We are delighted to announce that our Food Pantry will remain open during Scotland’s Tier 4 lockdown. Our food pantry service will now open within our  Bathgate store, Wednesday and Saturday, from 12pm till 3pm.  If you haven’t signed for a membership already you can do so via www.bookwhen.com/kidzeco and you are eligible to join if you are currently pregnant or have at least one child aged 5 years and under.  (A gentle reminder that if you are attending the pantry to please bring your own bags).

Bonfire night, or Fireworks Night, the 5^th of November, is an exciting occasion for all ages. The warm glow of the fire; the exciting crash, bang, and whirl of multi-coloured fireworks exploding in the cool autumn air – their bright, smoky trails captivating the senses and setting alight the imagination.

Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic has put played to what for many has been a much looked-forward-to occasion as social gatherings are severely limited in both number and scope.

Although we all have to adapt to the changing climate of these difficult times, we can do so positively, involving our children and those in our households in fun, safe activities, that celebrate the famous night and may very well grew to become cherished yearly traditions in themselves.

Below are a few suggestions of what you can do this year as family, and we would love to see what you get up to and create!

Wax Firework Painting

Wax Firework Painting is both safe, fun, and simple. Start by covering a sheet of blank white paper with your favourite wax crayon colours. These colours will eventually become your firework shapes, trails and explosions. Next, paint over everything with black acrylic paint and leave to dry. (Whilst this is happening you might want to try another of our suggested activities further down the page).

Now for the really fun bit! When your paint has dried, take a lollypop stick (or similar. We recommend lollypop sticks as they are not sharp AND you get to lick a lollypop whilst waiting) and scratch your firework shapes and trails into the now dry black paint and be amazed as the colours reveal themselves and come to life.

Why not take some photos of your children enjoying this activity as a keepsake of the fond occasion?

Bonfire Collage

Another activity to stretch those creative muscles is the Bonfire Collage. This is also a great opportunity to wrap up warm and explore your garden, or even some nearby woodland – a wonderful opportunity to talk with your children about the creatures that live there, or even to look up at the night sky (which on clear autumn nights can be particularly fascinating). This adventure is also about gathering the materials for your collage.

As you can see from the above example, with a little bit of child friendly glue and some creativity, you can use the twigs and leaves you gathered on your outdoor adventure to create something quite special indeed!

Why not set your collages against the glow of a nightlight or lamp and tell some campfire stories? Who can make the best fire-crackling sound?

Marshmallow Rockets

No bonfire night is complete without marshmallows! Get creative with this simple, fun activity by adding marshmallows to skewers (be careful not to poke yourself!) and then dip them into some melted chocolate. Add your favourite sprinkles -or, for that extra special bonfire night crackle- why not try some popping candy! An excellent treat to eat whilst telling stories around your bonfire collage campfire.

We hope these suggestions inspire you to make the most of a very different fireworks night this year and we would also love to hear what you get up to.

On Thursday the 5^th our Kidzeco online shop will be offering board games and toys at reduced cost in order to further celebrate indoor fun.

Have fun and stay safe!

The Covid-19 Pandemic & Kidzeco

At Kidzeco, the health, safety and well-being of every employee, volunteer, and customer is our utmost priority.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic we have taken pragmatic steps, and implemented robust measures across the board in order to ensure the ongoing welfare of everyone involved in the daily operations of our organisation, as well as those visiting our premises since re-opening after the initial stages of nationwide lock-down.

In accordance with both government and public health guidance, we have undergone many crucial changes both in store and behind the scenes.

From accepting donations during specific pre-advertised windows only, and implementing a strict quarantine regime for every single item that is received in store; to staggering the schedule of our staff and volunteers, we are continuing to do everything in our power to enhance the safety of our team and customers, and to mitigate the risk of infection.

We will continue to assess and review the risks presented to us and engage with employees, volunteers and customers, and make appropriate adjustments inline with the latest public health guidance when necessary.

We would like to express our sincere thanks to our staff, visitors, and everyone across West Lothian, for their loyalty and support during these difficult times.

Community is everything to us at Kidzeco. We pride ourselves not just in supporting the local community but also being a part of it and creating one big family atmosphere.

Kidz n Kin is our new planned community-focused space where families can spend quality time with their children, unwind with other parents, and meetup with friends. There will be so much to do all under one roof:

• Soft play
• Themed play areas
• Small Café
• Classes
• Activities
• Group meetings

But we need your help! We are in with a chance of winning a share of funding from The People’s Project! You can make our dreams of helping our community become a reality. Every single vote will help so much so please share with your family and friends!

CLICK HERE TO VOTE

Raise kidz the community way,
Kidzeco Family.

UPDATE:  We won!  Visit the Kidz n Kin website or Facebook page for more information!

Shop Supervisor Vacancy

• 30 hours per week
• Salary £14,200 – £18,500 (pro rata) depending on experience.

We will consider application for part-time or job share positions

Kidzeco is a successful and well-established social enterprise based in West Lothian with stores in Bathgate and Livingston providing affordable, high quality pre-loved children’s goods to families in our communities.

We are looking to recruit an enthusiastic, passionate and organised individual to manage our Bathgate shop. You must have previous experience of working within retail, the third sector or similar, with the drive and leadership skills to help train and motivate a small team of staff and volunteers.

Being the first friendly face our customers see when they arrive, it is essential that you have a cheery disposition and are an excellent communicator, computer literate and have experience of working to KPI’s.

Kidzeco is passionate about helping families in the community and caring for the environment through our two shops in West Lothian. We pride ourselves on our excellent customer care and the high quality of reuse goods that we sell. If you are enthusiastic about our work and ethos and feel you could make a difference with us, then please get in touch.

Application notes

The closing date for applications is 12.00 noon, Monday 25^th March 2019.

Interviews will be held on Thursday 29^th March 2019.

To find out more, and/or to request a copy of the Job Description, Application Form and Guidance, please email sharon.frederiksen@kidzeco.net.

It’s that time of year again where we are looking for pregnant ladies to have their ‘bump’ painted as part of our Bumpathon to raise funds for LoveOliver.

Over 600 people voted for this fantastic charity in our facebook poll and we are delighted to be fundraising to support their work that they do.

If you are expecting, or know someone who is, and would like to get involved with our fantastic event then please get in touch.

There is a new vacancy available at Kidzeco! We are looking for an enthusiastic, passionate and organised individual for our Retail Supervisor vacancy!

If you are interested in our ethos of caring for the environment, helping out the community and providing excellent customer care, then this position will be a great fit.

Forward your CV with a cover letter to sharon.frederiksen@kidzeco.net. The closing date is on the 25th February.