CENTRAL BELT ENTREPRENEURS SHARE £52,000 OF LATEST FIRSTPORT AWARDS
News Release
Thursday 22 October 2009
A Fife community transport scheme, eco-drama workshops for young people and a new dyslexic support service for students has just benefited from a share of the latest awards totalling £52,000 from the Social Entrepreneurs Fund.
Firstport, the support organisation working to identify and seed social enterprises in Scotland, distributes money on behalf of the Scottish Government’s £1 million Social Entrepreneurs Fund in partnership with Scotland Unltd.
Mary Parry is celebrating a £20,000 injection of funds to help kickstart her new community transport scheme - MyBus - in Fife. MyBus is aimed at providing accessible and affordable transport to local community groups and older and disabled people who are unable to use suitable public transport. For many older and disabled people it will mean greater independence and the freedom to do things like shopping that most people take for granted. In addition MyBus will also provide jobs and volunteering places for local unemployed people.
Emily Reid received a £20,000 award to help get her enterprise Eco Drama off the ground. Set up in response to local and global environmental issues that have arisen, Eco Drama offers schools, festivals and community venues recycling workshops to interactive theatre shows about sustainable living. Emily plans to tour in The Magic Van, a vehicle run on renewable bio diesel, livening up serious environmental issues to motivate children, young people and the community towards leading greener, healthier lifestyles.
Stephen McCue was awarded £12,000 to provide support services to students with dyslexia in Edinburgh. In response to the shortage of quailed dyslexia teachers Stephen set up Dyslexia Pathways to help people overcome the barriers they might face achieve their full potential.
Naomi Johnson, Executive Director of Firstport, said: “These awards are part of a package totalling £52,000 and will kick start a wide range of enterprises across the central belt. We are keen to support a wide range of new initiatives across Scotland whether that be providing an accessible transport scheme for older and disabled people in Fife to helping students with dyslexia improve the opportunities available to them. It is great to see so many ideas from Scotland’s social entrepreneurs put into action with the aim of making a big difference to their communities or environment.”
Firstport offers 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
Editor’s Notes
1. A social enterprise is a trading concern that operates in the business place, but places social or environmental aims at the core of its ethos. For example it could work with disadvantaged volunteers on placement, collect materials for recycling or aim to improve the health of the community. Profits are typically reinvested back into the business to grow the social or environmental aims.
2. Firstport and Scotland Unltd are working together in Scotland to provide advice and funding opportunities for new start social entrepreneurs. They operate a joint awards programme in Scotland and have two main funds (Millennium Awards Trust and the Social Entrepreneurs Fund) available to individuals who have great ideas and the vision, passion, drive and commitment to develop them.
3. In 2008, the Scottish Government set up the Social Entrepreneurs Fund to support economic growth. Launching the fund, Enterprise Minister Jim Mather said: “We have always been clear that the Third Sector has a crucial role to play in increasing sustainable economic growth. That is particularly true as homes and households feel the effect of the global downturn.”
4. Firstport was set up specifically to provide advice and funding opportunities for new start social entrepreneurs. Executive Director Naomi Johnson said: “Firstport is clear in its role of leading new start social enterprise in Scotland and in setting a culture of professionalism and a business-like approach with new start social entrepreneurs. The Social Entrepreneurs Fund will run until March 2011, so any existing organisations or individuals harbouring an idea they’d like to get off the ground should take a look at our website or give us a call – we can help you move your idea from vision to reality!”
5. Scotland Unltd's Millennium Awards is part of Unltd's UK wide programme and makes awards to social entrepreneurs who want to change the world for the better
