Monday July 20th 2026
Cabinet Secretary for Social Justices and Housing Shirley-Ann Somerville during her visit to pantry Food Facts Friends in Penicuik today
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
Scotland’s Social Justice Secretary has praised Food Facts Friends in Penicuik for supporting more than 10,000 people a year, saying similar community hubs should be encouraged across Scotland.
Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice and Housing Shirley-Ann Somerville visited the Penicuik pantry and community hub today, praising their vital work in tackling food insecurity and Midlothian Council’s continued support to community organisations in the county.
During her visit, the MSP toured the facility and met representatives from local community groups and organisations such as VOCAL and Midlothian Community Action, where discussions were focused on how the Scottish Government can provide further support.
Accompanied by Midlothian Council Leader Kelly Parry and Food Facts Friends CEO Mark Wells, the Cabinet Secretary praised the pantry for their community support which has seen over 10,000 people served within their food pantry.
Food Facts Friend is a community hub and food pantry on Penicuik’s high street that provides affordable meals and essential services which has become a lifeline for many Midlothian residents. Keeping community support at the heart of everything they do, alongside the food pantry the hub also provides food packages alongside other forms of community support such as youth groups and a subsidised cafe/diner.
Speaking to the Midlothian View during her visit, Cabinet Secretary Shirley-Ann Somerville explained:
“The thing that’s so important is that you have got a community hub that’s come together where people are clearly getting support, whether it’s through the pantry or the other services that are here like the Citizens Advice Bureau.”
Praising the council for their support, she added: “It’s fantastic to see that Midlothian Council has been supporting this project and are here today to once again solidify and demonstrate their support to the pantry and to the rest of the work that goes on here.”
Cabinet Secretary for Social Justices and Housing Shirley-Ann Somerville, Food Facts Friends CEO Mark Wells and Midlothian Council Leader Kelly Parry
Support is provided by the council to pantries across Midlothian, including Food Facts Friends, in the form of funding and overall support. Alongside this, the council works with Scottish Government partners to allocate funding for specific areas of assistance such as meal initiatives.
Midlothian Council Leader Kelly Parry explained:
“Organisations like this are absolutely crucial and a lifeline for a lot of people in Midlothian. We are very lucky to have dedicated organisations like this and a huge team of volunteers who make centres like this work. You can see just people who are here today or any day, the amount of families from all different backgrounds. It’s really the way that it’s evolved that has been crucial to removing the stigma that stops people accessing support.”
The pantry has around 40 volunteers and paid staff, with a large team supporting the over 10,000 people who pass through the doors each year.
Shirley-Ann Somerville commented on the government support for community organisation such as the pantry in Penicuik, highlighting that in direct funding and in direct financial help is the step she is most pleased with:
“One of the ways I am really really pleased that we have been able to help is to actually support Midlothian Council and the council’s work then goes on to support places like the pantry and other work that goes on in the council area because the council and the community groups know what the community most needs.”
Explaining that Food Facts Friends leads as a strong example to the type of organisations that can be run in other areas across Scotland, she added:
“What’s important for me is to be able to see what happens here and then try and encourage that type of work to maybe happen elsewhere in Scotland so it’s a great example to what other towns and cities could be looking at.”
During the visit, representatives from VOCAL, Citizens Advice Bureau, Children’s First, Criminal Justice Services and Midlothian Community Action were in attendance, with the Secretary taking time to speak to all the groups.
The Cabinet Secretary ringing Penicuik's ceremonial Town Crier bell used during major local festivals
All of the groups work with Food Facts Friends with the pantry hosting the groups once a week to give advice to residents who use the pantry.
Talking on the importance of these individual organisations, the Cabinet Secretary continued:
“You can see the difference it makes to people. It’s about food insecurity and the cost of food, but it’s also about bringing other services together. When people come somewhere they trust, they’re more likely to access help in whatever way they need.”
Pantry CEO Mark Wells described the visit as “a big achievement” for the organisation, saying he hopes it will help build stronger links with the Scottish Government and secure longer-term funding.
He explained: “The government could get better on not just giving short-term funding but providing long-term funding.
“I would like the Cabinet Secretary to take away the atmosphere and the conversations she had from today’s visit, and to maybe look at trying to go back to the First Minister and to say that poverty is still out there and to aim to make it better.”
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