Peebles Punks pot £200,000 to create social enterprise
Local Peebles youth group secures funding worth nearly £200,000.
The money will help Tweeddale Youth Action transform its successful Food Punks and Bike Punks projects, into an income generating social enterprise that will help fund its youth club.
Originally the two projects had been established as part of the group’s service provision to help local youngsters gain confidence and skills and become more environmentally aware.
When the original funding from the Climate Challenge Fund ran out last March, TYA’s Locality Manager, Dave Hodson, realised both projects had the potential to be developed into a social enterprise that would not only continue to support local youths but generate an income to safeguard the future of youth services.
Now, thanks to help from Business Gateway Scottish Borders, TYA has secured £110,000 from Scottish Borders LEADER that will be used over the next 20 months.
The funding, alongside a £45,000 grant from the Robertson Trust, will allow catering project, Food Punks, to take on a head chef and establish an outside catering arm, hire a commercial kitchen, and pay for a catering van and trailer that will allow them to attend larger events.
The remaining LEADER funds, alongside TYA reserves and a £10,000 commission from South East of Scotland Transport Partnership (SEStran), will establish Bike Punks as a bicycle upcycle enterprise, creating artwork and smaller bike centric art to sell.
