Hi folks,

Robbie here — I wanted to give you a little behind-the-scenes look at how Grow Hebrides came to be, and what we hope it will grow into.

I co-own Shen’s Café and Bank Street Pizzeria with my beautiful fiancée. But before that, I was just like many people leaving school — not really sure what I wanted to do next. I took a year out to figure it out, and in the meantime worked at Tesco. The plan was simple: transfer to a store near university during term time, then back home for the holidays, so I’d always have work and help cover living costs.

It worked, but it wasn’t inspiring. I remember writing an essay on the difference between management and leadership, and most of my examples were “how not to do it” based on what I’d seen first-hand. At the time, it frustrated me — but looking back, it was one of the best lessons I’ve ever had in how not to run a team, and how important good leadership really is.

Fast forward a few years, and one day I was chatting to yet another local business owner about the eternal problem: “We just can’t find staff.” That’s when the penny dropped. We have all these brilliant organisations and training bodies on the island, all working their socks off to get people into jobs, improve their skills, and help them find the right career. But the dots weren’t always joining up.

That conversation was the spark for Grow Hebrides — the “funnel” that connects all those dots.

We want to work with every school on the island, giving young people a year in the workplace before they head off to study. Not just any job, but real work in industries they’re passionate about, with training that builds skills they can use for life. And for those studying away, we’ll match them with term-time jobs elsewhere, then connect them with local businesses when they come home for the holidays.

Catering is our starting base and then we'll expand to other industries. It's my bread and butter so is an easy starting point. It's already a popular choice though — it’s fast-paced, full of responsibility, and gives skills that translate into everyday life. As Gordon Ramsay like to shout from the rooftops "Everybody has to eat everyday so, why doesn't everybody learn how to cook to a good level?" But this isn’t just for the young. Grow Hebrides is for everyone.

We work with parents who just want a few extra hours outside caring for family. We work with people sitting on skills that aren’t being used. We work with dreamers who have a business idea but aren’t sure how to start — and we show them how to bootstrap it into reality without huge start-up cash. Because here’s the thing: having nothing at the start can be your greatest advantage. It teaches you how to make money work for you — and why so many people who come into sudden wealth lose it.

This is what Grow Hebrides is all about: finding the right solution for each person, creating opportunities that fit real lives, and helping the island grow stronger from the inside out.