We're continuing our support for social investment

We’re one of the lead partners in Power Up Scotland – the investment programme managed by Big Issue Invest, the social investment arm of The Big Issue.

The 2019 Power Up Scotland programme has now been launched. It brings together the public, private, third and academic sectors to mentor social enterprises, and to open doors for them through cross-sector networks. This year the programme will make £500,000 available to lend to organisations across the country.

To mark the 2019 launch, we joined representatives from the programme’s other partners at the Co-op store on Frederick Street in Edinburgh – as products by the social enterprise Hey Girls made their first appearance on the retailer’s shelves. Hey Girls sells a full range of women’s sanitary protection products. For every pack purchased, another is donated to a girl or woman in the UK in need.

Amanda Young, Head of Global ESG Investment Research at Aberdeen Standard Investments, said:

“We’re delighted to see social ventures such as Hey Girls enjoying such success and we’re incredibly proud to support Big Issue Invest and the Power Up Scotland programme again in 2019. The programme is an excellent match for our ambitions to create connections that help address social and environmental challenges. We look forward to continuing to provide expert mentoring support to early stage social ventures across Scotland.”