A firm based in North Lanarkshire is to expand its facilities after receiving £250,000 in funding.

Kelvin Valley Honey, which sells honey-based products as well as providing equipment and training to bee keepers, has said it plans to expand its Beekeeping for Business scheme with the fund, as well as create a new workspace and advice service for social entrepreneurs, and deliver an interactive tourist centre – Scotland's Honeybee Experience – in the spring.

In addition, the profits from Kelvin Valley Honey will be put towards a £1m transformation of a 42-acre former coal mine pit, into a commercial community-owned market garden.

The £250,000 loan is one of the first allocations of funds through the Scottish Government's £16m Social Growth Fund.

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Social Justice Secretary Alex Neil said: "Kelvin Valley Honey's unique plans will not only help bees produce honey, pollinate crops and wild plants, but will provide educational opportunities and help build a community garden in Kilsyth.

"We recognise that social enterprises strengthen our economy and support our aims of creating a fairer society, but we need to have the right environment for them to flourish. That is why it's crucial for us to provide direct support and investment through schemes like the Social Growth Fund.

"This Fund encourages our entrepreneurs and enterprising organisations to think of innovative ways to tackle inequalities and help us to deliver a better Scotland."

Paul Holmes, Chairman of Kelvin Valley Honey, added: "To say that we're delighted to be granted the Social Growth Fund loan is an understatement. It delivers a major boost in our ability to finance our wider environmental, social and economically beneficial objectives and enhance our long term sustainability.

"Without it we would not be in the position to progress many of this year's new initiatives which will considerably increase the organisation's growth potential. This in turn is what will make the £1 million development of the first 25 acres of the market garden possible."

(JP/IT)