Latest cash boost to Scottish social entrepreneurs

Glasgow based African community radio station, a bicycle recycling and training enterprise, Lanarkshire youth boxing club, Fife older people’s event enterprise and Dundee based pilot for greener fuel system has just benefited from a share of the latest awards made to Scottish based entrepreneurs.

Firstport, the support organisation working to identify and seed social enterprises in Scotland, works in partnership with Scotland Unltd to distribute funds from the Social Entrepreneur’s Fund and the Millennium Awards Trust.

Glasgow based George Tah is celebrating the news that he has received £3800 from the Social Entrepreneurs Fund for his African community radio station – Radio Kilimanjaro. Inspired from working with Awaz FM, George decided to take forward his idea for Radio Kilimanjaro on the back of much interest and support from Glasgow’s African community. The station will give a voice to the African community and provide practical and hands on training in media and broadcasting. The award will be used to pay for equipment for trainees to allow them to develop radio programmes and learn new skills. George hopes that this will help address the high levels of unemployment within the African community by improving their chances of moving into employment. Currently streaming online, George is about to pilot a move to an FM license and will broadcast in English, French, Swahili and Somali.

Gregory Chauvet  benefited from £3813 from the Social Entrepreneurs Fund to set up The Bike Shed in Glasgow. Based on the successful Bike Station in Edinburgh, Gregory will use the funding to set up a similar model in Glasgow that will recycle bikes and sell them on at very affordable prices. Local organisations and the police will donate bikes for recycling. Local people will also be able to bring in their own bikes in need of repair and have access to bicycle related training, a bicycle repair workshop and fully trained mechanics.

Archie Durieis delighted to receive £2920 from the Millennium Awards Trust for his boxing gym in South Lanarkshire aimed at addressing local religious and gang cultures. Just over a year ago ex professional boxer Archie Durie decided to test out his idea of starting up a local boxing gym. Currently run from an old engineering workshop in Rutherglen it has already attracted 35 members. It’s Archie’s personal experience of growing up surrounded by these social problems and passion for boxing that inspired him to set up the boxing gym. Archie hopes that by getting young people involved, taking them off the streets and away from trouble it will reduce local gang fighting and promote a more positive healthier lifestyle.

Thanks to a £3658 award from the Social Entrepreneurs Fund, Fife based social entrepreneur Naomi Anderson, will set up Red Hat Events – a new events company that will cater to the needs of older people. Through Red Hat Events, Naomi will offer and deliver a varied programme of events specifically tailored to the 50-70 year old groups. Across Fife people will have the chance to take part in anything from wine tasting, yoga, visits to museums and art galleries to Tai Chi and coastal walks. It will help bring people together who share similar interests which can be especially important to this age group when affected by retirement, divorce or children leaving home and moving away.

Dundee based Ken MacLeod was delighted to receive the news that he will receive £3050 from the Social Entrepreneurs Fund to research and develop enhancements of an on demand supplemental fuel system. This is a unit that can be fitted to a vehicle to enhance the existing fuel system by reducing vehicle emissions – thereby contributing to saving money on fuel costs and helping the environment.  Ken, currently unemployed, will use the award to develop existing products on the market and carry out tests on the actual efficiency gains. Supported by Dundee University and local transport firms he will fit test units to a number of vehicles as part of the pilot. Both businesses and academics eagerly await results with ever rising fuel costs and pressure to reduce vehicle emissions.                                                                    

Naomi Johnson, Executive Director of Firstport, said: “Having a dedicated Social Entrepreneurs Fund in Scotland has uncovered the high level of demand for such a fund and growing number of Scottish based social entrepreneurs. In just over a year we have awarded £750,000 from the Social Entrepreneurs Fund and Millennium Awards Trust to around 150 Scottish based entrepreneurs."

Other individuals to benefit from a share of the latest awards made include Fife based Marie Hartigan who received £3440 for yoga classes aimed at children, disabled people and low income families, Helen Pank received £4645 for an urban gardening and green space project in Edinburgh, Gillian Templeton received £3188 for Stranraer Skills Station – project to support adults with learning disabilities and Edinburgh  based Simon Medcalfe received £3508 to provide IT skills training for unemployed people.

Firstportoffers free support and advice to start up social entrepreneurs with funding from the Scottish Government, in addition to providing start up awards in conjunction with Scotland Unltd through the Social Entrepreneur’s Fund and the Millennium Awards Trust.

For further information please contact Karen McGregor, Fund Manager, Firstport on 07800 863837