Alternatives to traditional bank lending have scaled 20-fold to £3,388m from £169m in just eight years, with property funds and non-bank lending on the up, reveals annual market update from the UK’s impact investing wholesaler.
The Big Exchange, co-founded by The Big Issue and a coalition of industry partners, allows UK residents to become impact investors with £25 a month – and has plans to reduce that minimum investment to just £3.
PLUS: Social Impact Ventures rebrands and doubles fund size; Save the Children Australia impact fund opens for business; UN’s first outcomes fund; the new $400m 'blank-cheque' sustainability company; and more.
Scotland’s first social enterprise letting agency signs largest deal to date from Social Enterprise Investment Fund II, allowing Impact Ventures UK to exit three years ahead of plan.
Launching his organisation's annual conference, Ben Carpenter says "desperate times call for desperate measures" – urging practitioners to call out wrongdoing, from poor impact practice to discrimination.
Although this year's Social Enterprise World Forum was online-only, it didn't stop the delegates making the most of the musical finale with disco-funk legend and philanthropist Nile Rodgers. The wrap film shows the highlights.
Conservative MP Danny Kruger's report, in response to UK prime minister's request to explore how to sustain the lockdown "community spirit", highlights role of the people in rebuilding the country.
New CEO of EVPA Roberta Bosurgi uses first speech to rally for "a bigger voice", while GIIN's Amit Bouri says "there are limits to what we can accomplish alone".
As Covid-19 exposes “cracks in economic system”, EVPA chair calls on impact networks and investors to “build a powerful voice”, to “build back a more inclusive and just society” – with impact “at the heart”.
