Could your idea be the vital spark to revitalise your community?
What is Vital Spark? Vital Spark is a dynamic project, delivered by Firstport in partnership with InspirAlba, working alongside local people in Argyll and the Islands, revitalising local areas through social enterprise. This vast area has an outstanding cultural and natural heritage and an abundance of assets, but it faces tough challenges. Communities are separated by huge distances: some are remote and rural, others are 30 minutes from a million people. There are economic disparities between and within communities. And the biggest export is young people as Argyll has one of the highest rates of youth migration in Scotland. What these areas have in common is a strong sense of who they are, a vibrant community spirit and a commitment to getting things done. Vital Spark is setting up social enterprise hubs in Dunoon, Rothesay and Campbeltown.
Social enterprises are businesses that trade to improve communities, people’s lives or the environment. They can make the most of the good things in communities – trading local crafts, skills and produce. But they can also be uniquely placed to meet local needs - using empty shops, employing local people and delivering the services people want.
We are inviting you to come up with an idea that will have a positive impact in your community and to take the journey with us to develop this idea into a social enterprise. The best ideas will be offered a place on Vital Spark. You’ll have access to one to one business training, mentoring from industry experts, funding and free workspace to test your social enterprise start up ideas. We aim to build enterprising local cultures where emerging social entrepreneurs can flourish while generating skills and revenue that support themselves and their community.
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We’ve developed these into five themes to get you started.
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Creative uses for empty shops, community growing in underused space, outdoor play for children
Training and development for young people, skills sharing between generations, more community action
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Platforms for local artists to sell their work, new tourist trails, events and festivals
Pop up shops for local crafts, more markets for local produce, support for buying local
Community transport solutions, sports and outdoor activities, support for recycling and renewables
Enterprise
Services
Places
People
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Culture & Heritage
THEME 5 THEME 4 THEME 3 THEME 2 THEME 1 To get us started we met local people and asked them two simple questions: what do you love about your area and what could be better?
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Sparking your ideas
Your journey
The Partnership Firstport is Scotland’s development agency for start-up social entrepreneurs and social enterprise. They
Light the Spark
provide people with seed funding, free business advice, practical tools and expert mentoring. Firstport has
Attend one of our local events, find out more and discuss ideas
supported around 4000 budding social entrepreneurs and helped to create two new social enterprises every week. Firstport designed the programme and will run the local hubs. Inspiralba is a charitable enterprise, operating across Argyll and the Islands to assist community based
Get selected
organisations to turn their ideas and aspirations into robust, sustainable business activities. It provides
Send us your application and additional documents by the deadline for your area
a range of services, to help organisations build resilience and income which in turn delivers a range of environmental, social and economic benefits for communities across Argyll and Bute. InspirAlba will work alongside Firstport as the local partner providing business training.
You’re on board!
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is the Scottish Government’s economic and community development
Take up your place at your local Vital Spark hub
agency for the north and west of Scotland. Their purpose is to generate sustainable economic growth across the Highlands and Islands. They work in a diverse region which extends from Shetland to Argyll, and from the Outer Hebrides to Moray, covering more than half of Scotland’s land mass. HIE is the main funder and is
Fired up & ready to go!
providing grant support to cover the costs of running the project.
Your support starts here. Meet your business advisor and make the most of the support available
CalMac Ferries Ltd Caledonian MacBrayne is the UK’s largest ferry network operator and a major Scottish employer. A multi-award winner, it has provided essential lifeline services and logistical support to island and mainland communities for more than 160 years. CalMac plays an integral part in the sustainability
Get funding
of the Highlands and Islands’ social and business life providing vital links, jobs and commerce across
Apply for up to £5,000
some of Europe’s most remote and economically fragile areas. The company is proud to make tangible commitment to its communities as part of Vital Spark.
Open for business
UnLtd is the leading provider of support to social entrepreneurs in the UK and offers the largest such network
Start testing your idea, the vital spark team will be there to support and encourage you
in the world. UnLtd resources hundreds of individuals each year through its core Awards programme by investing directly in individuals and offering a complete package of resources; from Awards of funding, to ongoing advice, networking and practical support. UnLtd will provide grant funding and additional support to participants on the programme.
Keep going
Time to leave the hub and find your own premises
The Kilfinan Trust Nick and Jane Ferguson set up the Kilfinan Kilfinan Trust
Trust to support voluntary organisations and charities in Argyll. The Kilfinan Trust has contributed funding towards the running costs of the project.
Go to www.firstport.org.uk/vitalspark and find out the next application date for your area
www.firstport.org.uk/vitalspark • info@firstport.org.uk • 0131 220 0511
www.firstport.org.uk/vitalspark info@firstport.org.uk • 0131 220 0511
Funded by Highlands and Islands Enterprise Supported by Caledonian MacBrayne, UnLtd & Kilfinan Trust Registered in Scotland • Company Registration No. SC312802 • Charity No. SCO37942