Helpful Handlebars

During lockdown, Kirsteen Torrance was redeployed to help run Burntisland Emergency Action Team, in her local community in Fife, Scotland.

Kirsteen, the local community centre and community council came together to develop an emergency response and within 2 weeks she had recruited 60 volunteers ready to help out.

Over the weeks they delivered 400 meals and food parcels across the town, collected and delivered over 250 prescriptions.

Working through the crisis highlighted the harsh reality of how many people live day to day, including one neighbour who reported a man who had been sitting in the dark for six weeks and another family who shared one laptop for five kids trying to get school work done.

The community centre has a bike project that has been overwhelmed with requests for bikes and repairs, following a boom in cycling. Kirsteen, who works for Fife Council as a Cycling Development Officer, and is supported by National Lottery funding to develop cycling in the local area, says she is excited to help lead progress in getting people on their bikes again in Fife.

National Lottery players raise over £30million every week for good causes across the UK. To thank Kirsteen for her heroic efforts during the pandemic, six-time Olympic Champion Sir Chris Hoy surprised her with a zoom call and gifted her with a bike from The National Lottery.