A NEW social enterprise tackling the stigma surrounding female incontinence has secured £5000 from the Scottish Government’s Social Entrepreneurs Fund.
Sweet F Aye was one of nine social enterprises to receive a share of £41,208 funding in the latest round of the Start It award, which is delivered by Firstport, a development agency for social enterprise start-ups.
Sweet F Aye was founded by a trio of comedians, Susan Morrison, Jojo Sutherland, and Elaine Millar, aiming to provide targeted assistance to those dealing with women’s incontinence through comedy shows and workshops, dispelling the stigma and silence surrounding the issue.
With profits generated through corporate work, including menopause workshops for managers and staff, Sweet F Aye aspire to provide low-cost/free interventions and physiotherapy sessions as well as training women to become local health ambassadors.
Thanks to funding and support from Firstport, Sweet F Aye are about to move into their own office and have started planning their first two years of business.
Co-founder Susan Morrison said: “Sweet F Aye addresses serious, unacknowledged women’s health issues, and uses all the skills I have developed as a comedy performer and project manager.
“Our approach is trail-blazing. In five years, we expect to be at the forefront of training new women’s health communicators, engaging hard-to-reach communities, and to have helped lower some negative indicators blighting women’s lives. We are three women who want to make life better for other women. And we aim to do that by bringing Scotland’s women laughter, education and dry gussets. World domination? We leave to those with lesser imaginations.”
Josiah Lockhart, Firstport chief executive, said: “It’s great to be able to support enterprises such as Sweet F Aye. By bringing women together through comedy, as well as running practical and educational workshops, they are remodelling health awareness among the female population and beyond.”
The other recipients of funding include The Guild, Braw Talent, Skye Marine Plastics, Wee Scottish Lassie, Green Futures Arran, Borders Wellness Retreat, What’ll We do Today and the Inyange Children and Community Project.
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