From troubled teen to rising enterprise star: Entrepreneur wins backing of scheme to help women in business

An entrepreneur who overcame troubled teenage years has won the backing of a major scheme to help women in business.

Amber Pattullo, 29, lived in a women’s homeless refuge after her life spiralled out of control and she fell pregnant as a teenager.

She had been brought up by her devoted dad as her mum was battling an addiction to alcohol.

Amber’s mum died in 2016 after they had been estranged for years, and she was not even told about the funeral.

But she received an unexpected legacy in her mum’s will which she ploughed into a business venture.

The mother-of-two set up a social enterprise called Nurture the Play in Edinburgh to provide indoor and outdoor activities for children.

And after being inspired by fond memories of cooking with her mum in early childhood, she launched an initiative to create healthy recipe packs for youngsters.

The Cook with Me enterprise has now been picked by the RBS Back Her Business scheme to be showcased for a crowdfunding project.

Amber said: “I didn’t make the right decisions when I was younger.

“I ended up pregnant at 17 and was given a place in a women’s refuge.”

The birth of her second child in 2017 inspired her latest social enterprise.

She applied to the RBS Back Her Business scheme to help women launch businesses by giving them a platform for crowdfunding.

Amber has raised more than £1,300 of her £5,000 target and if she exceeds it, she might win up to £10,000 from RBS.