A South Lanarkshire Council-backed community project is giving young entrepreneurs support.
The community enterprise project E3, which collaborates with the council, has teamed up with East Kilbride’s new coworking space – EK Collective to offer free hotdesking for young people in conjunction with E3’s Give it A Go Grant.
All recipients of the grant, which is available for young people aged 18 to 30, will be able to take advantage of the new space and use the facility to work.
The Give It A Go programme also offers expert one to one mentorship to provide support and advice to young people throughout the market testing of their new business.
During the two- to three-month period, successful applicants will be able to use free hotdesking at EK Collective and can hold their mentorship meetings in private rooms at the facility.
Lynne Kirk, Blantyre E3 Hub Manager, said: “We’re really excited about this collaboration between E3 and EK Collective.
“It’s such a good opportunity for young people to take their work somewhere new if they don’t have the right facilities at home, or if they’re feeling a bit stuck trying to get things started by themselves – this gives them the opportunity to work in a professional environment with other like-minded, collaborative people.
“It’s also a great networking opportunity in the early stages of them trying out their business – without the need to show up wearing a shirt and tie.”
The E3 project works closely with South Lanarkshire Council to promote and engage South Lanarkshire residents and businesses across the region.
The project currently has two hubs in Blantyre and Lanark and offers business support, social media training and hosts a number of programmes and webinars.
By collaborating with EK Collective, E3 hope to increase coworking and collaboration between locals and businesses.
EK Collective co-founder David McBeth said: “There is a real buzz and energy at EK Collective.
“Flexible hybrid working models are becoming increasingly popular post-pandemic and we believe a town of East Kilbride’s size should have access to such facilities in the heart of the town centre.
“We are excited about the coming months and want to support entrepreneurs and businesses at all stages of growth by continuing to develop this new working environment which will foster community and collaboration.
EK Collective is located in Strathmore and Edinburgh Houses and aims to facilitate new business growth and regeneration by encouraging businesses and entrepreneurs into the town centre.
To find more about the Give It A Go grants and the support available to young people from E3, visit their website.
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