I started working for The Prince's Scottish Youth Business Trust (psybt) in 1999 and spent six years running the Edinburgh Region (which includes East and Midlothian as well as the City).  Psybt was just coming up to ten years old when I joined.  The purpose of psybt is to help young people to start up and stay in business, and it has a phenomenal success record.   I felt it was a great privelege to share the confidence of so many young people (the target group is 18-25 year olds), of whom I helped over five hundred set up in business.  The transition from having a dream to making it work is a huge challenge.  Not everyone turns into the next great entrepreneur, but it's a fantastic learning opportunity, and one in which I felt my business experience was put to the best use!  I am still a volunteer mentor for the Trust working with Lightweight Medical in particular.  I'm sure I learned as much from my clients as they ever learned from me!

Assistant psybt Regional Manager, Rosie Dowie & yours truly adorn the steps of our Melville Street Offices in 2003.