Purple Shoots Business Lending LTD

This Small Charity Week, Purple Shoots is raising funds to bring our Why Not Start a Business? course online. We're creating flexible digital training for carers, people living with chronic illnesses, and others who can't easily attend in-person workshops. Together, we can help more people build confidence, develop business skills and explore self-employment on their own terms. And thanks to Big Give match funding, eligible donations will be doubled.

This campaign builds on years of experience helping people turn ideas into opportunities. Through our Why Not Start a Business? programme, we've supported aspiring entrepreneurs across the UK to build confidence, develop skills and explore self-employment. Today, our work reaches communities from Glasgow to Torquay. Now, we're raising funds to make Why Not accessible online, helping carers, people living with chronic illnesses and others who need flexible ways to learn access the same support, wherever they are. Together, we can open the door to enterprise for even more people.

Stephen first encountered Purple Shoots while serving a prison sentence and taking part in our Why Not Start a Business? course. He embraced the opportunity, developing the confidence and knowledge to pursue self-employment when he was released. Recognising his determination and potential, we provided a small start-up loan to help him launch Stephen Roberts Flooring. Since then, his business has gone from strength to strength. Stephen has successfully repaid his first loan and has since taken a second to support further growth and expansion. Stephen's journey is a powerful reminder that, with the right opportunity and support, people can achieve remarkable things.