MONEY raised in memory of a Benarty man has been refunded - after it was discovered that he was still alive.
Rumours and posts on social media led the community and family friends of the individual - who we have decided not to name - to believe that he had tragically passed away.
A GoFundMe page was set up and £1800 was quickly raised - a tremendous show of community spirit - but on further investigation SNP councillor Lea McLelland and the GoFundMe organiser discovered that it was all a misunderstanding.
McLelland, who represents the Lochgelly, Cardenden and Benarty ward, told the Central Fife Times: "The fundraiser was started in the event that a funeral may be required and then on the Monday, myself and [the resident] went and spoke to the council, we spoke to the police, the sudden death team in the police, the undertakers and we drew a blank with every one of them."
The man had grown up in Benarty but had moved out of the area and they spent the day looking for any information on what had happened to him.
Luckily they were pointed in the right direction and found their way to a Turkish barbers where a memorial had been set up for the man.
"The guy who worked there confirmed that they had been told he passed, and there was actually a wee shrine," she said.
"There was notes, with RIP on them, and there were flowers."
McLelland was told that the person they were looking for had died in prison.
She continued: "I got home and I emailed the governor of the prison, he phoned me on the Tuesday morning and said ‘I’m not aware that he died, what I am aware of is that he’s in another establishment.’”
The fundraiser had raised £1800 to pay for the funeral of the man, and while it was thankfully not needed, McLelland was blown away by the generosity of locals who came together to say goodbye to one of their own.
She added: "Every single person has now been refunded, even the people that said they didn’t want to be refunded, have been refunded the money they donated.
"I am so proud and want to thank everyone who did donate."
All of the money raised has now been returned and McLelland confirmed that the individual who was believed to be deceased is in fact alive and accounted for.
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