Social enterprises welcome start-up grants boost

More than a dozen social entrepreneurs across Scotland have received a share of a £67,000 prize pot from start-up agency Firstport.

Spilt Milk founder Lauren McLaughlin is using the arts to empower mothers. Picture: Contributed

The Start It awards, part of the Scottish Government’s Social Entrepreneur’s Fund, awarded grants to 14 social enterprises throughout the Borders, Dumfries, Moray and the Central Belt.

Recipients include Edinburgh’s Spilt Milk, a health and wellbeing-focused venture offering childcare-supported creative workshops, events and exhibitions to empower mothers.

The funding will support Spilt Milk’s plans to rent a workshop space in Leith to deliver its empowerment programme. Future goals include securing a permanent property with studio, workshop and gallery spaces as well as a crèche.

Founder Lauren McLaughlin said: “At Spilt Milk we are passionate about the power of the arts to shape communities and inspire change and we believe art should be accessible to all.

“The funding will allow us to build upon our childcare-supported creative workshop programme and reach more mothers throughout Edinburgh and beyond.”

Firstport chief executive Josiah Lockhart, added: “By combining creative arts with mothers’ wellbeing, [Spilt Milk] offers a novel way of challenging isolation in communities.

“This round shows how the social enterprise model continues to grow in popularity, and how social and environmental missions are at the core of start-ups in Scotland.”