West Lothian Foodbank

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world."

This quote from Anne Frank is one of several on the walls of the West Lothian Foodbank headquarters in Bathgate. It captures one very real aspect of their work – when someone runs out of food, it’s an emergency that can be relieved with an immediate action that any of us can help with, such as popping in a food donation for the foodbank next time we’re shopping.

I visited the Foodbank’s large premises in Bathgate to speak with CEO Kathleen Neilly and learn how this extraordinary operation works.

“When I started working at the Foodbank in 2014, when someone received the benefits payment they were entitled to, most of the problems would be solved,” says Kathleen. “Now though, it doesn’t work like that. People are getting all the benefits they are entitled to but it’s not enough.”

The West Lothian Foodbank has been in action for 14 years. In common with many others in the UK, it’s part of the Trussell Trust network and is an emergency service to help people through crisis - the majority of their clients need them only once or twice before they get back on track. But those occasions make a huge difference. When you’re hungry, it’s impossible to think about anything else, and taking steps to get out of the situation becomes even more difficult. Adults struggle to make decisions, children can’t concentrate at school, and the long term implications are worse.

For many people, the tipping point is a single event such as an unexpected bill, illness or a delayed payment. The Trussell Trust and Rowntree Foundation calculate that Universal Credit does not cover the basic essentials for living including rent, energy, food, toiletries and saving up for clothes. There are long delays in getting some benefits payments.

For many people, the tipping point is a single event such as an unexpected bill, illness or a delayed payment.

In the past year (2025/26) the West Lothian Foodbank has supported over 6000 people with emergency food. “We make time for a cup of tea, treating people with dignity and connecting them to the wider support they need to address the underlying causes of their crisis,” explains Kathleen. “If someone is in a situation where they are needing emergency food more than a couple of times, we follow up to find out what their challenges are and to sign-post to other services that will help with their long-term situation.”

Nine distribution centres throughout West Lothian are served by the Foodbank’s large headquarters, warehouse and substantial vegetable garden in Bathgate, where food donations are divided into parcels for five-days worth of emergency food for individuals and families. There are distribution centres in Whitburn, Broxburn, Armadale, Linlithgow, Bathgate, Boghall, Dedridge, Deans and Craigshill. Referrals for emergency food are made via various agencies including the Advice Shop, Citizen's Advice Bureau and Social Work.

At the warehouse, rows and rows of boxes, packets and cans of all sorts are stacked neatly, having been organised by volunteers who sort all incoming donations and make up standard parcels. These are then customised for the individual recipient as the referrals come in. Besides food, each emergency parcel that West Lothian Foodbank sends out includes soap and toilet paper (“I insist on this because I think that is just essential” says Kathleen) and other items as necessary including other toiletries and baby supplies. All dietary requirements are accommodated.

“Our busiest time is January because when it’s cold and heating bills are higher, sometimes there is just not enough money for both heating and food. I always worry about the more mature people sitting at home wondering if they should heat or eat. I also worry about the mum who has a few jobs but gets a big energy bill through the door,” says Kathleen.

Unique in Scotland in terms of the scale of the operation, West Lothian Foodbank has a substantial garden adjacent to the warehouse in Bathgate. It has 335 raised beds, three poly tunnels, 100 fruit trees and much more. “I just wanted to be able to give folk fresh food too,” explains Kathleen, “and when we moved to this premises five years ago we inherited with it a large, dirty yard. Putting two and two together, we took the plunge and had it cleared out and the ground prepared for food production.”

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  Seating area in the West Lothian Foodbank vegetable garden

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  Fruit trees at the West Lothian Foodbank garden

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  Fresh salad and veg in the West Lothian Foodbank polytunnel

Head gardener Clarissa is assisted by a team of volunteers to keep the food production flowing. It was bursting with colour and flavour when I visited in August, heading into the busiest harvest time. It has a seating areas and is fully wheelchair accessible, and so, more than a productive garden, it’s a lovely environment to bring a cup of tea and chat.

“I love this time of year when you see people harvesting in the garden in the morning and produce goes straight into the food parcels and is with people that afternoon. It can’t get any fresher, with no air miles or chemicals.”

The fresh produce going into the food parcels illustrates the above-and-beyond ethos at the West Lothian Foodbank, and the genuine care to give people the best possible support. While it’s not a long-term solution to poverty, it’s an excellent emergency service which relies on the generosity of volunteers and donors – see the side box for how you can help!

“While there are still hungry people in our community, we will keep fighting on” Kathleen Neilly

Donate Food!

Any donation, however small, makes a difference! Add one item to your next shop. They always need: tinned meat, tinned potatoes, tinned custard, tinned fruit, tea bags, hand soap and toilet paper.

There are drop-off points in some supermarkets – check for the ones that are specifically for the West Lothian Foodbank. You can also drop off in Bathgate at the address below.

Please visit westlothian.foodbank.org.uk/support-us/donate-food for more details.

Volunteer!

Gardening, sorting incoming donations, delivery driving, helping in the Whitburn charity shop – the Foodbank is a large operation which relies on volunteers. If you fancy working in the garden, the warehouse, charity shop or out on the road, there is a role for you.

Visit the website at westlothian.foodbank.org.uk and follow the link to volunteer

Monetary donations

With the cost of food constantly rising, food donations don’t always keep up with demand and the Foodbank has to purchase basic items on a regular basis. You can make a monetary donation via the website at westlothian.foodbank.org.uk and click on “£ Donate”

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West Lothian Foodbank, 36A Inchmuir Road, Whitehill Industrial Estate, Bathgate, EH48 2EP

westlothian.foodbank.org.uk

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Published in Konect September 2026

Author: Helen-Jane Gisbourne