A West Lothian group has been shortlisted for Charity of the Year at the Scottish Charity Awards.
Operating as a social enterprise, The Larder supports young people and adults through employability and food insecurity projects in West Lothian.
The Scottish Charity Awards celebrate the best of Scotland’s voluntary sector.
The Larder are finalists in the Charity of the Year category, for organisations that have had an exceptional year and showcased excellence in their impact.
The Larder was founded in 2010 and registered as a charity in 2011, hoping to combat rising youth unemployment in West Lothian - their ability to use food as a catalyst for social change has been lauded by professionals in the third sector.
The Larder saw a year of growth in 2021 despite the pressure put on them by the pandemic - welcoming seven new employees, becoming a Living Wage employer, and being recognised for five awards in just one year.
Winning the Newcomer Award for Living Wage Scotland, coming ‘Highly Commended’ in the SURF Awards Youth Employability Category, and were named Charity of the Year in Social Enterprise Scotland’s Awards.
The Larder were able to continue their services in 2021, engaging with 212 young people through employability training - as well as supporting 427 food insecure individuals with the delivery of meal support.
Angela Moohan, CEO at The Larder said: “It’s very humbling being nominated for these awards as it recognises the hard work of the whole team who have worked incredibly hard to support so many people in West Lothian living in poverty and experiencing multiple and complex barriers.
“Our team have been innovative and developed new partnerships to ensure that we have been able to continue our support.
“Being a finalist for these awards has given us even more encouragement to continue developing our projects and working with our community.”
This year’s shortlist includes 44 individuals and organisations from charities and voluntary groups across the country.
While a judging panel will determine the winners under nine distinct categories, members of the public can have their say by voting for their favourite overall entry in the People’s Choice Award.
The Larder will be listed as a choice in the People’s Choice Award, where locals will be able to vote for the West Lothian charity by visiting scvo.scot/vote before 5pm on Friday 20 May.
The 2022 Scottish Charity Awards winners will be announced on June 15 at an awards ceremony hosted by BBC’s Sally Magnusson at Glasgow’s Crowne Plaza hotel.
To find out more about The Larder’s services, you can head to their social media pages @LarderTraining or their website www.thelarder.org.
Don't miss the latest news from the West Lothian Courier. Sign up to our free newsletter here https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/newsletter-preference-centre/
