Lidl Broxburn East Mains St

The Larder is committed to creating a more equal and just Scotland through the alternative economic model of social enterprise and calling for a Scotland without poverty, where everyone has the opportunity to achieve their full potential and the right to food is enshrined in Scots law. We are a social enterprise that combats poverty and hunger, through 4 key strands: • Training and employability - for young people and adults who experience complex and multiple barriers to reaching their full potential. • Social food - providing dignified responses to food insecurity and making sure no-one in West Lothian goes hungry • Enterprise - developing enterprise projects that create solutions to social problems, improving life chances through the creation of living wage jobs for disadvantaged individuals and generating surplus to support the charitable aims of the organisation. • Campaigning - working with other charities to call on Governments for systemic changes that will eradicate poverty in Scotland. It is out mission to empower the most disadvantaged children, young people, adults and communities to improve their life chances, through access to learning and good food.

The project explicitly aims to support young people aged 10-25 years from West Lothian who find themselves disadvantaged and in need of support. Our approach is a holistic and responsive service to young people and the communities they live in. The mission statement of the charity is as follows: "Your choice, your chance, your future, offering young people the chance to advance." Young people may be at risk of, or involved in crime, experiencing difficulties within the education system, unemployed, have problems with substance use, experience emotional or relationship difficulties. Or they simply wish to engage in constructive action and new opportunities to improve their personal circumstances and communities. The Youth Action Project engages with those young people who are isolated from mainstream youth services, through its detached youth work, early intervention, groupwork programmes, youth committees and other services. It also provides West Lothian Council and other interested bodies with the issues and concerns of young people who might not otherwise be heard. We have experienced many changes during the history of the organisation, adapting to the needs of young people in our society today. Recently we have seen a downward trend in mental health issues for young people, often triggered by Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES). Our organisation is fundraising in many different ways to purchase resources, training materials and costs for accreditation, to develop volunteer opportunities and to ensure that we can continue to deliver our vital services for some of our most disadvantaged young people in West Lothian. Examples of our services include: • Detached streetwork, which engaged 3435 young people last year, providing support advice, and information on many topics affecting young people. • Music project – Informal and tuition sessions for many young people who do not get the opportunity to study music at school and whose families cannot afford private tuition. • Befriending service – trained volunteers support young people who are often some of the most vulnerable in West Lothian. • Youth work drop-in facilities – locally based youth drop-ins where young people can meet and socialise safely and develop new skills from the opportunities offered. • Tooled Up – landscape and garden training for young people who are involved in our intensive groupwork and practical skills programmes. The outcomes we aim to achieve with our participants include the following: • Reduced involvement in crime • Increased involvement in positive activities • Take up of new opportunities, education, training & employment. • Improved attendance at school • Reduced risk taking behaviour • Increased involvement with other youth service providers • Increased number of those involved in volunteering • Improved level of mental health and wellbeing • Increased levels of self confidence We help many young people to find worthwhile paths for their lives

Community Fridge committed to reducing food waste and bringing the village together in the spirit of neighborly sharing