Access at 10

As Access marks its first ten years, we reflect not only on what has been achieved, but on how the shifts in social investment have taken place, and what still needs to be done.

Changing the system

From the start, Access has aimed to make social investment more inclusive, equitable, and understood. 

Today, funders, investors, and policymakers have stronger evidence that finance can be structured around the needs of smaller groups and communities, and that resilience and enterprise can be supported in tandem. 

The system is still evolving, but the gaps are narrowing and the direction is clearer.

Why we’re still needed

Access was originally set up to exist for just ten years. The goal was to help reshape the system so that social investment could work more effectively, and then step aside. But while there is much to celebrate, the work is not yet finished.

Charities and social enterprises continue to face rising demand, soaring costs, and uneven access to funding. Our vision for the next decade is simple but ambitious: a social investment ecosystem that works reliably and fairly for every organisation and every community. 

That means finance that is flexible, affordable, and rooted in understanding; funders and investors who support long‑term resilience as well as immediate delivery; and a sector where social investment is no longer specialist, but a normal and trusted option. 

Explore the stories 

We’ve asked those closest to our work to reflect on what’s changed and what they believe the future should bring. 

"We set out to fill a gap in the system - and help good people do good things"

Ten years on, founding chair John Kingston looks back on Access’s roots, its role as a catalyst for change, and what still drives its work today.

"Social Investment has allowed us to heal more children's lives"

Jenny Westwood, co-founder of IntraQuest, shares how social investment enabled them to create a unique healing space for children affected by trauma and neurodiversity.

 "You have to lead based on need" - strengthening Bristol’s community enterprise

How flexible funding enabled VOSCUR, the local support and development agency for Bristol's Voluntary, Community & Social Enterprise sector, to strengthen community enterprises by leading with local priorities, not one-size-fits-all solutions.

"Real inclusion should look like a rainforest" - Diverse voices, diverse finance

Bonnie Chiu, co-founder of Pathway Fund and the Diversity Forum, argues that real equity will only come when the sector tackles power, bias and inclusion head-on, moving beyond technical fixes and token representation.

"Right money, right time" - How blended finance has helped communities grow

Key Fund’s Matt Smith looks back on a decade of blended finance, the communities it has helped grow, and why continuity is vital for the future.

"Who is in the room matters" - How Pathway is shifting power back to marginalised communities

Asher Craig, CEO of Pathway Fund, reflects on the need shift power, build infrastructure and channel long-term investment into Black-led and other underrepresented community organisations. 

“Blended finance opened up the whole market” - How partnership expanded the reach of social investment

Stephen Muers, CEO of Better Society Capital, reflects on how blended finance has opened up the social investment market, enabling thousands of previously excluded organisations to access the funding they need.

"We need to say to banks - Invest in the UK communities that need it"

Joshua Meek of Unity Trust Bank calls on banks and institutions to put capital into underserved communities, highlighting how Blended Finance approaches help make these investments viable and impactful.

Helping social enterprises take control: The growing impact of enterprise grants

Tim Davies-Pugh, Chair of the Enterprise Grants Taskforce and CEO of Power to Change, says enterprise grants are reshaping the funding landscape, giving social enterprises the tools and confidence to chart their own path.

"Access’s real legacy must be the system it leaves behind"

Nick Hurd, Chair of Access, reflects on the organisation’s role in reshaping social investment and why extending its lifespan was essential to secure a lasting system-level legacy for charities and social enterprises.