Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
PRESS RELEASE
16 July 2001
For Use: Immediately
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Comhairle nan Eilean Siar PRESS RELEASE 16 July 2001 For Use: Immediately | |
Iain MacIver of Stornoway business "John MacIver & Sons", recently attended the Highlands & Islands Business Awards ceremony in Inverness and was presented with a prestigious business prize, by Liberal Democrat leader, Charles Kennedy MP. This was the third year in a row that a Western Isles PSYBT-assisted business had accepted this prize, which is sponsored annually by the Princes Scottish Youth Business Trust.
The 2001 Ernst & Young Highlands & Islands Business Awards Ceremony and Luncheon was held in the Eden Court Theatre. Iain scooped up the PSYBT Award, which is open to PSYBT-assisted businesses in the Highlands, Argyll & the Islands, Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles areas.
Iain (26) bought over the long-established family concern almost two years ago and has enjoyed considerable success in that time. He employs a staff of six at his premises on Inaclete Road, Stornoway.
Once Iain got the opportunity of purchasing and running the business himself, he took advantage of PSYBT loan funding to enable him to go ahead with the project. The package included personal investment by Iain and his bank, as well as the PSYBT. He also takes advantage of the free and highly successful PSYBT Aftercare programme and receives regular visits and business counselling from his adviser, ex-Bank of Scotland manager in Tarbert, Ronnie Morrison
Getting over the surprise of having been announced as the overall winner, Iain
said:
"I still can't take it in. I only took up the invitation because it sounded
like an interesting event and was a good excuse to come to Inverness for the
day. I'm really pleased to have got this award and I'd like to thank the PSYBT
for all their help and support over the past couple of years"
Councillor Donald MacLean, the Western Isles PSYBT Chairman, hailed Iain’s
success: "This is excellent news for the Western Isles and the Lewis PSYBT
Panel, who supported Iain with his project. We must also remember that local
businesses have now taken this prize home in each of the past three years. This
shows that, even in the present economic climate, our young business-people
can compete with the very best the Highlands & Islands has to offer."
In 1999, the winner of this award was Duncan MacKay of Autohire. The 2000 award was made to hairdresser Maggie MacLean, of “The Cutting Edge”. This is the actually the third occasion that a local PSYBT-assisted business has won a Highlands & Islands Business Award. The first was Donald Riddell, of “Riddell Auto Repairs”, who won the Most Promising Newcomer Award at the same event in 1994.
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, at Ness Development Centre in North Dell manages PSYBT in the Western Isles Region. The Trust has four local Panels in Barra, Uist, Harris and Lewis, made up of a cross-section of people from the local business community and other interested parties. These Panels meet regularly to make decisions on requests for funding by new and existing entrepreneurs.
The aim of the PSYBT is to provide seedcorn finance and professional support
to young people in Scotland aged 18-25, whoever they are and wherever they come
from, so that they can set up and continue to run their own businesses. The
Trust has particular concern for the disadvantaged. For more advice on how you
can apply for PSYBT backing, please contact:
Domhnall MacDonald, PSYBT Regional Manager, Tel: (01851)-810-876,
Fax: (01851)-810-652, or Email: domhnall@cne-siar.gov.uk
ENDS