St John’s Centre to give up space in their Christmas Grotto shop for young entrepreneurs

Dec 1 2009 by Katy Gordon, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

THE St John’s Centre’s Santa has offered space to young people keen to run their own business.

Santa is giving up space in his grotto to young businesses financed and supported by the Prince’s Scottish Youth Business Trust to give them a unique taste of retail’s busiest sales period in the year

The centre, whose grotto is open for six weeks in the run up to Christmas, thought this was an ideal way for small businesses to experience the world of retail at little or no risk to themselves, as well as fantastic opportunity to benefit the charity that helped them get started in the first place.

Siobhan McConnell, St John’s Shopping Centre manager explained: “This is truly a unique opportunity for both the businesses and the charity and we’re delighted to be making this all possible.

“Santa was more than happy to give up some space in his grotto to enable young, enthusiastic people the opportunity to expand their business, and even more delighted to hear that each and every business involved is also giving something valuable back to PSYBT, which will assist other young people in the future.”

There was response from PSYBT funded businesses from all over Scotland and ten entrepreneurs have been given a spot in the grotto shop.

Mark Strudwick CBE, Chief Executive of PSYBT said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for some of the businesses we have supported from all over Scotland. The opportunity to buy amongst other items, handmade chocolates, funky t-shirts or designer jewellery, from young people running their own companies is unique.

“These businesses are growing and developing, and opportunities like this allow them to engage with the public and show off what talented young people are doing in Scotland.

“With 20 per cent of their sales being donated back to the charity, we are just delighted by their generosity.”

The Christmas Grotto is open Friday to Sunday every week from now until Christmas.