A SOCIAL enterprise set up by a Barrhead woman to help people facing crisis has been chosen to receive support from a funding scheme.

Cat Divers launched Mypickle.org after becoming frustrated there was no support online to help her through her own difficult times.

Mypickle’s aim is to help anyone in the UK facing crisis to find and access the support they need.

Now, the service has been selected to receive backing from the Big Issue Invest’s Power Up Scotland scheme.

Power Up Scotland is a lending scheme that offers investment, advice and support to early stage social ventures across Scotland.

This year, the scheme has been able to offer £500,000 worth of investment in total.

Cat told the Barrhead News: “Starting a social enterprise, particularly a not-for-profit one, is extremely challenging and having access to expert advice, support and funding is critical.

“We are so grateful to be accepted onto this programme. My Pickle CIC is all about co-creating new solutions that help people, and particularly the most vulnerable in society, to find and access the support they need when they need it.

“We want to see a world where anyone facing crisis can get the help they need when they need it, regardless of their location, finances or other personal circumstances.”

The programme has been designed for early stage social ventures.

Danyal Sattar, CEO of Big Issue Invest, said: “It is challenging as a social venture to secure early-stage funding. We are, therefore, so pleased, working with our brilliant partners in Scotland, to be able to support these organisations with the investment and business development expertise that they need in order to make an even greater difference.

“We are incredibly excited about working with this year’s Power Up Scotland applicants. The work they do in their communities is incredible and it will be an honour to help them take this further.”