Outdoor movement business in Fife shortlisted for Scottish start-up award

Kingsbarns-based startup WildStrong is an outdoor movement company specialising in movement skills we all need as we age. It was launched by Gill Erskine in 2021. It has been nominated for both the education and training, and the rural start-up of the Year Award in Scotland.

Gill said: “We are really proud of this nomination - particularly for the education and training category. We have worked really hard to create and refine our level one course, and it’s such a huge pleasure to deliver it and help students understand more about how our bodies work, how to think more critically about movement, about how movement can be used as a hook for social connection and connection to nature, to hear the questions and the discussions emerge and to see the friendships made.”

The UK StartUp Awards was launched to recognise the booming start-up scene across the UK which has accelerated over the last few years with over 900,000 new businesses founded in the UK in 2023, a 12% increase from the year before.

Over 900 businesses have been shortlisted for this year’s UK StartUp Awards and the contribution of these firms - all of which were started in the last three years - is significant, having created nearly 6,000 new jobs since they were established and generating annual sales of £480 million.

The cohort of finalists will be considered for the regional prizes by a panel of judges with experience founding or supporting entrepreneurial ventures. The winners from each region will then be invited to the first UK final taking place at Ideas Fest, the Glastonbury for Business festival in Tring, Hertfordshire in September.

Professor Dylan Jones-Evans OBE, the creator of the UK StartUp Awards, said:

“Start-up businesses are the lifeblood of any economy, being responsible for new jobs, innovation and wealth creation across the UK. All the finalists this year represent the best of those entrepreneurs who have spotted an opportunity and through their sheer hard work, talent and perseverance, have created amazing new businesses that are creating real impact in their sectors.”