Sports charity’s chosen
The Centre pick fab cause
The Centre, Livingston has officially announced its affiliated Charity of the Year 2018.
The mall has chosen to support the West Lothian Youth Foundation (WLYF), which runs various sports programmes for around 800 people aged two to 92 every week.
The charity also runs the Fit4Life project to encourage young people who are homeless or who have mental health issues to take up sport and other activities to help improve their lives.
WLYF was chosen by the mall following an appeal to find a new charity to take over the reins of the previous charity, Team Jak Foundation, who raised £ 17k from kind- hearted shoppers and donations from The Centre management team, including complimentary mall space for an extended period of two years.
It was set up in 2012 to promote health and educational development through sporting activities and initiatives in venues including community ha l l s, schools and Livingston FC stadium.
In the past year around 40,000 people in the commu n i t y have taken part in their programmes including their primary school futsal, reminiscence, walking football and Sporting Chances programmes.
T h e s e w e re all created to enable the charity to reach every part of the community various projects have been created to ensure sport and guidance on health and well-being is accessible and affordable for everyone.
The Fit4Life project, which costs £ 10,000 per year to run, is aimed at 16 to 24- year- olds who face complex barriers in daily life when entering employment and undertaking education or training.
It is a free 12- week programme aimed at encouraging participants to engage in healthy lifestyle activities including football coaching sessions and qualifications, cycling event s, health and fitness classes, weight management and cookery classes
As part of the partnership with The Centre, Livingston, the charity will be invited to host four events throughout the year to help raise funds and awareness in the mall.
Ashley Bisland, deputy centre director at The Centre, said: “West Lothian Youth Foundation really stood out for us when we were choosing our charity for 2018.
“Th e i r w o r k to encourage people of all ages and walks of life in the community to be healthy in mind and body is commendable.
“We are really looking forward to supporting them throughout the year and helping them in any way we can to raise awareness and muchneeded funds to be able to continue to run their weekly clubs and Fit4Life project.”
Scott Millar, general manager of the West Lothian Youth Foundation, added: “We are absolutely delighted to be appointed as The Centre’s affiliated charity this year. Our aim is to use this fantastic opportunity to raise much-needed funds to be able to continue running sports clubs for people of all ages and abilities in West Lothian and for our Fit4Life project.”
WL Youth Foundation really stood out