A former weekly journalist who has set up a PR and marketing agency has won a place on a national program for promising start-ups.

John Durrant, left, started his career 14 years ago as a junior reporter with The Buteman before working at The Oban Times and Aberdeen Evening Express.

He then moved to New Zealand where he enjoyed a series of roles, including renewables reporter for The New Zealand Herald and editor of New Zealand Fishing World magazine in Auckland.

Now back in Scotland, John has set up Juggling Swords, a content marketing and PR agency based in East Lothian.

The company, which was established ten weeks ago, has now won a place on the Entrepreneurial Spark Accelerator program designed to help fledgling businesses.

John will take part in a business boot camp, Acceler-8, later this month, after which the company will move into Entrepreneurial Spark Edinburgh office, known as the Hatchery.

The programme will also enable John to get access to business support and mentoring from influential business leaders like Sir Willie Haughey.

Said John:  “I’m passionate and excited about where content marketing and PR are going in the digital age and I know that Juggling Swords will be a huge success. I think we can get to where we want to be much quicker with the support of Entrepreneurial Spark.”

“When it comes to the nuts and bolts of content marketing and PR, we know what we’re doing and we’re good at it. But the actual business support and the chance to learn from some of Scotland’s most influential entrepreneurs like Jim Duffy, Sir Tom Hunter, Sir Willie Haughey and Ann Gloag is one that I’ll grab with both hands.

He added: “The business support on offer from Entrepreneurial Spark was too good an opportunity to miss.”