‘Dignity in a bag’: Renewable energy funding helps West Lothian Foodbank grow fresh produce for local people 

A VITAL community food project supporting thousands of people experiencing food insecurity in West Lothian has received new funding to continue operating.  

West Lothian Foodbank SCIO has been awarded £24,453 to support the ongoing development of the West Lothian Foodbank Garden, which grows fresh, seasonal produce for distribution alongside emergency food parcels.

The funding has been provided through the Pates Hill Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund, delivered by Scottish developer OnPath Energy and administered by the West Lothian Development Trust. 

The garden has been described as a local lifeline for people experiencing food insecurity, helping to promote healthier home cooking while also supporting physical and mental wellbeing. It includes 335 raised beds, three commercial-sized polytunnels and almost 100 fruit trees, with the capacity to produce up to 10 metric tonnes of fruit and vegetables each year.  

Kathleen Neilly started volunteering for the foodbank whilst she was recovering from bowel cancer in 2012. She’s now the manager of the project. “If we didn’t have this funding from OnPath Energy then we wouldn’t have a garden. We do a five-day pack of food with the fresh fruit and veg and giving those to somebody is like giving them dignity in a bag,” said Kathleen. 

Located near West Calder, Pates Hill Wind Farm is a 14MW renewable energy project which has been generating electricity since 2010 and provides around £70,000 each year in community benefit funding for local projects. 

The funding helped employ a lead gardener with the skills and experience to create and deliver a food growing plan designed to maximise the garden’s capacity. The lead gardener is supported by a garden assistant, helping ensure the site is well maintained and able to produce as much fresh food as possible. 

Michael Newton, sustainability developer at OnPath Energy, said: “The West Lothian Foodbank Garden is a powerful example of how community funding can deliver practical, meaningful support where it is needed most. 

“By helping the foodbank grow fresh, seasonal produce locally, this project is not only supporting people experiencing food insecurity but also promoting healthier choices, reducing food miles and creating opportunities for volunteers to build skills and confidence. 

“Pates Hill Wind Farm has a long-standing connection with the surrounding communities, and we are proud that its community benefit fund is helping support a project with such wide-ranging social and environmental value. 

“This is exactly what our OnPath Together approach is all about: supporting initiatives which are locally led, rooted in community need and designed to create long-term benefits for people and place.” 

The Foodbank Garden also provides structured volunteering opportunities for people who are furthest from the labour market, helping them develop skills, confidence and experience that can support their journey into work. 

Volunteers play a key role in sowing, growing, harvesting and maintaining the garden, ensuring fresh, nourishing produce reaches local people who need it most. 

In the 2023/24 financial year, West Lothian Foodbank distributed more than 105,000kg of food donations and 6,000kg of fresh produce, supporting more than 8,500 local people experiencing food insecurity. 31% of residents in West Lothian live in areas that fall within Scotland’s three most deprived deciles.  

According to Kathleen, however, people from all backgrounds sometimes rely on the foodbank for help. 

“It really can happen to anybody. I think about the mum that had three teenagers and was working three jobs. She had to pay a big gas bill and it just tipped her over the edge. She came to us before we were even open because she needed food before going to work.  

“Then we’ve had somebody at the door with a Range Rover because they went to work on a Friday and everything was fine, then went back on the Monday and it was boarded up. He said, ‘I know I need to sell my car, I know I need to sell my house, but right now I just need food.’ People just don’t have savings now and it only takes one thing to go wrong.” 

The West Lothian Development Trust (WLDT) was established to administer and manage funding received from wind farm developments in West Lothian. It includes members from communities within 10km of developments, West Lothian Council and wind farm developers. 

June Close, chairperson of the WLDT, said: “The work of the West Lothian Foodbank not only meets all of our own objectives but contributes to part of a national organisation working across the UK to combat hunger and poverty. 

“The project is a great example of a staff-led initiative, supported by business partners and a large network of volunteers and I was delighted to visit and witness first-hand the fantastic work they do. This is a truly inspiring initiative that is making a tangible difference to people’s lives, strengthening the community and providing hope and support to those who need it most.”   

The trust supports projects which relieve poverty, advance education or deliver social benefit, encourage environmental improvement, create employment, support training, promote sustainable development or assist in the provision of renewable energy. 

To find out more about OnPath Energy visit www.onpathenergy.com