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.

Job vacancy

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We are recruiting for a Development Worker to join the team. This is a fixed term post until 31st March 2027 with possible extension subject to funding. Flexible 18-35 hours. Applications close on Sunday 8 March and interviews will take place the week commencing 16 March.

For more information and the application pack visit Goodmoves.

 

Eco Development Fund 5 awards

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We’re delighted to announce our fifth Eco Development Fund has been disbursed across 14 bidders. A total of £10,715 has been spread across groups to help new projects or further develop others. These include circular economy work to extend the life of textiles and clothing; installing solar power systems to improve food productivity and community meeting places; creating wildlife habitats and flood adaptation; regenerative work for bat habitats; rain capture systems and expanding more community gardens.

Read the summaries of awards here.

Visit Eco Development Fund page for full list of all our allocated funding to date.

 

New year updates

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We’ve really enjoyed seeing the work of the network develop and thrive. These grassroots projects are making tangibly made a difference across communities. Our first event of 2026 was a circular economy meet-up in time for the Scottish Government’s Draft Circular Economy Strategy. 

It was great to hear from network member groups working in circular economy, Polbeth Community Hub, Stoneyburn and Bents Future Vision Group and 1st Step Development. There are great projects to keep clothing out of landfill, share surplus food from retailers and teaching communities skills to make new items out of textiles and cook more. Find these groups on our members page.

Don’t worry if you missed this event – circular economy is one of the themes in which we will regularly be bringing groups together. Watch out for the next one or get in touch if you’d like to know more.

The Circular Economy consulation (closing 13 January) is being swiftly followed by the government’s Draft Climate Change Plan (closing 29 January). Please take part and shape Scotland’s response to climate change. You can find details and respond on Your Voice.

One other early new year update – apply for the next Eco Development Fund – deadline is on 18 January. More information and the application form can be found here.

 

 

Eco Fund 5 open

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New funding will be available for your climate projects in the new year. The application deadline is 5pm on Sunday 18 January, with £10,000 to be issued across eligible projects which must be spent by 31 March. There will be a quick turnaround, so the form is available now. It includes guidelines for applying. If you haven’t applied before, to help you get started, look at how funding has been distributed previously, and what climate impacts are being targeted. Visit Eco Development Fund page, from where you can access the application form, which is also available through the link below.

What makes a good bid?

● Demonstrate climate impact and clear benefit to community
● Show match funding effort, and wider support base
● Joint bids with other members or community groups; shared resources
● Projects that can evolve and feed to new work – stretch what’s being funded
● Detailed costings that show commitment to local climate action
● Tips for future bids – attend our Q&A. Read guidance notes on form

Download the application form here. If you are not a member and wish to start an application, please join WLCAN through the button at the top right of this page before applying.

You can also scan the QR codes in the graphic for membership joining form and application form.

Eco Fund 4 awards announced

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Read more

CommonWatt – door opens to community energy

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We’re delighted that a bid led by WLCAN to the Community Energy Generation Growth fund has been successful. WLCAN led the bid for funding to explore feasibility for a number of sites across south-east Scotland, and six will now be studied for potential development. These are among a pipeline of over 40 sites that could bring renewable energy generation into the heart of communities, giving them ownership of their own energy sources, and investing surplus earnings back into the area.

WLCAN shares in £20,000 with two other climate hubs for technical assessment of six initial sites. The CommonWatt application includes East Lothian and Midlothian Climate Hubs. Each hub area will have two sites assessed; in West Lothian these will be the Xcite leisure facilities in Linlithgow and Bathgate. It is hoped larger sites, when developed, will form a template for smaller ones.

The bid was led by Neil Barnes. The announcement came as Neil finishes up as Senior Development Worker with WLCAN, with him being offered an exciting opportunity with the Verdancy Group/FEDCAP in the green skills sector. Neil will continue to offer his experience in developing community energy, adding: “I’ll still be volunteering locally for Linlith-Go-Solar/Linlithgow CDT and want to continue to contribute some of my free time to the emerging CommonWatt community energy initiative. We have embarked upon this collective initiative with the other SE Scotland climate hubs and Lothians in particular. We have a growing joint pipeline of some 43 sites. The stars are aligning for a brighter future for community-owned energy.”

Jocelyn Lockhart will now be moving into the role of Senior Development Worker. The team and board are looking forward to working with the external consultant on the funded feasibility studies.

The Community Energy Generation Growth Fund is administered by the Scottish Government’s CARES. Read more about the £5.5 million worth of awards to development community energy across Scotland here.

CommonWatt’s joint announcement is here.

 

 

Climate Week Stories

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We’re marking Scotland’s Climate Week 2025 by celebrating the work of network members.

Broxburn and Uphall Growers’ Society conducted a trial of electroculture, comparing food grown on soil supercharged with natural energy forces against plants with no additional help. The results were impressive despite a year with more challenges from pests, a reduction in pollinators and weather extremes over summer.

The group are one of several in WLCAN looking to address local food supply as well as quality and how it’s grown. Like others involved in nature restoration and flood mitigation, gardeners are the eyes of climate change. See pictures and read observations of the community garden in 2025 from BUGS’ lead grower Helen here.

Read more about how the growing trial was set up with help from our Eco Fund here.

 

St Michael’s RC Church Linlithgow is a local grouping of a global charity Saint Vincent de Paul. WLCAN helped to fund expansion of raised beds to increase produce. The produce from the beds goes directly to the Foodbank, helping to cut food waste and promote community involvement.

Children love helping and it has been made more accessible and efficient in use of water. The garden is thriving thanks to this year’s effective re-routing of water supply, new growing beds and further ones on loan, and starting to make their own compost. Donations of seeds and potatoes from the community show how food growing projects really get people involved and make a difference to the supply of freshly grown food, cutting down transport and emphasising the benefits of seasonal produce grown naturally.

See more of their achievements here

To find out more or get in contact with the church, see its listing on our members’ page.

 

Livingston Community Shed outline their thriving portfolio of activities, which runs from garden that is the focus of a peat-free growing trial, an orchard, furniture repairs and work experience for young people. Passing skills on from one generation to the next is just the start. Read more here.

Learn more about Livingston Shed on our members pages and read how the work has grown since funding with WLCAN’s Eco Development Fund.

Climate Week

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Scotland’s Climate Week this year runs from 29 September to 5 October. We’re celebrating the progress of our network members, who improve communities across West Lothian by growing food, plants and trees, tackling water problems, reducing waste and pursuing green energy. We have a diverse membership of groups who are all contributing to action to mitigate climate change. We’re handing the spotlight to member groups to tell us what they’ve achieved and are working on.

First to be featured, Livingston Community Shed outline their thriving portfolio of activities, which runs from garden that is the focus of a peat-free growing trial, an orchard, furniture repairs and work experience for young people. Passing skills on from one generation to the next is just the start. Read more here.

New Eco Development Fund open

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Got a bright idea for a local climate action project? The WLCAN Eco Development Fund can help it get off the ground. We’ve opened the fourth round of this funding for community projects that tackle climate change. Network members can apply for a share of £20,000 currently available. Applications close on 12 October and those successful will be informed by the end of October. Funding must be spent by 31 March 2026. The application form, which includes guidance notes, must be downloaded, which you can do on our Eco Deveiopment Fund webpage. You must be a member of WLCAN to apply (join with form). We’re very keen to hear from network members who can come up with collaborative projects to establish more shared community resources and practices. We would like to help climate work in West Lothian to become self-sustaining and evolving, with more projects that benefit the local environment and people.