Veteran angel makes a move into social investment

A COURIER business operated by people with disabilities has won backing from one of the pioneers of Scotland’s business angel movement.

Barry Sealey, who co-founded the Archangels syndicate, has invested £15,000 in East Kilbride-based Delivered Next Day Personally in his first move into the world of social investment.

This involves supporting firms which aim to deliver social or environmental benefits as well as a profit.

Founded by Bruce Gunn, who was housebound for three years with illness, DNDP employs people with disabilities as couriers to make deliveries in areas close to where they live.

“I chose to invest in DNDP because as well as providing employment and a sense of purpose for disabled and disadvantaged people, it is also generating income and delivering commercial impact,” said Mr Sealey.

He added:“There is no way I would invest in a business if I didn’t have confidence in the person behind it. As an investor it is vital you believe in both the idea and the people who will deliver it.”

Mr Gunn has described how he started Delivered Next Day Personally in 2012 after feeling that he had been thrown on to the scrapheap because of the difficulties he experienced.

The former IT consultant suffered an allergic reaction to a mosquito bite on a family holiday to Spain in 2008, which led to a long-term illness.

The funding could help Mr Gunn achieve his ambition to roll out the DNDP model to other parts of Scotland.

Mr Sealey said he was introduced to the idea of social investment by