The second Rural Social Enterprise Network meeting of 2026 hosted by the Rural Social Enterprise Hub was held on Tuesday, 10th of March 2026 from 14:00 – 15:30, online via Teams. This session had a focus on AI & Digital Technology for Social Enterprises. Speakers included Ross McCulloch from the Third Sector Lab, Theresa Swayne from the Highlands and Islands Enterprise, and George Wallace from FreshSight. The event had an attendance of 24 individuals representing various rural organisations from across Scotland.

Ross McCulloch, Director of the Third Sector Lab delivered the first presentation on ‘AI for Social Enterprise Leaders’. Third Sector Lab specialises in digital transformation, website design, trainings and support programmes for the charity sector. Ross’s presentation investigated how AI can help social enterprises to achieve their aims and objectives ethically. 

The second presentation was delivered by Theresa Swayne from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). HIE works with organisations of all sizes across the region, investing in fair work and net zero practices and is guided by a five-year strategy running from 2023 to 2028. Theresa leads the digital and technology adoption programme within HIE’s innovation and technology team. 

Fresh Sight is student led and run social impact consultancy based in Edinburgh. They are a social enterprise focuses on delivering services in marketing, finance, organisational structure and more depending on the needs of each organisation. Fees are set on a need assessed basis to cover costs, and work runs in two cycles aligned with the academic year, with six client projects per cycle. George Wallace, one of the Directors of FreshSight, delivered the third presentation.