A package of measures to help entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses will be delivered next year with funding in the draft Scottish Budget 2025/26.
As part of £15 million investment, at least £4 million will be invested to expand the number of women entrepreneurs by providing tailored support at the earliest stages of business creation.
The initiative contributes to overall spending of £34.7 million across entrepreneurship, innovation and social enterprise – a 50% increase on 2024/25. This includes continued investment in Techscaler, the Scottish Government’s flagship programme for tech start-ups. There will also be a new round of the Ecosystem Fund and a new fund to further develop clusters in sectors such as life sciences, digital and advanced manufacturing.
Deputy first Minister Kate Forbes visited Gut Wealth, an Edinburgh-based start-up, to discuss founder Gemma Stuart’s experience of starting a business. Gut Wealth was a recent winner at the Scottish Government-supported Scottish EDGE awards.
DFM @_KateForbes visited @GutWealth to hear about the unique challenges women in business face.@scotgov has pledged £4m to support women-led start-ups excel and grow. That's part of a £15m enterprise package to help people into business.
— Scottish Government Finance and Economy (@scotgoveconomy) December 10, 2024
The Deputy First Minister said: “This Budget commitment demonstrates that the Scottish Government stands squarely behind this and future generations of business talent. I want everyone, from every walk of life, to feel encouraged and supported in taking the first steps on their entrepreneurial journey.
“A growing, thriving start-up ecosystem is vital to a strong and growing economy and I want to make Scotland the best place in the world for founders to launch and grow a start-up business.
“Taking a close steer from Ana Stewart and and Mark Logan’s report into encouraging more women start their own businesses, the Scottish Government and our partners are building an end-to-end support network to ensure entrepreneurs are helped at each stage of their journey. Gemma’s success story is one that we are can, must and will replicate.”
Founder of Gut Wealth Gemma Stuart said: “I have big ambitions to help people suffering with digestive ill-health to live life a bit more freely from the pain and shame of gut troubles. I’m proud to be scaling my business in Scotland as part of the thriving ecosystem here.
“In the last two years, I’ve accessed vital guidance and support from Business Gateway, Scottish Enterprise, AccelerateHER, RBS Accelerator and most recently Scottish EDGE to help me scale.
“I’ve built a strong network of founders and I’m especially grateful for the other female founders who have helped educate me on raising funds and shared opportunities.”
We are running really low on socks (size 3 upwards) and water bottles for our clothing crisis packs.
If you’re thinking about donating to a local charity this Christmas please consider ESUB. We have provided clothing items for almost 5,000 local kids and young people in 2024.
Help us keep up this essential work by buying a few items and dropping them off in one of our drop of points:
Prime Minister’s Plan for Change at heart of Spending Review, which will drive reform and root out waste.
Every pound of government spending to be interrogated to ensure it represents value for money for working people.
External experts will scrutinise budgets, bringing ideas, expertise and innovation of the private sector into the heart of government.
Government departments will be expected to find savings and efficiencies in their budgets, in a push to drive out waste in the public sector and ensure all funding is focused on the government’s priorities.
Every single pound the government spends will be subjected to a line-by-line review to make sure it’s being spent to deliver the Plan for Change and that it is value for money, as the Chancellor Rachel Reeves yesterday (Tuesday 10 December) launched the next round of government spending.
It will be the first time in over a decade and a half that government departments have been asked to take such an approach, with what’s called a “zero-based review” last undertaken 17 years ago.
Rachel Reeves will today begin her work with government departments and reiterate that they cannot operate in a business-as-usual way when reviewing their budgets for the coming years, as the new government continues to fix the foundations after inheriting a £22bn black hole, alongside crumbling public services and damaged public finances.
Secretaries of State across government will need to allocate their budgets to ensure that government spending is focused on the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change, and that every pound of taxpayers’ money is spent well. The Chancellor will work with departments to prioritise spending that supports the milestones to deliver the Plan.
This includes boosting growth to put more money in working people’s pockets, fixing the NHS, creating safer streets, making Britain a clean energy super-power and giving every child the best start in life while strengthening our borders, national security and the economy.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said: “By totally rewiring how the government spends money we will be able to deliver our Plan for Change and focus on what matters for working people. The previous government allowed millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money to go to waste on poor value for money projects. We will not tolerate it; I said I would have an iron grip on the public finances and that means taking an iron fist against waste.
“By reforming our public services, we will ensure they are up to scratch for modern day demands, saving money and delivering better services for people across the country. That’s why we will inspect every pound of government spend, so that it goes to the right places and we put an end to all waste.”
The Prime Minister has been clear that public services must reform if they are to be put on a sustainable footing in the long-term, so that outcomes can be improved for people who depend on services every day.
Yesterday’s announcement builds on the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster yesterday launching a £100 million fund to pioneer public service reform and deliver the Government’s Plan for Change, by deploying new test-and-learn teams into public services across the country.
They will be empowered to experiment and innovate to fix the public sector’s biggest challenges, working towards the Government’s ambitious and far-reaching reform programme that will seek to break down Whitehall silos and galvanise government as it seeks to deliver the Plan for Change.
Departments will ensure budgets are scrutinised by challenge panels of external experts including former senior management of Lloyd’s Banking Group, Barclays Bank and the Co-operative Group. Panels will bring an independent view to what government spend is or isn’t necessary, with a mixture of expertise from local delivery partners, think tanks, academic experts and private sector backgrounds.
In letters sent by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, departments will be advised that where spending is not contributing to a priority, it should be stopped. Although some of these decisions will be difficult, the Chancellor is clear that the public must have trust in the government that it is rooting out waste and that their taxes are being spent on their priorities.
Work has already begun on evaluating poor value for money spend, with an evaluation into the £6.5m spent on Social Workers in Schools programme, which placed social workers in schools, finding no evidence of positive impact on social care outcomes, meaning the intervention was not considered cost-effective.
The Government has made clear it will not shy away from taking the difficult decisions needed to fix the foundations, as shown by the Chancellor’s decisions at the Budget to balance the books.
Departments will be expected to work closely together to identify how their work contributes to the Government’s missions, meeting in mission clusters throughout the process to agree priorities and links.
Throughout this process, the ideas, expertise and innovation of the private sector will be sought out and brought right into the heart of government.
An online portal will also be launched to give businesses the opportunity to put forward policy proposals for the Spending Review, including on how government can deliver public services more efficiently or effectively. These representations will be collated and shared with departments for consideration in their submissions.
We couldn’t be more excited to celebrate David Waughman, who was awarded the ‘Anne, Duchess of Norfolk Award for Volunteer Gardener of the Year’ at the recent Hospice UK Annual Conference!
David has been a dedicated part of our team from the very start, serving as one of our original Compassionate Gardeners. Before that David helped maintain the grounds of St Columba’s Hospice Care, showing his passion for both gardening and volunteering.
Our Compassionate Gardeners are a special group. We’re one of the only UK hospices offering a little TLC to the gardens of people living at home with an end-of-life diagnosis, and helping restore them to what they once were.
Sharing the joy of the garden through the seasons, our Compassionate gardeners add so much to the wellbeing of the garden owners in the most precious of times.
It was truly heart-warming to see David recognised by his colleagues and peers from across the hospice sector. Thank you, David, for your dedication and for the incredible impact you make to those you support. Congratulations on this well-deserved award!
Are you a keen gardener? Find out how you can put your skills to good use by becoming a Compassionate Gardener https://bit.ly/3OH1Wwb.
A programme funded from the seized assets of criminals has supported 15,368 young people in 2023-24.
CashBack for Communities delivered £5.5 million to 29 partners in that period for projects that divert young people away from anti-social behaviour and crime.
A report into the first year of the programme’s three-year funding phase, which runs from April 2023 to March 2026, showed that after taking part in CashBack for Communities projects:
7,440 young people reported positive changes in their behaviour
4,318 young people reported that their anti-social or criminal behaviour reduced
6,292 young people felt less likely to engage in anti-social or criminal behaviour
4,954 young people gained an accreditation in furthering their development
8,348 young people reported an increase in their wellbeing
64,240 volunteering hours were contributed
Victims and Community Safety Minister Siobhian Brown met with some participants who have been taking part in Scottish Rugby Union’s CashBack Community Rugby at Castlebrae Community Campus in Edinburgh.
The SRU’s programme works with young people most at risk of being drawn into offending or being involved in anti-social behaviour to help them resist pressure to take part in it.
Ms Brown said: “Supporting and encouraging young people to make informed choices is crucial for their personal growth and future success. The CashBack for Communities Impact Report highlights the positive contribution the programme has had on over 15,000 young people.
“CashBack is an early intervention programme and its partners provide a range of support and activities which includes providing safe spaces, trusted adults they can speak with and a range of diversionary and support activities.
“Young people need our support and encouragement to make choices that allow them to develop their aspirations and potential, and we should rightly be proud of them and this programme.
“I had the opportunity today to see exactly how CashBack partners like Scottish Rugby Union work alongside young people to develop their understanding of the positive impact they can have on their communities.”
Cruden Homes and Mac Mic Group get green light for landmark Millerhill development
Two of Scotland’s most established property companies, with a combined 181 years of expertise, are set to invest into the thriving community at Millerhill, just south-east of Edinburgh.
Cruden Homes, with 81 years of innovation in homebuilding, and Mac Mic Group, marking its centenary next year, have secured planning consent for 172 energy-efficient new homes in one of Scotland’s most vibrant and best-connected new communities.
The Millerhill development is part of the wider Shawfair masterplan to create a new town on Edinburgh’s doorstep. The new development will include a mix of private sale, build-to-rent, and affordable housing, helping to combat Edinburgh’s ongoing housing emergency.
Work will start in early 2025, with the first phase of homes expected to be completed and ready for residents by the end of the year.
Both businesses have a strong local heritage, having been involved in the delivery of a number of new homes in the area in recent years. This latest development includes a range of houses and flats for private sale, offering an impressive selection of two-bedroom flats, two- and three-bedroom terraced and semi-detached homes, four-bedroom townhouses, and four- and five-bedroom detached properties.
Additionally, a number of houses and flats are to be retained by Mac Mic Group as part of its longstanding rental portfolio, offering an important alternative for home seekers. Thirty-five homes, consisting of six houses and 29 flats, will be affordable, providing much-needed options for local families and individuals.
Nestled in the desirable Millerhill area, this thoughtfully designed development combines the appeal of country living with exceptional transport links to Edinburgh, the Borders, and beyond. Residents will enjoy a new neighbourhood with landscaped streets, carefully planned frontages, extensive landscaping throughout and a tree-lined corridor.
The new homes lie within easy reach of the vibrant new Shawfair town centre, with a health club, offices, shops and places to eat, and are well served by excellent local schools and plentiful landscaped green space, woodland paths and open water. The development is close to Shawfair train station and benefits from a network of cycle and walking paths, providing an abundance of sustainable transport options.
All of the new homes will incorporate a cutting-edge district heating system, providing a low-carbon solution for heating and hot water. This innovative heat network eliminates the need for individual boilers and significantly reduces carbon emissions.
Kevin Reid, Executive Chairman of Cruden, said:“We are delighted to take forward this fantastic new development at Millerhill in partnership with Mac Mic Group. Not only will it deliver much-needed new housing across all tenures, but it will also add to an already vibrant, sustainable community that offers the perfect blend of connectivity, green spaces, and excellent amenities on the doorstep.
“Work will start early next year and will deliver a blueprint for quality, energy-efficient new homes that are perfectly suited to the needs of modern living.”
Lost Shore Surf Resort, Europe’s largest inland surf resort, is making a splash with its inaugural Lost Shore Loony Dook on New Year’s Day, 2025. Inspired by Scotland’s cherished tradition of braving icy waters, this event offers a thrilling inland twist, inviting participants to dive into Europe’s largest wave pool for an unforgettable celebration.
The original Loony Dook, first held in South Queensferry in the mid-1980s, began as a remedy for New Year’s Day hangovers. Over the decades, it has evolved into a cherished annual tradition, featuring participants in fancy dress parading through town before taking the plunge into the frigid Firth of Forth. This iconic event has inspired similar gatherings across Scotland, from North Berwick to St Andrews. The Lost Shore Loony Dook aims to honour and expand this legacy.
Unlike traditional seaside dips, this event offers the comfort of heated changing room facilities, delicious post-dook dining, and the chance to experience Lost Shore’s world-class surf pool.
Cold water dips, like the Lost Shore Loony Dook, are celebrated for their many health benefits. Regular cold water immersion can help reduce inflammation, improve circulation, and boost recovery, making it an excellent remedy for muscle soreness and fatigue. It’s also been shown to enhance mood, focus, and resilience to stress while promoting better sleep and an invigorated immune system. What better way to kickstart the New Year than with a refreshing boost for your mind and body?
Lauren Hyder, Head of Events and Sales at Lost Shore Surf Resort, said: “Whether you’re a seasoned Dooker or taking the plunge for the first time, the Lost Shore Loony Dook offers an exhilarating way to start the year.
“We’re embracing a much-loved Edinburgh tradition and giving it a unique inland twist, creating a vibrant new way to celebrate New Year’s Day.
“After your dip, the fun doesn’t stop—we are inviting guests to treat themselves to breakfast pastries and hot drinks at our waterfront restaurant, Canteen, unwind with a session in the Spear Sauna, or enjoy soothing treatments and massages by Michelle Denham, delivered by Lost Shore’s highly skilled therapists.
“For those seeking more adrenaline, catch a wave at our world-class surf facility and truly kick off 2025 in style!”
For just £5 (plus a booking fee), participants can enjoy the thrill of the dip and warm up afterwards with a complimentary hot drink. Friends and family are welcome to cheer from the sidelines, with free Supporter Tickets available for non-swimmers.
Loony Dook – What You Need to Know
Tickets: Registration is £5 per participant (+ booking fee). Supporter tickets for spectators are also available free of charge.
Safety Requirements: Participants must wear wetsuit boots or water shoes (available on-site if needed).
Arrival Time: Arrive by 9.30am to allow time for check-in and preparation. The group will gather at 9.45am, with the event kicking off promptly at 10am.
Age Policy: Participants under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
Facilities: Changing rooms and showers are provided for participants, alongside secure lockers for added convenience. Please bring your own towel.
Both surfing lessons and sessions and Surfskate Academy sessions will also be available on New Year’s Day.
The Loony Dook kicks off a programme of wellbeing running throughout January at Lost Shore with activities including yoga, motivational talks and wellbeing sessions.
