Scottish monthly business networking club, which has attracted over 185 guest speakers including rugby legend Scott Hastings and 5th generation owner of Bon Accord Soft Drinks, Karen Knowles and over 4000 attendees, announces its new charity partnership for 2024 as Carers of East Lothian, (CoEL).
Love Your Business was founded by Michelle Brown, of the eponymous PR agency which marks its 10thanniversary this year, to help start-ups and growth businesses to make connections, share contacts, exchange referrals and ideas, and also find new collaborative opportunities.
Speakers over the years who have shared their inspiring entrepreneurial journeys, business insights and learnings also include Marie Owen, founder of LS Productions, Alice Thompson, co-founder of Social Bite and Chris van der Kuyl, the chairman and co-founder of games developer 4J Studios.
The aim of the networking club, which started in Black Ivy in Bruntsfield in January 2018, and ran online during the pandemic, is also to support various charities and social enterprises to help raise awareness and donate a percentage of funds from tickets sales from the events. Organisations also receive PR and marketing support for a year.
These include Make 2nds Count, Support in Mind Scotland, Epilepsy Scotland, Invisible Cities and Fighting Against Cancer Edinburgh. This year Love Your Business is partnering with Carers of East Lothian, CoEL, which was founded 26 years ago to provide much-needed support for people who are caring for someone.
The charity was chosen to highlight the role of carers and the support they need, as figures show that three out of five people will become carers at some stage in their lives and 1 in 10 is already fulfilling some sort of caring role, (Carers Trust).
Many aspects of caring can be rewarding, but caring can also have an impact on the health and wellbeing of the person providing the care. The free services CoEL offer include information and advice for carers, as well as peer support groups, grants to support carers to take breaks from caring, counselling, workshops, training and events.
Michelle said: “We’re delighted to be supporting Carers of East Lothian this year, which is a cause very close to our hearts.
“The outstanding work they do to support people who are caring for loved ones including family members, friends and neighbours for over two decades is highly commendable.
“The charity is dedicated to making life a little bit easier for carers, whether it is supporting them to take a break or signposting them to grants and legal advice, which is why we are honoured to be helping them to raise even more awareness of the great work they are doing and raise funds too.”
Jessica Wade, Chief Executive Officer of Carers of East Lothian said: ‘’We are absolutely delighted to be chosen as the Love Your Business Charity Partner for 2024.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for us to raise much needed funds for our work with local carers, as well as benefitting from Michelle’s valuable expertise to help us reach every carer who needs our support across East Lothian.”
Tickets for the next networking event on Thursday, 29th February at Black Ivy in Bruntsfield are £20 with 10% of all tickets going to Carers of East Lothian.
Love Your Business networking club, which has welcomed 185 speakers and over 4000 attendees since it launched in 2018, celebrates its 6th anniversary with the announcement of this month’s speaker on the 25thJanuary as Ben Scott, former Scotland Men’s Rugby Wellbeing Coach, who worked with the team to help bridge the gap between wellbeing and performance.
The club, at Black Ivy in Edinburgh, was launched by Michelle Brown, founder of the eponymous PR agency which marks its 10th anniversary this year, to help businesses make connections and build relationships, exchange ideas, referrals and contacts, and hear from inspiring speakers every month, sharing their entrepreneurial journeys and business insights.
These include Chris van der Kuyl CBE, Chairman and Co-Founder of 4J Studios, developers of the multi-award-winning Minecraft Console editions, former co-founder of Social Bite and business coach, Alice Thompson, California based environmental entrepreneur Paul Tasner, founder of PulpWorks and Michael Welch, OBE and CEO at Tirebuyer.com.
Also, Rachel Hanretty, founder of the award-winning Mademoiselle Macaron, which sells over 35,000 macarons a week, has a turnover of £1.2m and landed an order to send her meringue confections to the Barbie film set.
This month’s guest speaker, Ben Scott, specialises in health, wellbeing, performance and personal growth and was head-hunted to become Scotland’s Men’s Rugby Wellbeing Coach in 2021 to enhance the squads individual and collective wellbeing, on and off the field.
Having suffered from physical and mental challenges as a teenager, Ben embarked on a journey to discover the answers he needed to overcome them, which involved completing various courses, including a five-year master’s degree in Chiropractic, a three year postgraduate in Functional Neurology and a postgraduate diploma in Clinical Hypnotherapy.
From January 2021 until April 2023, he worked with the team during a time that became one of their most successful performance periods, breaking many of their records, and seeing them rise two places in the World Rugby Rankings.
Ben, who continues to coach elite athletes in person and online, and also helps patients at Morningside Chiropractic, will be sharing the story of his career journey and the ‘4 Pillars of Wellbeing’ to help business owners get 2024 off to a positive start, professionally and personally.
Michelle said: “I’m delighted to welcome the wellbeing coach, Ben Scott, as the speaker at Love Your Business this month, whose advice on ‘purpose, potential and performance’ will help business owners to get 2024 off to a flying start.
“For the past six years so many speakers have given up their time to share their inspiring stories with us and learnings along the way and provide valuable advice for businesses which always leaves everyone in the room inspired and motivated.”
Ben said: “Being asked to speak at the Love Your Business networking event this month is a great opportunity for me to share insights on how our wellbeing effects our performances, both personally and professionally, and to highlight ways we can overcome our challenges, so that we are better able to fulfil our potential and reach our goals.”
“I’m really looking forward to celebrating the 6th anniversary of a club which has brought so many people and businesses together to share their knowledge and experiences, in what is such a fantastic achievement for Michelle.”
Over the years the networking club, has also supported various charities and social enterprises, including Make 2nds Count, Support in Mind Scotland, Invisible Cities, Epilepsy Scotland and Fighting Against Cancer Edinburgh, FACE who have received proceeds from ticket sales and marketing support.
Love Your Business networking club runs on the last Thursday of every month, from 11am till 1pm. The first event of the year is on the 25th January.
Scotland’s finest bars and pubs have been revealed at a glitzy awards ceremony for the Scottish Bar & Pub Awards 2022 in Glasgow on Tuesday (30 August).
Hundreds of Scotland’s licenced trade gathered together to celebrate their achievements, enjoying entertainment from Abba MANIA.
Crowning the nation’s most loved pubs, the prestigious event saw over 27 venues and individuals pick up the coveted awards from up and down the country including Glasgow’s Ga Ga, Troon’s The Fox and Edinburgh’s Black Ivy and Virgin Hotels.
Organiser Susan Youngsaid, “It’s been another incredible year for the annual Scottish Bar and Pub Awards as we’ve recognised some of the most creative, hard-working and beloved venues in the country.
“Following a difficult few years for the licensed trade, it’s fantastic to see so many venues dedicate their time to staff training, inventive menus and new initiatives.
“From Inverness to Dundee, Troon to Uddingston, this year’s winners have gone above and beyond to provide exemplary customer service, create new cocktails or champion their local live music scene.
“I’d like to give a special mention and warmest congratulations to our DRAM Lifetime Achievement Award winner Colin Blair from Buzzworks and Inspirational Woman of the Year, Giovanna Eusebi from Eusebi Deli – they are two worthy winners and a credit to our industry.
Congratulations everyone and thanks for once again helping us shine a spotlight on Scotland’s best venues!”
Full Winners List:
DRAM Lifetime Achievement Award
Colin Blair (Buzzworks)
Antos Dog Friendly Pub of the Year
Black Ivy, Edinburgh (above)
Aro Procurement Customer Service Award
The Huxley, Edinburgh
Benromach Whisky Bar of the Year
The Piper Whisky Bar, Glasgow
Deanston Whisky Guru 2022
Matt MacPherson, The Malt Room, Inverness
William Grant Bar Apprentice 2022
Gavin Lidbury, The Finnieston
Contribution to the Industry Award 2022
Jim Hamilton
Hi-Spirits Best Live Music Venue 2022
Box Bar & Club, Glasgow
Hospo TalentManager of the Year 2022
Matt Colligan, Bier Halle
Hungrrr Technology Adopter 2022
Scoop Restaurant Group, Glasgow
Inspirational Woman of the Year 2022
Giovanna Eusebi, Eusebi Deli
Inverarity Morton Restaurant of the Year
Ga Ga, Glasgow
Kopparberg New Bar of the Year
The Fox, Troon
Licensee of the Year
John Black, The Fort, Dundee
Award for Success
Paul Stevenson, Paesano
Molinari Casual Dining Award 2022
Caffe Parma, Glasgow
Molson Coors Scottish Bar of the Year
Kelvingrove Café, Glasgow
Buzzworks & Montpeliers
Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year
Matt MacPherson, The Malt Room
Old Tom Gin Hotel Bar of the Year
Virgin Hotels, The Commons Club, Edinburgh
Pernod Ricard Best Late Night Venue
Why Not Nightclub, Edinburgh
Scottish Bar & Pub Awards Community Pub of the Year
Clippens Inn, Linwood
Stoli Sustainability Award
Eusebi, Glasgow
Independent Operator of the Year
Jonathan MacDonald
Scoop Restaurant Group, Glasgow
The Busker Cocktail Bar of the Year
Lido, Troon
Scottish Hospitality Group Special Recognition Award 2022
David Cochrane, HIT
Scottish Bar & Pub Awards Team of the Year
Lisini, Uddingston
Sunday Mail Pub of the Year
The Palais, Glasgow
In their 27th year the Scottish Bar & Pub Awards, dubbed the hospitality Oscars, spotlight Scotland’s licensed trade and independent operators, rewarding the country’s most loved venues.
Finalists are shortlisted from an online vote open to the public, with over 3500 votes cast this year and visited by an esteemed panel of judges to crown the final winners.
The awards recognise everything from Kopparberg’s New Pub of the Year, Hi Spirits Best Live Music Venue and even Antos Dog Friendly Pub of the Year. The winners were announced from amongst 75 finalists at last night’s glittering awards ceremony at the Doubletree Hilton Glasgow Central, as Scotland’s finest bar and pub operators came together to celebrate a bumper year.
Glasgow’s bar and pub scene cleaned up at the awards, with local institutions like The Piper Whisky Bar taking home Benromach’s Whisky Bar of the Year, and the East End’s Palais Bar claiming the coveted prize of the night, the Sunday Mail Pub of the Year. West End mainstays Eusebi Deli won the Stoli Sustainability Award while Scoop Restaurants, operators of world-renowned venues Ka Pao and Ox and Finch, won Independent Operator of the Year.
Meanwhile, Edinburgh’s winners included Black Ivy for Antos Dog Friendly Pub of the Year (above), and beloved bar and restaurant The Huxley was recognised for exemplary service with the Aro Procurement Customer Service Award.
Newcomer The Commons Club at Virgin Hotels claimed the Old Tom Gin Hotel Bar of the Year, holding off competition from Gleneagles Hotel, Fonab Castle and Rusacks Hotel.
Outwith the central belt, the Scottish Bar and Pub Awards recognised some of the nation’s finest venues including Inverness’ The Malt Room.
Inverness native and bar manager of the venue Matt MacPherson took home two awards, crowned Deanston Whisky Guru 2022 and Buzzworks & Montpeliers Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year.
In Dundee, John Black of The Fort won Licensee of the Year, whilst The Fox in Troon was named Kopparberg’s New Bar of the Year, coming out top ahead of stiff competition from Jimmy Badgers, Giddy Goose and The Albyn.
The awards are Scotland’s longest running licensed trade awards, and celebrate the industry’s rising stars, community led initiatives and creative forces which drive the nation’s best venues.
