Tag: Scottish winners

Next Steps Awards: Young Innovators in Scotland given critical boost

  • Young Innovators Next Steps Awards recognises trailblazing young entrepreneurs, accelerating their business growth to deliver an even bigger impact
  • Almost £1m awarded – with each winner given £50,000 to grow and scale their business over the 12-month programme
  • Innovate UK calls for next generation of innovators to come forward and apply for the next Young Innovators Awards

Two Young Innovators from Scotland have been given a further boost to their early-stage businesses by Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, through the Young Innovators Next Steps Awards.

These entrepreneurs were previous recipients of the Young Innovators Award and have now been awarded a second time, based on their progress and their future growth plans.

Looking for young people with innovative ideas

The announcement comes as Innovate UK calls for aspiring entrepreneurs across Scotland to come forward and apply to be part of the Young Innovators Award 2022/23 cohort.

The programme nurtures the talents of tomorrow to tackle some of society’s most pressing challenges. Up to 100 winning young entrepreneurs will be supported for 12 months, with individuals benefiting from a £5,000 grant, one-on-one business support, and an allowance to cover living costs.

Young Innovators Next Steps award winners

With a focus on helping young people really scale up their ground-breaking ideas, the Young Innovators Next Steps Awards will see all 19 winners receive an additional £50,000. From the first prosthetic limb for children which grows as they do, to wallets made of seaweed, and technology to help monitor and protect our bees, the 19 innovators are already making a big impact in their sectors.

In just over 12 months, since winning their first Innovate UK award, the pioneers have attracted further investment, secured offices and production facilities, expanded their teams (creating over 50 new jobs), filed patents and landed important deals with the likes of John Lewis, M&S, and Microsoft.

The two winners from Scotland are:

  • Lucy Fisher (26 years old), from Aberdeen, took a childhood passion for knitting and turned it into a business. Knit It® aims to inspire the younger generations to pick up their needles and start knitting via an interactive online platform that makes knitting fun and simple, whilst teaching knitters and newbies skills and techniques. Knit It® has gone from a girl and her grandma to a thriving team. Since winning her first award Lucy has pitched at London Tech Week, launched www.knit-it.co.uk and is now on the lookout for knitting pattern designers to join her story.
  • Elena Höge (29 years old), from Edinburgh, is creating Games for Good like Wholesome, a relaxing life simulator about living in harmony with nature. It teaches children and adults about nature, including how to forage and cook wild food.
  • Since winning the Young Innovators Award, Elena has grown her team from 1 to 6, won prestigious industry awards, and raised around £90,000 in grants and small investments.

These Young Innovators Next Step winners’ ideas are improving lives and creating a more sustainable, productive and prosperous future.

New advances in technology are also at the heart of many of the innovators’ business – from an AI personal trainer, to an interactive online platform to inspire the digital generation to pick up their knitting needles, and a mobile app designed to help families monitor and improve their wellbeing.

Young Innovators 22/23 Competition

Both winners from Scotland originally scooped Young Innovator Awards in 2021. The Young Innovators Awards recognise young people, aged 18 to 30, from every region and nation of the UK with great business ideas who have the potential to become successful entrepreneurs and future leaders in innovation.

Award winners will each receive a £5,000 grant, living allowance, a package of business coaching, and mentoring from a personal Innovation Champion from Innovate UK Edge.

Aspiring entrepreneurs can learn more and register their interest in the forthcoming Young Innovators awards, which open on 13th June: https://ktn-uk.org/programme/young-innovators-22-23-registration

Commenting on her award and project, Lucy said, “I started Knit It® because I wanted to revolutionise the knitting industry and inspire a new generation to take up the craft.

“At the beginning, I could not have imagined that, right now, I would have secured funding to take my business forwards, have support from household names and avid knitters like Tom Daley and be on the lookout for collaborators and partners to make this happen big time!

“I’m so proud to have been selected for Innovate UK’s Young Innovators Next Steps Award and excited for the future!”

EDINBURGH, UK – 16th January 2022: Elena H??ge, founder of Yaldi Games, a start-up game developer. The company’s first title, Wholesome ??? Out and About, blends digital learning and traditional outdoor skills, together to create an inspirational range of activities including foraging, nature awareness, sustainability practices, healthy cooking and fun crafting. (Photograph: MAVERICK PHOTO AGENCY)

Commenting on her award and project, Elena said: “When I first applied for Innovate UK’s the Young Innovators Award, I had a vision to create games that go beyond digital with environmental, social, and cultural impact, while inspiring young people to get outdoors and benefit from the natural world.

“In a relatively short space of time, it’s gone from a dream to a reality, with support from external backers and my own excellent team.

“My advice to any innovators on the fence about their ideas is to go for it – your passion will drive the business forwards.”

The Young Innovator Awards enable entrepreneurship and innovation among more young people to help them bring more diverse ideas and businesses into the economy, champion innovations for the underrepresented, and provide a platform for gamechangers looking to make a societal, economic and environmental impact.

Emily Nott, Head of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion at Innovate UK said: “It’s one thing to have a business idea and – as so many aspiring entrepreneurs would attest – quite another to make it a reality.

“These innovative young people have worked relentlessly to realise their ambitions and we are proud of the role we are able to play in helping them on this journey. Their disruptive ideas stand to make a big impact, but their stories are important in other ways too – if they can inspire other young people to come forward and innovate, we will all benefit”.

Innovate UK’s Chief Executive Officer, Indro Mukerjee, said: “Innovate UK is committed to inspiring and supporting the next generation of innovators. We will work to inspire, involve, and invest in their talent to create a strong future economy and society.

“Congratulations to the Young Innovators Next Steps award winners and I look forward to seeing their businesses develop even further”.

Aspiring entrepreneurs can learn more about the forthcoming Young Innovators awards, which open for applications on the 13th June: https://ktn-uk.org/programme/young-innovators-22-23-registration

Luck of the Scottish!

Partick & Dunfermline bingo players bring home £100,000 in TWO DAYS

Since Scottish bingo clubs re-opened their doors to customers in May over 50% of big wins on the National Bingo Game have been in Scotland, with the lucky Jackpot winners sharing in over £350,000 in prize money. It’s no wonder Scottish players love their bingo.

Of ten top level Jackpot Prizes won on the National Bingo Game this year six have been claimed in Scotland: Dundee, Greenock (twice), Motherwell and now in rapid succession Partick and Dunfermline, where players each won £50,000 on Tuesday 6th and Wednesday 7th July, both at clubs run by Scotland’s largest independent bingo operator, Carlton Bingo. 

Regular players at Carlton Bingo Partick saw a 78 year-old mother of two, grandmother of two and great grandmother of one, who has been playing bingo and loving bingo for over 59 years call house on the afternoon of Tuesday 6th July.

The lucky winner had been introduced to the game by her elder sister who sadly died a number of years ago.  The winner and her two sisters were all bingo fans and previously she had won and shared prizes of £2,000 and £5,000, but nothing prepared for this latest win!

The Partick winner was with a friend and her daughter, having a catch-up, when her bingo took an unexpected and exciting turn. While playing the National Bingo Game her numbers just kept coming out and suddenly she realised she was calling house!  The house prize was a sure win, but then the caller confirmed that she had actually won a £50,000 jackpot Prize! She could not believe her luck!

Talking with players and staff after the win was confirmed, she said: “I love my bingo and always have. I am only a little sad that neither of my sisters are here to share my latest and biggest win, as we always shared, even 50p!

“I still enjoy coming as it’s a great place to make new friends and winning is always a bonus.”

Gary Duncanson, General Manager at Carlton Bingo Partick said, “It is always great to see people win, but there is something really wonderful about seeing a regular win the big £50,000 Jackpot prize on the National Bingo Game, especially after such a difficult year: the winner lost her second sister earlier this year, so there were a lot of tears shed in the afternoon by staff and customers. Mostly tears of joy, tinged with a little sadness.”

The following day another Carlton Bingo customer, this time at the Dunfermline club in Fife Leisure Park scooped another £50,000 Jackpot prize.

The lucky winner is a regular player at the club, having also been a regular at the club’s previous location at the Alhambra in Canmore Street: she loves her bingo, as it’s a great social night out with friends and once the tears of joy and surprise had subsided she confessed to being totally shocked by the win, but that she is also a firm believer that you have to be in it to win it.

Graham Lowson, General Manager at Carlton Bingo Dunfermline said: “We were all very excited on the night of the win and it was great to see such a huge National Bingo Game prize go to a regular player here at Carlton Bingo: it really is a great feeling when a customer gets a big win and to hear the club cheer.

“Carlton Dunfermline is no stranger to big wins, we have had three £50,000 winners before this one, and Carlton Bingo is clearly on a winning streak as yesterday afternoon Carlton Partick also had a thrilled £50,000 winner – that’s what I call afternoon delight!”

Alastair Stewart, Business Development Manager at the National Bingo Game said: “We are thrilled for our latest lucky National Bingo Game £50,000 Jackpot winners in Partick and Dunfermline and we hope that they enjoy their winnings.

“Scotland does seem to be lucky for bingo fans who also claimed Jackpot prizes on 27th June as part of this year’s National Bingo Day.”                                                                                               
To find a participating club and for further information on the National Bingo Game visit www.nationalbingo.co.uk. or follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/NationalBingoGame) and Twitter.com @nationalbingo.

All players must be aged 18 or over.  The National Bingo Game is played under the provisions of The Gambling Act 2005 and played under National Bingo Game Players’ Rules.

Players should always gamble responsibly.  For more information and advice visit www.BeGambleAware.org