Media Release: A great place to live, work, visit and invest – promoting Fife at The Open

FIFE’S social, cultural, commercial and political champions gathered at The Open Championship in St Andrews to celebrate and promote Fife as a great place for living, working, visiting and investing.

The Promoting Fife event marked the start of a programme of promotional activities taking place within the Welcome to Fife Pavilion designed to celebrate and showcase Fife’s unique features and capabilities – the characteristics which define Fife and which serve to position the region as a location of choice and a great place to live, work, visit and invest.

Among the celebrated audience gathered to promote Fife were Hollywood actor and local hero, Dougray Scott, and the legendary Jim Leishman, both of whom delivered inspirational and personal reflections on what Fife means to them and how Fife has helped shape and define them as individuals.

Jim Leishman, general manager, Dunfermline Athletic FC, commented: “It was an honour and a privilege to speak at The Open.

“As a passionate Fifer, I am extremely proud to call Fife home. The Open and the Welcome to Fife Pavilion are fantastic for Fife and will show the rest of the world what a great place Fife is and what Fife has to offer. The Coastal Path, the East Neuk, Fife’s people and Fife’s personality. It’s an unique and wonderful place.”

Dougray Scott reinforced this sentiment, adding: “I am a huge fan. I love Fife. The journey across the bridges is fantastic and coming home to Fife brings me a serenity and a calmness like nowhere else. I am extremely proud of my Fife roots.

“Fife instilled me with a determination and a robustness which has served me well throughout my career – a career which was nurtured and developed in Fife – at Lochgelly Youth Theatre and Kirkcaldy College.

Also in attendance at the event were influential stakeholders drawn from the Fife business community and from across the Fife partnership including representatives from Fife Constabulary, NHS Fife and Fife’s further and higher education sector.

Commenting on the value of the event and paying respect to the gathered audience, leader of Fife Council’s Administration, Councillor Peter Grant, added: “The Open is one of the world’s largest and most prestigious sporting events.

“As well as a boost to our tourism industry and economy, The Open shines an international spotlight on Fife providing a fantastic opportunity to show the world what the region is capable of and all that it has to offer.

“We are fully aware of how great Fife is, this event and promoting Fife, is about telling the rest of the world. We are delighted that so many people from across Fife’s public and private sectors joined us to support the promotion of Fife as a great place to live, work, visit and invest.’

Notes to Editors:

 Universally known as the home of golf; and home to the world-famous Old Course, the R&A, and the British Golf Museum, Fife is recognised as a global centre of golfing excellence.

 A Fife Golf Alliance is under proposal to oversee the development, management and promotion of a fully integrated Fife golf product.

 2010 is Fife’s Year of Culture. Fife Council is co-ordinating this ambitious year-long programme of events and opportunities which aims to raise awareness in Fife, Scotland and beyond of Fife’s special gifts while broadening access to, and participation in, cultural activities and experiences for all.

 Promoting Fife is a place marketing initiative that has created an overarching framework to inform Fife’s external marketing and promotion. The marketing initiative is charged with developing a competitive identity for Fife that will help raise awareness of Fife and create a preferred perception and understanding of Fife as a great place to live, work, visit and invest – reflecting the vision of Fife presented within the Community Plan.

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Contact: Frances Chisholm
Phone: 08451 555 555 Ext 44 26 89
Email: frances.chisholm@fife.gov.uk
Website: http://www.welcometofife.com