Big City Beans group formed in January 2021 and less than seven months later, founding member Agne, had opened a wholesale bakery thanks to the support from her group.

“I’ve worked in so many amazing bakeries in Scotland and Sweden but always wondered when I would have enough courage to open up my own business. Seven months in, we’re like a tiny family. I don’t have this kind of relationship with anyone else in my life. It’s very business- orientated but very safe; every single person is there to propel you forward.

It’s great to have family and friends to show you emotional support along the way, but my group give me even more: along with the cheering and simple catch-ups, I have received invaluable business advice, legal pointers, and a community of strong women entrepreneurs to follow. Being a very practical person, I’ve been amazed at how approachable everyone at WEvolution is.”

We’re a group of crafters whose families are important to us (hence our name) and being in a group has had such a positive impact on our children. Each member has their own business but we work together to support, encourage and inspire each other. We also work together to make a difference in our community.

Together, we run Tea Parties and use the proceeds to support local charities. WEvolution has offered us training in business as well as in personal development, which has helped us grow. Our group is like a big family!

We’re a group of creatives based in Renfrewshire and have been meeting one evening a fortnight on Zoom over the past year or so! Our shared activity is taking photographs of Paisley, a town that is rich in architecture and history, with some of the friendliest people in the world.

Our framed prints are displayed at exhibitions and in local cafes and shop windows, showcasing so much of what is positive about the area. Two of our members wanted to take their skills to the next level and are currently studying for an HNC in Photography. A mix of previous skills levels and ages was no barrier to us making this work well for everybody.

We often get together on Zoom between meetings to spend time together crafting and socialising. We recently benefited from receiving Trust Money from WEvolution and we’re so looking forward to seeing how this pot of cash for internal lending will give us much more flexibility moving forward.