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Ross-shire businessman hopes to keep Alness Entertainment Services afloat it is hit by the impact of Covid restrictions


By Ian Duncan

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Angus Mitchell the director of Alness Entertainment Services.
Angus Mitchell the director of Alness Entertainment Services.

A teenage Easter Ross businessman who feared he would have to close his business is exploring various avenues to try to keep it going.

Angus Mitchell, who is 19 years old and runs the award-winning Alness Entertainment Services, announced that it would close in May with the loss of three jobs due to the impact of Covid restrictions.

However there was a groundswell of support from the general public that Mr Mitchell this week confirmed that he has made one application for grant funding and is looking into other sources of income.

Speaking to the Ross-shire Journal this week he said he was grateful for the support and added: “We received some great feedback and some overwhelming support from the public which was greatly appreciated by the team.”

The director said that, so far, they have only had access to one grant of between £500 and £2000 pounds. He said: “But as you can imagine this would barely cover bills, never mind the losses, over the past month and the next two.

“No funding has been issued by the Scottish government for the events industry as yet. We remain hopeful but the only way I could describe our current circumstance is ‘in limbo with covid and the government’.

“We are very grateful for the support of the public and fellow events businesses and are trying to explore new avenues to keep the business going.”

It was recognised at the 2021/22 Prestige Awards, picking up an Entertainment Services of the Year Scotland accolade and is well-known locally for its involvement in special occasions.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “We are all too aware of the impact that Covid-19 has had – and continues to have – on business and the Scottish economy including the events and entertainment sector.

“That is why, to date, we have spent almost half a billion pounds more in support of businesses than the funding we received from the UK Government for that purpose.

“We have allocated £262 million of the £375 million committed to business support which includes a dedicated £19.8 million to support the events sector in light of the current impact of the pandemic and the restrictions currently in place.

“Further details on eligibility will be published shortly with a view to getting funding out to the sector as soon as possible.”

Mr Mitchell’s predicament won sympathy from supporters who posted to social media. Some pointed to potential funding for firms which have experienced cancellations.

Willie Hay wrote: “Sorry to hear about this, don’t give up on your dreams yet.”


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