SCOTTISH social entrepreneurs have been given a £140,000 boost from the Scottish Government to help make businesses grow.
The government’s Social Entrepreneurs Fund offers financial help to individuals who want to start businesses that benefit their communities and the grants are given to those who want to tackle some of Scotland’s most pressing issues through business ideas.
Some of the start-up ideas include an amateur boxing club working with young people and ex-offenders in Glasgow, a health and nutrition advice service in Dundee, and a clean energy enterprise in Dingwall.
Callum MacKinnon, 23, a student from Stirling, was awarded £4,000 to launch Forth Valley Rebound Therapy Service, a social enterprise that uses physical therapy to work with people with a range of special needs including autism.
He said: “Winning this award has been a great achievement for me and it marks the beginning of seriously setting up my social enterprise, from just being an idea. Each individual comes to work on different outcomes – sensory, physical or behavioural – but they all come to have fun. It is a meaningful activity for children and adults with special needs.”
David Ogilvie, a retiree from Perth, also received £4,000 to develop his social enterprise and he hopes his invention will improve mobility and independence for vulnerable people.
He said: “I designed this life-saving device for older and disabled people to be safe and be seen. I have been developing it for three years now and with the help of this award, it will hopefully be available on the market this year.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here