Friday September 5th 2025
Food pantry in Bridgend
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Stuart Sommerville
A West Lothian village which has saved its food pantry from closure now hopes to expand services to local people.
New links with food suppliers have been set up and the pantry welcomes around 40 visitors a week in Bridgend.
Local Councillor Pauline Orr paid tribute to the villagers saying the food hub had become a “lifeline offering not just food, but friendship.”
And at this month’s meeting of the Linlithgow ward Local area committee, chair Councillor Sally Pattle praised Councillor Orr for her efforts in helping the voluntary service survive.
Councillor Pattle said: “It really should be recognised how much work you have done to get that up and running, and stable, so thank you so much.”
Douglas Grierson, the council’s Regeneration Team leader told the committee in a report: “Following a number of changes during the year the Food Pantry has stabilised and grown with new local volunteers building its service provision through linking in with Fairshare and Neighbourly. This has helped them to provide a good range of food and support on a regular basis.
“It is important to build on this in relation to ensuring that, where needed, wider partner advice and services can be linked in to the clients.”
Councillor Orr told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “Toward the end of 2024, funding cuts and a drop in volunteers left the service struggling. But villagers Tina and Andy, alongside long-standing volunteer Christine, stepped in to revive the food hub”.
With Cllr Orr’s support, the team re-established links with Neighbourly to secure weekly food donations from M&S, Sainsbury’s, and Aldi. In March 2025, they also opened an account with FareShare, bringing fresh products to local people.
Councillor Orr added: “The hub now welcomes around 40 visitors each week, with queues often forming before opening. It has grown into a lively social space, drawing people from neighbouring villages and offering a friendly point of contact for those who may otherwise feel isolated.”
Looking ahead, the team plans to launch a tool library for gardening and decorating equipment and hopes to host advice sessions from services such as Citizens Advice and The Advice Shop – making support more accessible to the community.
Councillors agreed that many in the village had wanted to create or revitalise large garden areas for growing food but the high cost of buying tools was a barrier- as was tool storage.
Councillor Orr said: “The Bridgend Food Hub has become a lifeline – not just for food, but for friendship and connection. It’s a place where people look out for each other, and I’m proud to support it. With exciting new plans on the horizon, the future for the hub looks very bright.”
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