The Centre, Livingston marked the start of its 50th anniversary celebrations in lively fashion last weekend, with a Bathgate local landing a £500 gift card and families turning out in force for a day of entertainment, giveaways and community spirit.
Saturday’s festivities (30 May) saw crowds gather for the ‘50 Gift Cards Giveaway Competition’, hosted by Go Radio’s Gina McKie. Among the eager participants was Kasper Wong, visiting with his father and younger brother, who struck gold in a plinko-style game to secure the top £500 prize. The event also introduced visitors to the centre’s new mascot, ‘Livi the Unicorn’, who proved a hit with younger shoppers while handing out packets of wildflower seeds.
Alongside the headline giveaway, families enjoyed complimentary popcorn and face painting, with optional donations supporting the centre’s charity partner, Firefly Arts. The organisation has been delivering drama classes and creative workshops for young people in the local community for more than three decades.
Celebrations began a day earlier on Friday (29 May), when pupils from nine local primary schools took part in a symbolic time capsule ceremony. Watched by proud parents and teachers, the children contributed poems and letters reflecting their lives today, their communities, and their hopes for the future. The milestone was further marked with the launch of a ‘Blether Bench’ near Primark, designed to encourage visitors to pause, share memories and reflect on the centre’s history.
In Case You Missed It:
Patrick Robbertze, Centre Director at The Centre, Livingston, said: “What a fantastic buzz in the shopping centre over the past few days as we launched the start of our 50th anniversary celebrations.
“It was great to welcome pupils in from the local primary schools to help fill and lower our time capsule and invite all of our shoppers to help mark our major milestone with us on Saturday with the chance to win a gift card to treat themselves, which kickstarted a programme of exciting events which will take place throughout the year.”
Further anniversary events are planned across 2026, with visitors encouraged to follow updates via The Centre, Livingston’s website and social media channels.
