A Ukrainian couple has won a top prize in the first round of an enterprise competition in East Renfrewshire.

Liubomyr Potoskyi and Natalyia Hevak triumphed in the inaugural New Entrepreneurs Challenge and were awarded for their effort at an awards ceremony in Rouken Glen Park.

They secured the top £700 prize, following their pitch to a panel of expert judges on June 24.

Classified as new entrants in the area of business, the couple leveraged their 15 years of experience in the fertiliser industry to start their own venture in Scotland after fleeing from the conflict in their home country, Ukraine.

Upon receiving the award, Liubomyr said: "We have learned so much useful information through this programme, and have made invaluable connections with the other participants along the journey."

Lisa Crow won the second-place prize for her meditative art form business, the Wee Craft Crow.

Her business is centred on reducing anxiety and promoting mental wellbeing.

The New Entrepreneurs Programme, which runs the competition, is a brainchild of Bridge 2 Business in partnership with Work East Ren Employability Services, West College Scotland, and the Scottish Government.

The initiative was developed to provide residents in East Renfrewshire with the resources and support they need to improve their enterprise skills.

The programme engages individuals from various backgrounds in East Renfrewshire, including the unemployed and those seeking to shift into employment or entrepreneurship.

Participants aged between 16 - 69 participate in nine weeks of intensive, hands-on workshops bolstered by guest talks from industry leaders.

Emma Soanes, chief executive of Young Enterprise Scotland, said: "We are delighted to have been a part of this initiative, which opened the doors to entrepreneurship to those who traditionally may have felt that it was out of their reach.

"We really hope that this programme is a testament to the power of access to opportunity, and we can continue to provide support to future cohorts.

"I extend my warmest congratulations to all our participants, and we are all excited to watch their business plan go from strength to strength."