The Centre, Livingston has announced its first ‘Support in the Community’ Charity Partner this year as Livingston-based SMILE Counselling.
The charity was founded 10 years ago by Declan Harrigan, to provide counselling for young people between the ages of 11-24 in West Lothian.
The ‘Support in the Community’ initiative helps charities and social enterprises by providing awareness-raising and fundraising opportunities, including free pop-up space in the shopping centre, a £250 Gift Card donation and marketing support.
Over the years The Centre, Livingston has supported many organisations, including Kidzeco, based at the mall, West Lothian Youth Foundation (WLYF), West Lothian Diabetes Scotland Group, Carers of West Lothian, West Lothian Youth Action Project, Spark, River Kids and Dignity Boxes.
This year, another four organisations will be supported for a period of three months each, with SMILE Counselling being announced as the first partnership.
The charity, which was awarded Scottish Charity of the Year in 2022 in recognition of the outstanding dedication and impact by their team, was founded in 2015 by Declan who has worked in the mental health sector for over 25 years and as a counsellor for 15 years.
Declan said: “We are absolutely honoured to be chosen as The Centre, Livingston’s first Charity Partner of the year.
“The shopping centre plays a vital role in bringing the community together, aligning perfectly with the charity’s core belief in the power of meaningful connections.
“We are very grateful for the opportunity especially having a free pop-up in the mall during the last weekend in March and look forward to sharing our journey over the last 10 years and the services and support we provide to help young people in West Lothian.”
The services provided include face-to-face, online and telephone sessions to help with mental health challenges, including anxiety, trauma, and stress and also group sessions to promote mental health awareness and resilience in young people and their families.
SMILE also partners with schools to provide on-site counselling, workshops and mental health education and as a registered SQA Training Centre, also offers advanced training for therapists using their own bespoke training programmes.
These are specifically designed to equip individuals with the skills required to address mental health challenges effectively and make a lasting impact in their communities.
As part of their 10th anniversary milestone, Declan and his team of 19 counsellors and therapists and 18 volunteers, are on a mission to raise awareness of their services with various campaigns including a £10 a month anniversary donation scheme to help pay for more free sessions for young people.
Shoppers can find out more about the campaign and the services they offer at their pop-up in the shopping centre, located at TBC, on the last weekend of March. The team will also be appealing for donations and highlighting volunteering vacancies.
Patrick Robbertze, Centre Director at The Centre, Livingston said: “We are delighted to be partnering with SMILE to help them raise awareness at their pop-up and also appeal for much-needed donations and volunteers.
“Our ‘Support in the Community’ initiative, which we’ve been running for many years now, provides us with the opportunity to help lots of organisations who are going the extra mile to help people and shine a light on the great work they are doing.”
To nominate a charity or organisation, download the application form on the website, www.thecentrelivingston.com and email the completed form to [email protected].
To find out more about SMILE Counselling, check out the website www.smilecounselling.org.uk.
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