A MOTHER has opened a kids shop selling recycled goods to help parents cope with the financial stress of bringing up children on a budget.
Tracy Murdoch, 34, from Whitburn, knows how difficult, and expensive, it is to keep up with the de
mands of young, growing children so she decided to open up a shop that is also "parent-friendly".
Her brainchild, Kidzeco, is a not-for-profit community interest company (CIC) based in Bathgate's King Street, which allows mothers to breastfeed in a parenting room in the town centre without feeling they have to buy something.
Ms Murdoch's business plan is drawn from personal experience when she was shopping for her son, seven, and three-year-old daughter.
She used to work at Bathgate's Volunteer Centre helping young people find work placements, but wanted to expand her skills in another venture.
"I found that when I wanted to feed or change my children in Bathgate there was nowhere to go and I had to buy goods to feel like I could use the facilities," said Ms Murdoch.
"Even then, while breastfeeding I often felt uncomfortable so thought a parenting room would help solve this problem in Bathgate town centre."
The shop sells toys, clothes, prams, books, buggies, nursery furniture and accessories and the name Kidzeco is devised from its ecological approach to recycling.
She added: "When expecting for the first time I purchased my baby goods new but quickly realised that they were only used for a very short time as my son grew so fast.
"Rather than storing items in the loft or sending them to landfill sites, the second time round I re-used my old equipment and found that it was still in excellent condition.
Being a CIC, the shop has to benefit the community to qualify for funding and the People's Postcode Trust donated £2,000 to furnish the parenting room, while £4,155 was gleaned from Scotland UnLtd's Social Entrepreneurs Fund to help start up the business.
Other capital came from the Voluntary Initiatives Fund for volunteers' expenses and the Women's Fund for Scotland donated £5,000 to help pay tutors' fees for the Fun with Fabric project, formerly based in Bathgate's Volunteer Centre.
Jim Gallacher, chief executive of the newly formed Voluntary Sector Gateway, said: "We trust our current arrangement will prove beneficial to both Kidzeco and the Gateway but, more importantly, to women in our community from marginalised groups who would like to learn to sew and then volunteer to help us make goods to sell to help support this project."
The shop is looking for donations of children's goods of any type to help make the project a success. For more information contact 01506 815534 or call Glynne at Voluntary Sector Gateway West Lothian on 01506 650111.
The community Thrift Shop, formerly of Jarvey Street, is also now located at Kidzeco and community groups or charities who want to hire this space should contact HomeAid West Lothian on 652230.
