Hi folks,

Robbie here, just wanted to share a bit of backstory of “Grow Hebrides” and how it came to be. I co-own (with my beautiful fiancé) “Shen’s Cafe” & “Bank Street Pizzeria”. I studied business at Borders College and then Herriot Watt in Edinburgh. We moved home just before COVID and ended up never leaving despite that not being the plan in any way shape or form!

I took a year out after finishing school to decide what I was wanting to study. I was unsure but decided I would work for Tesco as I could transfer to stores away during term time and then transfer home during breaks and always be in work. This helped me out a lot with living costs but I never learned a great deal of new skills unfortunately. I remember writing an essay on the difference between management and leadership and as I was referencing my own experiences at work it would be focussing on the negatives and how not to follow in the footsteps of what I had witnessed. It negatively affected my mood towards work and looking back on that experience I’m so grateful as it taught me a great deal in effectively leading a team.

It suddenly clicked one day when speaking to yet another business owner who was struggling to find “good staff”. There’s all these great bodies and organisations working their socks off to try and help people into work, improve their skills and find the right career path. That’s where the idea for “Grow Hebrides” started, a simple conversation that clicked into the “funnel” that “Grow Hebrides” has become. We aim to work with all schools and give young people (like myself) a way of leaving school and working for a year before they go away. But also, to go through further training and gain some experience in a field where they can gain real world skills and knowledge that can be put to use. We partner with many businesses to allow our students to have both work during term time away and we can send them to many different local businesses in the industry of their choosing when home too. One such example is our most popular choice so far - catering. Young people really enjoy the fast pace and responsibility of a kitchen and the ability to then take those skills and use them in their everyday lives.

Grow Hebrides is far more than a funnel for young people however, we work with all ages to find the right solutions for each individual. Some want a few extra hours when they aren’t looking after loved ones or working their other jobs, yet have a skill that isn’t being put to use in their Some have had an idea and just needed the right words and advice to get their idea they were nervous of trying to turn into a business a reality. It helps when you come no starting money like I did. Everyone thinks you need money to make money but “bootstrapping” to begin with is what it’s all about. It teaches you the skills to run a business successfully that why the majority of lottery winners end up with nothing. Having nothing and struggling teaches you how to gain money and make it work.