The Kingdom Of Fife, Scotland

What would make life better?

Having good health would probably top the wish list but it's amazing how many overlook this blessing and place wealth at the top. Increasingly though, there is a link between both with death rates higher in areas of poverty. Greater wealth means better medical care and a more buoyant economy all round. A buoyant economy is a progressive one with good employment opportunities with realistic wages and incomes. Where this is not possible then alternative ideas must be examined in order to seek new ways of saving and wealth creation. That's just one one of the aims of this virtually unique project.

Each and every day, people dispose of goods no longer wanted yet perfectly serviceable and desired by others. A huge amount of this is treated as waste and yet could be recycled for future use. The original owner of the goods could simply photograph the item, decide whether it is for sale or free, write a short description then send an email to FiFeServe along with relevant contact information. In a few hours, we can list this on the website and help both parties acheive mutual satisfaction while helping with the environment too. By attracting local interest, such a system minimises the issue of transport and delivery. In some cases, using this system can avoid charges for pick-up by the local council.

The thorny issues of fuel prices is one we cannot readily avoid and one that affects everyone in the land. In future editions, we'll be presenting practical ideas to help with some of these problems. The entire issue of of our energy dependant World will also bring many surprises and practical ideas.

Big and important questions about accomodation and property are also being researched as part of future editions.

At the heart of this project is a desire to support local people live a better life in Fife at a time when there are increasing uncertainties about the future and how people may be affected by changes they are powerless to avoid. The scope of the project is wide and we encourage the use of local businesses and services listed here as a means to help maintain the local economy. Once again, usage of local skills and labour represent an investment for the community as a whole. By example, using a local plumber means less travel for the plumber, less wear on his vehicle, less pollution and typically lesser cost to the consumer.

The trend towards shopping in larger cities began with the Industrial Revolution and accelerated with the introduction of cheaper forms of transport. In Fife, people of the East Neuk used to regard Anstruther as the local shopping destination for many items. Later, Leven became the popular place to obtain most goods before Kirkcaldy assumed the mantle as the regions major shopping centre. Today, many Fifers flock to the City of Edinburgh on shopping and leisure expeditions. The question is how far this trend can continue. With petrol prices set to soar in coming years, such motoring adventures may prove to be expensive. By any standard, this trend cannot continue and supermarkets already know it. Several are already investing in a new breed of electric powered delivery van - a sure sign that they recognise how car ownership may have reached its peak and how increasing costs of ownership might actually decline in future years. In their eyes, Internet shopping is the future but the fulfillment of such shopping still demands economical forms of delivery. Our Business Ideas column might be of interest to some people in Fife.

Of course, FifeServe isn't a political platform of any persuasion. It isn't an online magazine or blog yet contains some elements of both. It isn't a business directory or reference guide yet once again it contains elements of both. Overall, it is hard to determine the limits of a community website like FifeServe because it will be readers, sponsors and the local community who eventually determine its final aims, usefulness and success.

This is a website where active participation of the community is encouraged. During this first phase, we are compelled to be careful insomuch that we want to avoid legal hassles based on unfounded allegations or lies. Nevertheless, we are keen to invite writers located in Fife whose ideas might be worthy of note to others in the community. We are planning an online forum in the future but this is reliant upon community involvement during this initial stage.

FifeServe is an incredibly complex project not easily described within a few sentences.

Shakespeare described the road ahead as the 'undiscovered country' and in many ways, his wisdom holds true today albeit suggesting total ignorance of the future. By contrast, we might challenge this concept since all futures take root in the present and according to present circumstances. Some patterns of the future can thus be predicted with reasonable accuracy. Investors carry out such examination each and every day before making big monetary decisions. The question is how to make use of this knowledge or even attempt to influence the future in some way. What needs to be done now to make life easier in the future? What kind of questions should we be asking now? We've listed a few but perhaps there are many more.

The Wealth of Nations

The establishment of the Welfare State in the United Kingdom has long been envied by many other nations of the World. At it's heart is the National Health Service, the fourth largest employer in the World with just slightly less numbers of people than the Chinese Army! It is a tribute to the NHS that, despite major changes and advancements in medicine, the organisation still provides medical care at point of need without charge. This has been acheived by continual investment by governments of all persausions. Money that came from taxation. Over many years, the Welfare State has burgeoned in size and commitment. The amount of money given in benefits to many families adds up to a colossal sum again raised by various forms of taxation. It says a lot that few other countries have adopted a Welfare State System of this kind on account of the huge levels of taxation needed to support it.

Of course, this is fine during times of economic boom but when incomes stagnate or fall in real terms, income tax levels fall and indirect taxation on expenditure rises. To combat the extremes of low wages, the government introduced a minimum wage but this has barely changed since its introduction. For a family of four, with a single wage earner, it has become more attractive to remain home and register as unemployed than take work based on the minimum wage. Taxation based on fuel prices means everyone pays more tax and as explained elsewhere on this web site, hits the household budget in several undesirable ways. It's a really tricky equation facing future governments of this country but also tricky and harder for many more people living in Britain.

In this post industrial era, good well paid jobs are typically hard to find and especially for middle-aged and older residents. Call centres have supplanted factories as the major employers in many areas but typical incomes from these establishments is usually a fraction of what skilled men and women used to earn. Some of the better paid and more secure jobs relate to government administration and the Welfare State. In these kind of jobs, pensions are typically included whereas business has other priorities. Pension companies can no longer promise the kind of returns once taken for granted. Like other investors, they rely on making good business decisions within industry to get the kind of return needed to pay out pensions. The lack of such opportunities was the reason why some people felt they could do better by buying up local properties then renting them out to people who could not afford to buy. The 'Rent-To-Buy' boom accelerated house prices and exacerbated an already difficult problem. The accomodation problem started when council properties were sold off at discount prices with central government pocketing the revenue. No new council houses were built as a consequence.

Radical Solutions?

At FifeServe, we're keen to encourage people to think 'outside of the box' and suggest ideas both large and small that might proove to be interesting to many people. We're keen to hear of money-saving tips readers use on a regular basis and any advice and experience that readers can share to mutual benefit. We're looking for both practical and theoretical avenues potentially making life better in Fife. We're talking about how to recycle more, spend less and how we can move forward as a community with less reliance on outside resources. We're talking about how to improve opportunity in the region no matter how crazy your idea might sound. Maybe you have a business idea and need a little help to get it recognised in the region. We can help with that! We're keen on the idea of local people using local businesses because it makes more sense in the longer term than hiring 'national quick fit' operators who typically profit at the expense of smaller local operators and who have less vested interest in the region. At this time of writing, we already have a number of interesting cases that highlight the difference of attitude between working and living in the community and outside contractors. The difference we discovered in many cases is staggering!

To get a flavour of what we hope to acheive, consider the following questions and consider what advice you might offer based on your personal experience. They're mere samples but maybe you can offer useful insight and help. If so, we'd like to hear from you.

Business and Enterprise!
Property Prices - A Better Way?
Better Jobs and More Money?
Transportation and Delivery Issues!
Dealing with Debt!
Energy Prices, Waste and Environment!
Products and Services You Would Recommend!
Money Saving Tips!

The list could go on but the ultimate shape of this complex project will ultimately be determined by you and other readers. Circumstance and editorial restrictions will also play a part. Our decision to make FifeServe an Internet based resource means no paper or chemicals are used in its production and an ability to change and update information on a more regular basis. We want you to be part of a similar revolution and help us pave the way through what may be a difficult future for many people.