Highland Entrepreneurial Hub to aid research into rural disadvantages, 25 years after original findings
Still basking in the glory of the Rural Entrepreneurship Conference earlier this month, Impact Hub Inverness received further good news that they are partners of a successful bid to revisit essential research in Scotland. Newcastle University’s Centre for Rural Economy has been awarded a share of the first round of funding for work on tackling financial problems and improving living standards.
The Centre is one of five organisations that have been selected to share a total of just under £600,000 as part of the first round of funding from the Standard Life Foundation.
The study is partly a follow-on from work carried out 25 years ago by Professor of Planning, Mark Shucksmith and Polly Chapman (of Impact Hub Inverness), who were part of a research team at Aberdeen University looking at the experience of rural disadvantage in Scotland. This work played a significant role in helping policy makers understand the subtleties of rural disadvantage, and how it could be addressed. Returning to one of the research areas, Harris, after 25 years will give real insights into the changes over that time period.
The research team will now investigate why and how people in rural areas experience and negotiate financial hardship. Over 18 months, the study will address a gap in knowledge about experiences and impacts of low income and financial vulnerability in rural Britain.
It will also look into how external processes and individual circumstances contribute to this and make recommendations for how these could be addressed.
The work, in partnership with Scotland’s Rural College and Impact Hub Inverness, will look at three areas: Harris and Perthshire in Scotland, and Northumberland.
Professor Shucksmith said: "Financial hardship and social exclusion affect many households in rural Britain, even though poverty is widely perceived as an urban problem. In this study we will investigate people’s experience of financial vulnerability in a range of rural contexts, and gain an understanding of the economic and social processes behind this. We hope this study will provide an evidence base for practical action to tackle poverty and exclusion in rural Britain."
Mubin Haq, Chief Executive of Standard Life Foundation, said:
“We are delighted to embark on these new partnerships. Covering a diverse range of topics, the breadth of issues we are funding demonstrates that there are many ways to address financial problems and improve living standards. Together these projects have the potential to contribute to real strategic change for people on low-to-middle incomes.”
The Foundation expects to make a further £1.5m in grants in 2019.
The Centre is one of five organisations that have been selected to share a total of just under £600,000 as part of the first round of funding from the Standard Life Foundation.
The study is partly a follow-on from work carried out 25 years ago by Professor of Planning, Mark Shucksmith and Polly Chapman (of Impact Hub Inverness), who were part of a research team at Aberdeen University looking at the experience of rural disadvantage in Scotland. This work played a significant role in helping policy makers understand the subtleties of rural disadvantage, and how it could be addressed. Returning to one of the research areas, Harris, after 25 years will give real insights into the changes over that time period.
The research team will now investigate why and how people in rural areas experience and negotiate financial hardship. Over 18 months, the study will address a gap in knowledge about experiences and impacts of low income and financial vulnerability in rural Britain.
It will also look into how external processes and individual circumstances contribute to this and make recommendations for how these could be addressed.
The work, in partnership with Scotland’s Rural College and Impact Hub Inverness, will look at three areas: Harris and Perthshire in Scotland, and Northumberland.
Professor Shucksmith said: "Financial hardship and social exclusion affect many households in rural Britain, even though poverty is widely perceived as an urban problem. In this study we will investigate people’s experience of financial vulnerability in a range of rural contexts, and gain an understanding of the economic and social processes behind this. We hope this study will provide an evidence base for practical action to tackle poverty and exclusion in rural Britain."
Mubin Haq, Chief Executive of Standard Life Foundation, said:
“We are delighted to embark on these new partnerships. Covering a diverse range of topics, the breadth of issues we are funding demonstrates that there are many ways to address financial problems and improve living standards. Together these projects have the potential to contribute to real strategic change for people on low-to-middle incomes.”
The Foundation expects to make a further £1.5m in grants in 2019.
Third sector partnership wins Business Support contract
The Scottish Government today announced it will invest £5 million in supporting social enterprises and enterprising charities across Scotland.
Previous iterations of the programme report benefits including increased employment, better business and strategic planning, greater sustainability and resilience, and more efficient working practices.
Social enterprises are businesses providing a product or service where profits are reinvested or used for community benefit, rather than providing a shareholder return. Well-known examples include Hey Girls!, Social Bite and The Wise Group.
The announcement follows a competitive tender process won by the Just Enterprise consortium of business consultancy specialists from across Scotland. Lead partners Impact Hub Inverness, CEIS, Firtport and Social Enterprise Academy will be working across Scotland to lend their expert advice to social enterprises.
Hey Girls! received Just Enterprise support in 2018. CEO Celia Hodson said:
“Just Enterprise enabled us, as a new social enterprise with ambitious growth aspirations, to bid for an win a significant government contract that boosted our organisation’s turnover, credibility and profile. We simply wouldn’t have been able to bid for this without the Just Enterprise support.”
Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell said:
“The social enterprise sector contributes over £2 billion to the economy every year and employs over 80,000 people so it is vital that they are able to access the support and advice they need to succeed. Social entrepreneurs are driven by a passion to improve their local communities and provide a service for the greater good. They benefit and support people, often from disadvantaged backgrounds, and create jobs in the process. It is essential we continue to support their vision to create a better and fairer Scotland.”
Social enterprises contribute £2 billion to the Scottish economy, with more than 5,600 operating today. Social enterprises employ more than 80,000 people in Scotland and over 80% sell directly to the public.
The programme will launch in August 2019. Eligible organisations can apply via www.justenterprise.org.
Previous iterations of the programme report benefits including increased employment, better business and strategic planning, greater sustainability and resilience, and more efficient working practices.
Social enterprises are businesses providing a product or service where profits are reinvested or used for community benefit, rather than providing a shareholder return. Well-known examples include Hey Girls!, Social Bite and The Wise Group.
The announcement follows a competitive tender process won by the Just Enterprise consortium of business consultancy specialists from across Scotland. Lead partners Impact Hub Inverness, CEIS, Firtport and Social Enterprise Academy will be working across Scotland to lend their expert advice to social enterprises.
Hey Girls! received Just Enterprise support in 2018. CEO Celia Hodson said:
“Just Enterprise enabled us, as a new social enterprise with ambitious growth aspirations, to bid for an win a significant government contract that boosted our organisation’s turnover, credibility and profile. We simply wouldn’t have been able to bid for this without the Just Enterprise support.”
Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell said:
“The social enterprise sector contributes over £2 billion to the economy every year and employs over 80,000 people so it is vital that they are able to access the support and advice they need to succeed. Social entrepreneurs are driven by a passion to improve their local communities and provide a service for the greater good. They benefit and support people, often from disadvantaged backgrounds, and create jobs in the process. It is essential we continue to support their vision to create a better and fairer Scotland.”
Social enterprises contribute £2 billion to the Scottish economy, with more than 5,600 operating today. Social enterprises employ more than 80,000 people in Scotland and over 80% sell directly to the public.
The programme will launch in August 2019. Eligible organisations can apply via www.justenterprise.org.