are hopeful that volunteers from the remaining ones – Duloch, St Leonards, Pittencrieff and Touch – will come forward too.

The popular fixture in the city's calendar was shelved last year after an unsuccessful appeal for new executive committee members.

New blood has been found following stories run in the Press and the event will now take place on June 24 – the first time it has been held in the Glen since before the pandemic in 2019.

This year's gala will have a theme of 'Cities of the World' as a nod to Dunfermline's recently-granted city status.

Chairperson Gaynor Williamson was delighted with the response and is hoping that parents or carers will come forward from the remaining schools to ensure no-one misses out.

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"We are trying to make sure we reach out and get some connections with people to ensure we don't get to Sunday, June 25, and people say they didn't know about it," she explained.

"We have spoken to them all and the doors are open. It is just a question of getting a bit of inspiration and motivation to get parent volunteers to come forward.

"We are in a place that we will have thousands of kids. Everything is planned. Licenses are coming in to play, there are no road blocks in terms of making it happen.

"We are going to turn to the High Street and ask businesses to have window displays and make it a big community event."

As well as celebrating Dunfermline's newly-awarded city status, the committee are hoping the day will have a green focus.

"We want to make it as sustainable as we can," said Gaynor. "Because the kids are being educated at school, we want to try to bring in sustainability themes and practices in the gala to encourage more positive choices.

"Scotland is about to go to a deposit return scheme and we are trying to design in sustainability in to the gala in line with behaviours we need in the future and in line with what the kids are being taught about."

Anyone wanting to get involved can email committee@dunfermlinegala.com or visit the Dunfermline Children's Gala Facebook page for more information.