Richard Kirtley, Jul 10, 2026 There are certain words that become so universally admired that, over time, they stop describing anything particularly well. They become badges of virtue rather than definitions. We hear them repeated so often, in so many different contexts, that we stop asking what they actually mean. Community, I would argue, is one […]

Richard Kirtley, Jun 19, 2026 A week ago, Purple Shoots helped a small business owner escape a loan that was costing her £12 per day in interest.  The original borrowing was £1,500. By the time we refinanced the debt, the settlement figure had reached £2,439 within 4 months! Had the loan remained in place, hundreds […]

Richard Kirtley, Jun 12, 2026 There is an often held assumption running through almost many conversations we have about economic growth in Britain. It appears in government policy, local authority strategies, skills programmes, economic development plans and business support initiatives. Whether stated explicitly or not, the underlying belief is remarkably consistent: if we can attract […]

Richard Kirtley, Jun 05, 2026 There is a particular kind of frustration that comes from reading a report and finding yourself nodding almost all the way through it.  Not because the report is especially surprising, nor because it has uncovered some hidden truth that nobody had previously recognised, but because it manages to articulate something […]

A reflection on history, humanity, and the quiet moments where everything begins to change Richard Kirtley. I used to walk past Grey’s Monument most days growing up in Newcastle, usually on my way somewhere else, rarely stopping, rarely looking up. It was simply part of the landscape, a place you arranged to meet, a landmark […]

The Case for Self-Employment by Richard Kirtley, Nov 14th 2025 Unemployment is on the rise. According to a recent BBC News article, the number of people out of work in the UK is climbing again, with hundreds of thousands classed as “economically inactive.” It’s a familiar story where people who want to work but can’t find something that fits, or who’ve given […]