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THE VENNIE WHICH HAS SERVED HUNDREDS OF CHILDREN IN KNIGHTSRIDGE SINCE IT WAS FIRST SET UP 16 YEARS AGO HOPES TO DEVELOP NEW BENEFITS TO YOUNGSTERS IN THE HARD HIT AREA. 16:36, 04 Jun 2025 A

Livingston community venture which provides a base for youth groups and a well used Food Outlet has secured almost £50,000 of new funding. The Vennie which has served hundreds of children

in Knightsridge since it was first set up 16 years ago hopes to develop new benefits to youngsters in the hard hit area. The youth club has seen a surge in the number of youngsters joining

in the last year with almost 250 signing up. Jen McCusker, the youth co-ordinator who was appointed along with new trustees last August said a redrawn timetable enabled the Vennie to offer

two clubs a week to youngsters from primary age up to 17. Alongside sports there are art and drama clubs as well as practical skills courses. READ MORE: Look who it isnae as Still Game star

Boabby heads for West Lothian theatre stage The venture has now secured an award of £14,000 of funding for two years from the National Lottery’s Community Fund to develop their bike project.

The funding will allow the Vennie to hire a Bike Library Technician to develop and manage a new bike lending scheme as well as run bike maintenance classes and encourage cycling and skills

development. Article continues below The Vennie is also converting the office within its building to a library/sensory room. At the Mosswood Community Centre where the Vennie runs its

successful Food Outlet, volunteers are supporting young people from Ogilvie School Campus to open and run the cafe on Friday mornings. Julie Henderson who runs the Food Outlet told the Local

Democracy Reporting Service that the outlet would also see the return of a benefits advice officer. READ MORE: West Lothian’s Voluntary Sector Gateway hosting social enterprise informal

session The Vennie has also been successful in applying for funding through the Third Sector Community Support Fund, securing an award of £33,157 which will run from July 2025 - June 2026.

The group had previously received two-year funding from the TSCSF for the period of July 2023 - June 2025. The funding will be used to support the core work of the project including the Food

Outlet, community garden, bike library and youth programmes. A report to the Livingston North Local Area Community by the council’s Community regeneration Officer Scott McKillop added:

“This recognises the Vennie as a community anchor organisation for Knightsridge and wider Livingston North, and their capacity to develop community responses to local needs.” Alongside Jen

McCusker, the Vennie boosted its team of trustees to include former local MP Hannah Bardell. Another long term supporter of both the youth club and Food Outlet is local SNP councillor Andrew

Miller. READ MORE: Construction work progressing well at high school in West Lothian with problematic aerated concrete The Vennie also celebrated a major boost last Autumn with the opening

a new kitchen in their youth club supplied with an £8,000 donation from supermarket chain Morrisons Chairing the local area committee. Councillor Anne McMillan said: “It’s fantastic about

the Vennie getting the £14,000 for the bike library. Well done. “We had a presentation from the Vennie team not that long ago and it was fantastic, so it’s great to see they are getting

rewarded for the effort they are putting in there.” Article continues below DON'T MISS THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE WEST LOTHIAN COURIER. SIGN UP TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER HERE.