West Lothian Eco Gathering – book your place

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We’re looking forward to bringing all our group and individual members together for the third West Lothian Eco Gathering. This will be a chance to meet diverse community organisations all doing something, large or small, to improve West Lothian’s environment, natural resources and amenities for those living and working here.

This will include plans to expand local energy generation, make travel less reliant on cars and fuel, growing more food locally and helping to reduce cost of living when it comes to home energy, food, clothes and household items. Giving people the skills to improve what’s around them is also what the Network is key to.

Helping the region become more resilient to the impact of climate change has numerous community benefits, from improving the supply of affordable energy and food, better land, water and air quality, and implementing flood mitigation measures. Come along and hear what’s been happening to improve West Lothian’s green and blue spaces, make community-owned energy a reality and expand the circular economy. All of these things are making a real difference in West Lothian.

The programme for the day will be finalised shortly. In the meantime, please register for attendance. Entry is free and will include a light lunch and refreshments.

A note of the location and time is: West Lothian Eco Gathering, 10am-3pm, Friday 17 April, 2026, Howden Park Centre, Livingston.

Book free training for carbon literacy

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We’re offering free training through the Carbon Literacy Project. Upskill your knowledge and expertise in how to reduce carbon emissions. This could be applied in the home, at work or anywhere in the community. You’ll get a certificate of accreditation. Choose from an evening or afternoon session in Bathgate or Linlithgow.

Carbon Literacy Project® provides relevant climate change learning that encourages positive action to reduce emissions. It aims to make this learning accessible so you can become certified as carbon literate.
Beyond small personal changes, carbon literacy emphasises the need for significant change. It empowers individuals to create a wider impact, no matter the setting.
The course is accessible, motivating, and tailored to West Lothian. In addition to the session, you will receive some reading and quizzes to complete in your own time.
Training sessions are on Thursday 7 August, 5-9pm at the Bathgate Partnership Centre or Wednesday 13 August, 1-5pm at the Lowport Centre, Linlithgow. To book either session follow this link.

Join us for river walk

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Come along for a sociable walk along the River Almond on Sunday, 17 August, 11.30am-1,30pm at Almondell & Calderwood Country Park. Meet at the visitor centre for a walk with stops. Celebrate the biodiversity and heritage of the River Almond, learn about some of the issues facing it and how they are being tackled, meet those working to improve the region’s beautiful aquatic nature lifeline.

With Friends of Almondell & Calderwood Country Park, River Almond Action Group and others. No need to book, but get in touch if you have questions.
This will be followed by a pollinator workshop (2pm-4pm) by Buglife Scotland and Almond Valley Nature Action, for which you’ll need to book your spot. See more details and booking link for the workshop.

 

Climate Conversations

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Last September we invited residents in Bathgate to determine their local climate priorities. With community transport the top area for action (voted by 81% of attendees), followed by climate education focusing on green space (71%), then by community energy (53%), there is plenty to work on.

The next steps for these priorities will be discussed during Climate Conversations. A series of these events will travel around West Lothian localities. These mini-gatherings are your chance to get involved in local action to improve your area’s resources and help the planet. It could be flooding and pollution, cleaning up green spaces, helping nature and biodiversity, access to more local fresh food, sustainable transport, community owned energy and cheaper, greener power sources. What matters in your area?

Linlithgow will host the first Climate Conversation. See event details for the evening, on 26 May. The following week we’ll return to Bathgate to take the next steps there.

Community energy – join the webinar on 7 May

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We’re partnering with Local Energy Scotland for a webinar and workshop on community energy and developing your own sites – Wednesday 7 May. 

The morning session, 10am-noon, will cover support and funding available to communities to develop renewable energy generation and storage systems with a special focus on solar PV roof and ground-mounted systems. Hear from Local Energy Scotland and other experts. 

The afternoon session, 2pm-4pm, will be an interactive workshop on the ‘dos and don’ts’ of developing community solar systems; gathering information on target sites collectively or individually for development in 2025/26 and beyond. Also how to form a joint action plan to take ambitions to the next stage. 

We are keen to hear from local community organisations with buildings or land in West Lothian who are interested in developing solar PV systems. Others welcome, including local businesses, fellow climate action hubs, or related groups. 

To sign up and for more information email Neil Barnes – neil@wlcan.scot.

Network celebrates a year of climate action

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WLCAN’s members gathered to look back at the Hub’s first year and plan where we’re going next. The Annual Network Gathering took place on Friday 21 February at Howden Park Centre, Livingston. In total 26 organisations were represented, along with individuals involved in community gardens and environmental work. Social enterprises who champion sustainable practice also attended along with West Lothian’s further education, local authority waste education team, and advisers for business and the environment.

WLCAN’s chairperson Ruth Plevin introduced the event. The programme included a promotional video commissioned to tell the story of WLCAN’s first year. Development worker Jocelyn Lockhart presented a report of the Hub and Network’s progress and director Graham Clark announced the third Eco Development Fund Awards.

The audience participation app Slido was used to gather information on WLCAN’s performance and priorities. There was a ‘fishbowl discussion’ with participants given a chance to air their ideas to the room on how to make WLCAN a success. Guest speaker John Keogh from Livingston-based The Ootsider described how he set up a community interest company from scratch to manufacture clothing sustainably. Youth drama group Firefly Arts gave a short performance on the climate theme before the event was closed by WLCAN Treasurer Donald Stavert.

Around this programme, the 47 stallholders and delegates had the chance to network and share ideas for how to help each other, from offering digital expertise on social media to sharing physical resources.

The outcomes of the Gathering are being discussed and will be developed into firm plans. Early ideas include setting up a shared platform where members can connect directly with each other to ask for things to help their projects.

Annual members’ gathering – 21 February

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We’re gathering on 21 February to mark WLCAN’s first year. This member groups’ event will be at Howden Park Centre in Livingston where we held our launch. Network members will showcase their work and meet each other, decide on WLCAN’s priorities for the coming year and hear speakers.  There is the opportunity to host a stall or to visit as a delegate. If you’d like to know more get in touch.

 

Winter energy advice

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It was great to hold our first energy drop in session this week and the next one is in Whitburn on Monday 2 December, with two sessions – 10am-2pm and 4pm-8pm at Whitburn Community Education Centre. We’re visiting communities across the region over winter to deliver advice on how to save money on energy and heating bills, and install insulation and draught-proofing. We’re also running climate action workshops to promote understanding of the links between energy use and climate change. We’ll publicise all  these events on social media, website and newsletters as well as in communities.

Water event – a deluge of concerns that need action now

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West Lothian Water Confluence, hosted with River Almond Action Group, provided a close focus on pollution, contamination and the causes of flooding. Many thanks to those from the spheres of environmental science, angling, community action groups and citizens who attended, along with Bathgate and Linlithgow’s MP Kirsteen Sullivan, and to River Almond Action Group – RAAG for organising the event in Linlithgow on 28 September. Our report is ready to take forward – and to – relevant bodies. The pollution of waterways and sources simply must be addressed, and urgently.

Participants voted for three key actions: to create a vision for clean water in Scotland; better regulation and enforcement; to achieve accountability. The conference and outcomes are detailed in the report, which is available here.

In addition, the report for the Bathgate Summit on Climate earlier in September is available here.  This is the summary report, for the fuller one please email info@wlcan.scot

 

Bathgate Climate Summit – report now available

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Residents and community groups in Bathgate attended a summit to help formulate an action plan for climate change locally. The event took place at Boghall Church Hall on Tuesday, 3 September, where some of Bathgate’s people decided the climate priorities for the town. WLCAN will use the action template for other locations across the region to formulate plans tailored to each area. The short summary report is available here. For the full report please email info@wlcan.scot. Keep an eye on our news section and social media for where we’re heading next – or if you would like your town or village to host us to hear residents’ climate concerns, get in touch.

WLCAN is also helping to gather stories to map evidence that shows the impact of climate related events on communities.  We’re collaborating in Climate Ready South East Scotland with the charity Sniffer and five other climate action hubs. Stories are being collected onto a national map – you can add yours here: Climate map.