Scottish charity raises £55,000 to improve disability access at local football stadium
The Dunfermline Athletic Disabled Supporters Club (DADSC) has raised £55,000 to allow wheelchair users and those with reduced mobility to enjoy facilities within the first floor of KDM Group East End Park.
East End Park, Dunfermline Athletic’s football ground in Fife, currently named KDM Group East End Park for sponsorship purposes, is a football stadium.
The vision of the DADSC is to allow those who use a wheelchair or reduced mobility to have access to facilities within the stadium’s main stand such as Legends Bar, the Charlie D’s supporters bar, and the Rennie Suite, all of which are located on an upper level.
DADSC Secretary John Simpson said: “There are significant challenges in designing and building any new facilities, especially with the current inflation trends in the construction industry.
“We will probably need to raise additional money beyond our initial £55,000 target, so we’ll continue to work closely with DAFC Ltd, and Pars United EEP Ltd (the stadium owners), to develop a solution that allows all Pars fans to enjoy all the facilities of KDM Group East End Park.”
Contributions from the wider West Fife community, including organisations such as the Arnold Clark Foundation; Benefact Group; Co-operative Group; and the Green Hall Foundation, which awarded £4,000 to the DADSC last month, helped ensure the target was met.
Additionally, donations from supporters and initiatives such as sponsored walks, dances, quizzes, band performances, auctions, merchandise, videos, car boot sales, awareness days, bucket collections, and goods for sale, including a boat, also helped the DADSC reach its target.
DADSC now hopes to raise a further £20,000 towards the project.
DADSC is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO), which was revived in 2016 after being founded in 2007, when it was originally set up to organise travel to away games and to give disabled supporters a voice.
Recently, disability charity Disability Equality Scotland held a webinar to look for members to join the new access panel in Moray, Scotland, to help promote inclusive design and accessibility in the area.