A Fife businesswoman has launched a crowdfunding campaign to help get a new Scottish magazine off the ground.
Lynda Hamilton Parker, a freelance PR consultant and independent publisher who runs Lynda Hamilton Communications, has set up the campaign in a bid to raise £5,000 to help launch Holistic Scotland Magazine – Scotland’s first print title dedicated to natural health and wellbeing, as well as more mindful living.
She is hoping to boost the coffers ahead of the magazine’s launch in April to help market the publication to all corners of Scotland.
She said: “It’s tough for publishers out there but there is still scope for niche magazines to thrive. In fact, it’s the small, independent publishers who are flourishing.”
Hamilton Parker who, as a freelance journalist, has written extensively on health and wellbeing travel, is set to launch the new glossy magazine to coincide with her 40th birthday.
She said: “As UK consumers increasingly look to move away from products containing artificial substances such as parabens, petrochemicals and toxins, whose side effects are still largely unknown, there is also a greater shift towards products which are kinder to health, the environment and society.
“According to a recent report by the Soil Association (2017), sales in organic health and beauty products have increased more than 20%, with the market now worth around £61.2 million in the UK alone.
“But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The natural health and wellbeing industry is in rude health, with the movement only forecast to continue.
“Holistic Scotland Magazine’s mission is to document these exciting developments and provide a fresh take on holistic living in Scotland – creating a platform for businesses to showcase their kind-natured and low carbon innovations, while giving readers the opportunity to discover the health and wellness alternatives available to them locally.
“It’s designed to unite Scotland’s ‘free from’ and holistic community, while profiling the country’s ethical businesses – many of which are using locally sourced materials and ingredients from the land – as well as those contributing to a low carbon, circular economy.”
A range of rewards are being offered as a special thank you to those who donate and include magazine subscriptions, a Holistic Scotland hamper, personalised souvenir magazine covers, an afternoon behind the scenes, free advertising for a year, and a chance to be a cover star.
