Filling a gap for community start-up spaces that encourage and support young people of all backgrounds to consider setting up their own business, Square Go is an example of how YE Scotland is helping to embed an enterprise culture across education and within the Scottish Government’s Young Person’s Guarantee.

It provides free safe, collaborative spaces and access to business resources to support young people, aged between 18 and 30, ambitious to explore their business ideas. In addition, Square Go will provide employment opportunities, personal development and enterprise learning for young people who might otherwise feel excluded from an entrepreneurial career.

Funded through East Renfrewshire Council’s Placed Best Investment fund, Provost Mary Montague, welcomed Square Go’s first young entrepreneurs to their new pods, all of which have been made from upcycled shipping containers and sit around a communal courtyard. The village was constructed by Procast in collaboration with the YE Scotland team.

The first Square Go ‘tenants’ include entrepreneurs Moth Hay, Jordan Robertson, Adam Boyd and Roisin Dooley Nealis, along with BLING Jewellery group, The Prince’s Trust Team Programme, St Paul’s High School’s enterprise trade fair and Kelvin College.

Emma Soanes, YE Scotland CEO, said: “Our start-up village nurtures business ideas and supports young people to have a ‘Square Go’ at bringing ideas to life, whilst developing skills and achieving goals. Each pod is a hub of possibility, aiming to support the enterprise journey.

“Square Go is all about bringing ideas to life, whilst developing skills and achieving goals. It is a safe space providing an opportunity to ‘learn by doing’ within a supportive community – and I am delighted that with the support we have received from both national and local government.”