Project: Kidz n Kin Community Services
Social Enterprise and Partner name: Kidzeco and West Lothian Council
About the Project
Founded by local entrepreneur Tracy Murdoch, Kidz n Kin Community Services is a grassroots initiative delivered by Kidzeco, a social enterprise championing and uplifting families facing socio-economic barriers in West Lothian. With a strong partnership with West Lothian Council, and funding from SPA’s Community Benefit Fund, the project addresses social inclusion, poverty, and inequality through practical, dignity-based support.
Kidzeco’s partnership with West Lothian Council has been vital in sustaining services that rely heavily on volunteers. The funding from SPA has supported the employment of Kidz n Kin’s Early Years Activity Coordinator, a transformative role that has already made a difference, running cooking classes, building family confidence, and creating lasting impact.
Since its formation in 2010, Kidzeco has grown in response to community needs, supporting new families with sensitive assistance and an understanding of essential requirements amid limited resources. Originally starting as a preloved retail store, it has evolved to incorporate a number of one to one and group support sessions including nutrition classes, as well as an imaginative play space, soft play area, and an affordable café, offering a holistic environment for family development. They deliver their vibrant portfolio of early years activities at The Centre Livingston, a welcoming public space within one of Scotland’s largest shopping centres and a key hub for the local community.
How Kidzeco Create Social Value
Kidzeco support tackling poverty and inequality through a range of practical, dignity-based interventions to directly address financial hardship, food insecurity, and inequality. The initiatives ensure families have flexible support that empowers them, with access to high quality pre-loved children’s clothes, toys, and essential equipment at affordable prices.
As a volunteer-led organisation, maintaining a consistent and skilled workforce can be challenging, especially when aiming to deliver high-quality, reliable support to families.
With the funding support, Kidz n Kin have a dedicated staff member to lead early years activities. Without this addition, families would have missed out on accessible, confidence-building cookery classes that promote nutrition, wellbeing, and community connection.
Kidz n Kin Community Services
Kidz n Kin deliver a wide range of initiatives to strengthen families, improve wellbeing, and create lasting community benefits. Programmes such as Bumpz 2 Babiez offer antenatal and postnatal support through baby massage, weaning workshops, and buggy walks, while informal peer-led cafés help parents share experiences and reduce stress. Health visitor referrals ensure families facing additional challenges receive discreet support, and projects like KidzStart and Essentialz have provided essential baby items and hygiene packs to ease financial pressure.
Food-focused initiatives tackle food poverty and build confidence in healthy eating. Wean the Weanz helps parents navigate early feeding stages, with 91% reporting improved knowledge and confidence. Fivez introduces fun cooking classes for young children, and Foodiez provides emergency supermarket vouchers and subsidised recipe packs, enabling families to prepare nutritious meals on tight budgets. Parents describe these programmes as “a real lifeline” for boosting health outcomes and food literacy.
Accessible play spaces encourage early learning and bonding, with structured and unstructured activities such as sensory play, storytelling, and physical movement. These spaces have received over 960 bookings and engaged 363 families, with 43% from areas facing social and economic barriers in West Lothian.
Additional sessions like Bookbug and Peep, alongside buggy walks and baby massage, further promote physical and emotional wellbeing.
Together, these initiatives demonstrate Kidz n Kin’s commitment to build welcoming spaces that support families and nurture stronger, connected communities.
How SPA's funding supported Kidzeco
The funding has created lasting impact, boosting family confidence in cooking, improving nutrition, overall reducing NHS pressures as a wider impact. Without this support, families would struggle to have access to structured play, cooking classes, or a safe community space. The SPA Community Benefit Fund and Rebate Programme merger in April 2025 will further strengthen support for initiatives like Kidz n Kin.
The support from SPA’s community benefit fund has enabled Kidzeco to grow their services, benefiting 300 people in West Lothian over the past two years alone. These groups empower families to develop essential life skills like cooking and budgeting, while building strong social connections that extend far beyond skill building.
Testimonials
Since 2017, the SPA Community Benefit Fund has been the backbone of developing and transforming local communities by investing in a diverse range of community-led projects that are helping residents reconnect, increase future prospects, address critical needs and improve the perception of their community.
Kidzeco’s Founding Director, Tracy Murdoch shared
“We are incredibly grateful to SPA for their continued belief in our work, and for providing the funding that has helped Kidzeco make a real difference to families across West Lothian. This support has enabled us to deliver vital early years activities, strengthen family confidence, and offer safe, welcoming spaces where parents and children can thrive. Thanks to SPA, we can ensure that families facing the greatest challenges feel supported, connected, and valued within their community”
SPA’s Social Value Advisor, Amanda Gauld commented
“Kidz n Kin is a powerful example of how grassroots organisations can transform lives when they are equipped with the right support. Through the SPA Community Benefit Fund, we are proud to have played a part in strengthening a project that is rooted in dignity, compassion, and genuine community need.What stands out is their commitment to meeting families where they are, offering flexible and respectful support that empowers rather than stigmatises. Their work not only tackles poverty and inequality head-on but also builds resilience and a sense of belonging for families who need it most.The Early Years Activity Coordinator role, funded through SPA, has already proven transformative, ensuring families have consistent access to high-quality early years activities that would otherwise be out of reach.At SPA, we believe in investing in organisations that create meaningful, measurable social value. Kidz n Kin embodies this in every aspect of their work, and we are delighted to continue supporting a project that is making such a profound difference across West Lothian”
To date, SPA’s Community Benefit Fund has channelled almost £2.5m to social enterprises, charities and community groups across Scotland, where meaningful impact can be achieved and supporting projects that are driving positive change and creating lasting social value in communities.
