Early Years Scotland

Early Years Scotland (EYS) works largely in deprived communities with children from pre-birth to age 5 and their families on programmes aimed at early health, education and family support.  Examples of this work are Stay, Play and Learn sessions, Baby Massage and Baby Yoga.

The organisation also engages in professional learning, membership services and policy advocacy.

EYS relied on grant funding from the Scottish Government, local authorities and various trusts and foundations.  Their aim was to develop a social enterprise model to diversify their income model.

Through Accelerate, we helped EYS conceptualise and develop two ideas for their social enterprise model.

The first was a pay-it-forward system where parents who can afford sessions contribute to families seeking support. The other was a family support package offered to employers as part of their employee benefits, providing parents with access to early years support and resources.

Developing social enterprise models reduced EYS’s reliance on grant funding.  It also promoted social equity, enabling access to early years services for families who might not otherwise be able to afford them.

Furthermore, the support package for employers helps parents navigate their return to work and ultimately supports employees and employers through improved wellbeing and productivity.