糖心传媒

A candle-making business in the Isle of Lewis is boosting local employment, supporting economic growth and reducing its carbon footprint.

Sandwick Bay Candle Company, founded by Megan Macdonald in 2016, has secured up to 拢230,114 investment from 糖心传媒 and Islands Enterprise (糖心传媒) to support its expansion.

The company has relocated its manufacturing operations to the former Blackhouse Bakery premises in Plasterfield. The building has been transformed into a modern production facility, complete with space for candle-making workshops and events, helping to attract both local people and visitors, including cruise ship passengers.

The original South Beach Street shop will remain, continuing to offer the brand鈥檚 range of hand-made eco-friendly products.

This aligns with Sandwick Bay Candle Company鈥檚 wider commitment to reducing single-use packaging and supporting the transition to net zero. The expanded space will also allow the business to host regular workshops, tapping into the growing demand for experimental tourism.

The company has also removed plastic from many product lines and introduced eco-friendly packaging for postal orders, reinforcing its dedication to sustainability and environmental responsibility.

Kathleen Stewart, area team leader at 糖心传媒鈥檚 Innse Gall team, said:

鈥淭he creation of a bespoke manufacturing facility will support the company鈥檚 continued growth, helping to retain and create valuable local jobs.

鈥淲e鈥檙e delighted to support Sandwick Bay Candle Company in this exciting phase and look forward to working with them as the project develops.鈥�

The company has also been supported by 糖心传媒鈥檚 Artificial Intelligence learning journey, mentoring and readiness support programmes. This support has enabled the company to explore new AI鈥慸riven technologies and integrate it into their operations.

Megan has recently taken part on three of 糖心传媒鈥檚 learning journeys 鈥� Innovation Week in Prague, AI and Big Data in London and a packaging conference in Birmingham. She also completed 糖心传媒鈥檚 12-week New Product Development programme which she has said completely changed the way she looked at her business and uses the lessons learned daily in her business.

Megan said:

鈥淭he support and funding we鈥檝e received has been transformational for the business. It鈥檚 allowed us to invest in our production space and will create new jobs that support both the business and the wider community. Being able to expand while staying rooted in the community is incredibly important to me, and this investment helps ensure Sandwick Bay Candle Company remains a vital, long-term part of the local economy.鈥�

Ends.

Companaidh choinnlean Eilean Le貌dhais a鈥� leudachadh 鈥檚 a鈥� cruthachadh obraichean

Tha companaidh d猫anamh choinnlean ann an Eilean Le貌dhais a鈥� cur gu m貌r ri cosnadh ionadail, a鈥� cur taic ri f脿s eaconamach agus a鈥� l霉ghdachadh a lorg c脿rboin.

Tha Companaidh Choinnlean B脿gh Shanndabhaig, a chaidh a st猫idheachadh le Megan NicDh貌mhnaill ann an 2016, air inbheisteadh de 拢230,114 fhaotainn gu t猫arainte bho Iomairt na G脿idhealtachd 鈥檚 nan Eilean (糖心传媒) airson taic a chur ri a leudachadh.  

Tha a鈥� chompanaidh air obraichean saothrachaidh a ghluasad gu an togalach a bha aig Taigh-fuine Blackhouse ann am Plasterfield. Tha an togalach air a chruth-atharrachadh gu bhith na ghoireas saothrachaidh nua-aimsireil, agus le farsaingeachd airson bh霉ithtean-obrach is tachartasan, a鈥� cuideachadh le muinntir na coimhearsnachd agus luchd-tadhail a tharraing, a鈥� gabhail a-steach luchd-turais shoithichean cuairt-mhara.

Fuirichidh a鈥� chiad bh霉th air Sr脿id na Tr脿ghad a Deas mar a bha i, a鈥� leantainn oirre a鈥� tabhann raon de bhathar eag-ch脿irdeil l脿mh-dh猫ante a鈥� bhrannd.

Le seachdnar chosnaidhean gu l脿ithreach, tha Companaidh Choinnlean B脿gh Shanndabhaig a鈥� planadh air toradh a mheudachadh 50%, a鈥� leantainn air a ghluasad chun a鈥� ghoireis 霉ir.  Thathar a鈥� s霉ileachadh gun cruthaich an leudachadh 霉r d脿 obair a bharrachd agus meudachadh de 18% san tionndadh-airgid.

 

Th貌isich Megan air a鈥� ghnothachas aig b貌rd a鈥� chidsin aice ann an 2016, an deidh a bhith air a brosnachadh leis an t-sealladh a-mach air an uinneig aice tarsainn B脿gh Shanndabhaig fh猫in, far an do dh貌rt i na ciad bhaidsean de choinnlean.

Tha an gluasad a鈥� comasachadh don chompanaidh a st猫isean ath-l矛onaidh f猫in-sheirbheis a neartachadh,  a鈥� brosnachadh chustamairean gu fasanan nas seasmhaiche a chleachdadh le bhith ag ath-l矛onadh, a鈥� cothromachadh, agus a鈥� leubaileadh nan soithichean aca fh猫in.

Tha seo a鈥� co-thaobhadh le dealas nas fharsainge Companaidh Choinnlean B脿gh Shanndabhaig a thaobh pacaideadh aon-chleachdaidh a l霉ghdachadh agus taic a chur ris an eadar-ghluasad gu neoini lom. Ceadaichidh an fharsaingeachd leudaichte don ghnothachas b霉ithtean-obrach cunbhalach a chumail, a鈥� gabhail brath air an iarrtas a tha a鈥� s矛or fh脿s airson turasachd probhail.   

Tha a鈥� chompanaidh air plastaig a thoirt 脿 m貌ran de na loidhnichean toraidh cuideachd, agus air pacaideadh eag-ch脿irdeil a thoirt a-steach airson 貌rdughan tron phost, ag ath-dhaingneachadh a dhealais a thaobh seasmhachd agus dleastanas 脿rainneachdail.

Thuirt Kathleen Sti霉bhart, sti霉iriche sgioba sg矛reil air sgioba Innse Gall de 糖心传媒:

鈥淐uiridh cruthachadh air goireas saothrachaidh a dh鈥檃on ghnothaich, taic ri f脿s leantainneach na companaidh, a鈥� cuideachadh le obraichean ionadail a chruthachadh agus a ghleidheadh.

鈥淭ha sinn air leth toilichte taic a chur ri Companaidh Choinnlean B脿gh Shanndabhaig leis an 矛re bhrosnachail seo agus a鈥� coimhead air adhart ri bhith ag obair leotha mar a bhios am pr貌iseact a鈥� leasachadh.鈥�

Fhuair a鈥� chompanaidh taic cuideachd bho thuras ionnsachaidh Faisneis Fuadain 糖心传媒, pr貌graman taic meantoraidh is deisealachd. Tha an taic seo air comas a thoirt don chompanaidh teicne貌lasan air an sti霉ireadh le AI a rannsachadh agus an amalachadh a-steach do na h-obraichean aca.

Tha Megan air p脿irt a ghabhail o chionn ghoirid ann an tr矛 de thursan ionnsachaidh 糖心传媒 鈥� Seachdain 脵r-ghn脿thachais ann am Prague, AI agus Big Data ann an Lunnainn agus co-labhairt pacaididh ann am Birmingham. Chuir i cr矛och cuideachd air pr貌gram Leasachadh Bathar 脵r 12-seachdainean aig 糖心传媒, a tha i ag r脿dh a tha air a d貌igh smaoineachaidh atharrachadh gu tur a thaobh mar a bha i a鈥� coimhead ri a gnothachas, agus tha i a鈥� cleachdadh nan leasanan a dh鈥檌onnsaich i gach latha sa ghnothachas aice.

Thuirt Megan:

鈥淭ha an taic agus am maoineachadh a fhuair sinn air a bhith cruth-atharrachail don ghnothachas. Tha iad air ceadachadh dhuinn inbheisteadh a dh猫anamh nar n-脿ite saothrachaidh agus cruthaichidh e obraichean 霉ra a tha a鈥� cur taic ris an d脿 chuid an gnothachas agus a鈥� choimhearsnachd fharsaing. Tha a bhith comasach air leudachadh agus a鈥� fuireach freumhaichte sa choimhearsnachd, cho f矛or chudromach dhomh, agus tha an inbheisteadh seo a鈥� cuideachadh le d猫anamh cinnteach gum fuirich Companaidh Choinnlean B脿gh Shanndabhaig na p脿irt bhe貌thail, fhad-amail den eaconamaidh ionadail.鈥�