As New Start Highland marks 25 years, Chief Executive, James Dunbar highlights how support from the business community has helped hundreds find purpose—and how this year’s dinner can grow that impact further.
I always find the Highland Business Dinner an event of enormous value. It’s something I make sure I attend every year, to make new connections and catch up with friends from all sectors across the Highlands.
This year is extra special, and I’m proud in our 25th Year, New Start Highland is the Chamber’s partner charity. I find it hard to articulate my gratitude to so many people across the business community who have played an important part in our journey.
25 years ago, we set up a service to provide furniture and homeware to those who were finding life difficult. This grew over the years to extend to housing support, bikes, cooking classes, energy advice and most importantly, I think – employability training.
Fast forward to now, and the need for our services is not only still prevalent but increasing every day. Mental health struggles, low confidence, high anxiety, extreme pressure, long term unemployment, these are all very real issues, and not just with people exiting homeless or living in poverty. Because homelessness, poverty and mental health struggles look different from person to person. There are people who will be at the Highland Business Dinner, who New Start Highland has supported, and from there they’ve grown to have solid careers and successful lives. That is what makes me prouder than anything else I will achieve. Not our turnover, not our ever-decreasing reliance on grant funding, but changing people’s lives. This has a knock-on effect to the wider community and economy which can sometimes be hard to fully grasp.
Since we launched, we have trained nearly 700 people into employment. This is not a solo achievement. We have the people, the Highland business community has the job opportunities. It is all part of a wider circle and results in ever evolving community benefit.
In the past few years, we have seen a huge increase in people coming to us for mental health support. Our New Start Highland Gardens provide a service where people thrive and learn together, surrounded by the beauty of nature. It’s very powerful, and we need more support to fund these services, so more people can experience the transformative power of gardening.
Funds raised from the Highland Business Dinner will go towards our goal of opening more of these opportunities and I look forward to sharing updates with you as we progress with our next chapter.