Latest news with #JaneMorrison-Ross
Daily Record
08-08-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Dumfries and Galloway scheme to help new entrepreneurs gets £1.5 million boost
The South of Scotland Enterprise Pathways Pre-Start is continuing after a successful pilot stage. A programme aiming to help people in Dumfries and Galloway turn their business ideas into reality has received a £1.5 million funding boost. The South of Scotland Enterprise Pathways Pre-Start programme awarded grants of up to £1,000 to nearly 400 people during a successful pilot last year. It also offered specialist coaching to hundreds of existing or potential business founders to help them with their business ideas and build confidence. The Scottish Government has now allocated the pilot a further £1.5 million so it can continue this year. It's part of a £6 million investment that aims to focus on supporting women and other under-represented groups to become entrepreneurs. Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said: 'A successful, vibrant economy needs high-growth, innovative start-up businesses and that in turn is reliant on supporting and nurturing business talent – talent which I know lies in every corner of our country. 'I am determined to break down any and all barriers for any business-minded person who wants to start or develop their business idea or company, and this incredibly successful Pathways pilot run by South of Scotland Enterprise has illustrated how effective pre-start intervention can be. 'Three in four of those who accessed the programme's coaching services said that the things that previously held them back from starting a business were no longer barriers. This is a powerful illustration of the pilot's success and I am delighted to support its continuation for a further year as part of our commitment to deliver the recommendations of the Pathways report and tackle under-representation in business.' South of Scotland Enterprise chief executive, Jane Morrison-Ross, said: 'The goal of Pathways was to support the ambitions of new and under-represented founders across thesouth of Scotland, by reaching people with fantastic ideas but who did not think of themselves as entrepreneurs. 'We worked with 269 women and people from other under-represented groups to create over 100 new, innovative businesses. 'With the support of the Scottish Government, we will now take this further, unlocking the fantastic potential in the south, breaking more barriers to growth and unleashing the power of the rural economy.'
BBC News
12-03-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Hydrogen plant promises jobs at old Chapelcross nuclear site
A green hydrogen project hopes to deliver dozens of new jobs next to a former nuclear power station site in southern Cat Hydrogen (GCH) said its proposed development at Chapelcross, near Annan, could help to decarbonise local nuclear plant ceased generating electricity in 2004 and its cooling towers came down a few years later.A plan for turning the area into a "green energy hub" was unveiled last year, backed by funding from the Scottish and UK governments. Green hydrogen is produced by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen using renewable hydrogen it produces can then be used as a fuel which does not emit polluting said its facility would support about 50 high-skilled jobs once it was operational plus about 150 during it is up and running the company said it could produce more than 4,000 tonnes of green hydrogen per year - reducing carbon dioxide emissions by up to 26,000 tonnes a firm said that was the equivalent of planting 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres) of broadleaf engineering and environmental studies for the project have started and a planning application is being drawn to that the company will hold two public consultation events - the first of which will be on 1 April at Creca Village was set up in 2022 and is developing other projects in Scotland including in Perthshire and Orkney. Chief executive Gavin Catto said: "We are committed to listening to the community's views and working closely with local stakeholders."The current project at Chapelcross is just the first phase of what we hope will develop into a significant partnership for GCH and our counterparts."The project represents a significant contribution to the transformation of Chapelcross into a major hub for this exciting new technology."Jane Morrison-Ross, chief executive at South of Scotland Enterprise, said it was delighted to have GCH on board."We know that Chapelcross is perfectly placed in the middle of the UK, and its history and future reflect the importance of innovation in energy production," she said."GCH's proposals highlight again the south is the perfect place to invest and do business."We would encourage the local community to engage with the upcoming public engagement events to find out more about GCH's plans."
