EMFF

The UK Association of Building Preservation Trust are holding a regional event in Leicester on 6^th July. You do not need to be a member to attend, and there are a wide range of topics on the agenda. To find our more, including details of the agenda and hot to book you place, click here to take you to the APT regional events page.  

The Heritage Lottery Fund in the East Midlands are looking for a Development Officer at their Nottingham office. For more details visit the HLF website here or visit www.hlf.org.uk and click on About Us and then Vacancies. 

Merger to create one of the UK’s largest social investment intermediaries with a mission ‘to dismantle poverty’

Last week two of the UK’s leading social investors, Big Issue Invest and  TSELF announced they had merged – the first merger in the sector between two Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs). Both organisations have a strong track record of investing and making loans to social enterprises and charities. The merger provides a platform for growth and allows for a combined total of £8m to be immediately available for investment and loan finance, with individual amounts ranging from £50,000 to £1m.

To date, Big Issue Invest (BII) and TSELF (The Social Investment Loan Fund) have invested in 185 enterprises and disbursed over £18.5m in loans and investments. Nigel Kershaw, CEO, BII, said: “Both organisations have the same mission – to dismantle poverty and inequality by investing in social enterprises and charities providing sustainable solutions to social and environmental challenges. The merger naturally followed from a working partnership which highlighted synergies and some obvious advantages to combining the businesses. It makes sense to join forces, allowing us to broaden and strengthen our offering. This means a greater range of expertise, flexibility and most importantly impact. It will also allow us to attract additional funding into the sector.”

Mike Baker, CEO, TSELF, said: “Through our extensive track record of investing in organisations working in disadvantaged communities across the UK, TSELF has developed strong regional knowledge of what financial support is needed and what works. Working together with BII will allow us to continue to grow and share that knowledge and better serve the social enterprise and charity sectors.”

The merger of Big Issue Invest and TSELF provides a first port of call for social enterprises and charities looking for social investment.

TSELF will now operate as part of Big Issue Invest, the social investment arm of The Big Issue.To find out more visit: www.bigissueinvest.com

And if you want to find out more you can contact Avril Howker the Regional Director on 0115 9746299 or at: a.howker@tself.org.uk